Osceola Elementary, a community fixture for more than 70 years, has sat empty since closing in 2021 and could soon belong to the city of Ormond Beach, as commissioners weigh a $2.5 million purchase of the former school site. A purchase contract for the 11.6-acre property is listed on the agenda for Wednesday night's city commission meeting, setting up a decision that will shape whether the land becomes a park or rows of new houses.
A School Site With Decades of History
Osceola Elementary closed in 2021, according to Observer Local News. The site is at 100 Osceola Ave. In early August, the Ormond Beach City Commission directed staff to pursue purchasing the school site, a step confirmed in the same report.
Accounts of how far the deal has progressed differ. Observer Local News reported that the city of Ormond Beach is moving forward with the purchase of the former Osceola Elementary at a price of $2.5 million, while WESH reported that the city had offered the school district $2.5 million for the property but that the sale had not been finalized, according to a report from WESH. The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved negotiations with the city over the site's sale on Sept. 8, per the same Observer Local News account.
Residents Hope for Playgrounds, Not Houses
Residents quoted in WKMG's reporting voiced support for a park. John Roy said he hopes the site becomes a park for children rather than housing, according to WKMG.
Residential development is another possibility for the site, a prospect that has fueled the push from park advocates. The commission directed staff to prepare a letter of interest and a due-diligence plan rather than take immediate final action, according to a report from Citizen Portal.
Competing Offers Complicated Negotiations
Money has been a moving target throughout the process. At the time of the commission's August discussion, the school district had received two offers, one for $2.35 million and another for $2.5 million, the Observer Local News report notes.
City officials have pointed to the Ormond Beach Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which identified a need for more recreation space on the beachside, as justification for the purchase. The city's own parks and recreation page describes the master plan as a long-term document defining the community's vision, priorities, and strategies for parks and recreation facilities and programs, developed with resident input to guide quality services for the community, according to the City of Ormond Beach.
Whatever happens with the purchase, the design, construction timing, and amenities of any future park remain undetermined. For now, the fate of the 11.6-acre site sits with commissioners, who are set to take up the purchase contract at Wednesday night's meeting.
