Alexander Island, the tucked-away stretch of wild riverfront at the end of Fort Florida Road, is finally getting its shot. State lawmakers have signed off on $2.5 million for the long-planned nature park, a cash infusion that city officials say should push the first phase into real construction and let people walk trails and launch kayaks by late 2026. The new money stacks on existing county and local grants and starts to shift the project from maps and meetings to dirt and boardwalks.
State money and early timeline
According to WKMG News 6, DeBary plans to open roughly 200 acres of Alexander Island in an initial phase that could welcome visitors as early as December 2026. The outlet reports that the state allocation, combined with a previous $2.5 million county ECHO grant, brings the funding for early improvements to about $5 million. City officials told the station that first-wave work will zero in on parking, trails and river-facing amenities so people can reach the St. Johns River without owning a boat.
What the state filing shows
The Florida Senate’s Local Funding Initiative Request describes a $2.5 million fixed-capital outlay and a project footprint of about 224 acres, and it lists kayak launches, a fishing pier, boardwalks and observation towers among the planned features, according to The Florida Senate. The document labels the work shovel ready, sets a construction start date of July 1, 2026 and estimates that the funded phase could wrap up by July 1, 2027. It also projects more than 20,000 visitors a year once the riverfront park is fully built out.
Where the rest of the money comes from
The city bought the riverfront peninsula in 2023 for roughly $3.5 million, aiming to keep the land out of residential development, and Volusia County awarded a $2.5 million ECHO grant to support Phase I, according to MyNews13. City leaders have set aside local budget dollars to match outside grants, a pot that officials say will cover early infrastructure like parking, restrooms and trailheads. Those local and state matches are designed to unlock the broader master plan in stages instead of trying to build the entire park in one go.
Procurement and entrance work already underway
The city has already put out requests for qualifications and other solicitations for Alexander Island Phase 1 land improvements, a sign that procurement is active and bids are under review. Public bid postings and the RFQ for a construction manager at risk list Phase 1 pieces such as the park entrance, parking areas, sidewalks, and trailheads, according to City of DeBary procurement notices. The city also installed a new three-way stop at the park entrance as Fort Florida Road reopened on July 1, according to the city's Fort Florida Road alert. Together, those moves suggest DeBary is pivoting from design tables to visible work along the road and future trail connections.
What visitors can expect
"We have 224 acres of park here that's got two miles of riverfront," DeBary City Manager Carmen Rosamonda told WKMG News 6. Early phases are expected to bring ADA-accessible restrooms, parking, trails, boardwalks, and kayak launches that open up the St. Johns River to people who previously could only look at it from afar. City engineering documents also stress habitat protection and native-plant restoration that will sit alongside the recreational pieces, so the site functions as both a nature preserve and a weekend escape.
Next steps and outlook
The Senate filing and city budget materials show the state line item is structured as a fixed-capital contribution that pairs with roughly $4.3 million in local matching funds to pay for Phase 1 construction, according to The Florida Senate. If permits, bids, and contract awards stay on track, the funded elements could be in place within about a year, with additional amenities rolling out in stages over a decade or more as the city chases more grants and partnerships. For now, residents can keep an eye on bid results and any fresh traffic shifts around Fort Florida Road as the entrance and parking areas take shape.
