From Skepticism to '90s Block Party: Ormond MainStreet Marks 30 Years of Downtown Progress

Ormond MainStreet was founded in 1994 and earned its official Main Street program designation the following year. From the beginning, the organization's founders understood that transforming downtown wouldn't happen quickly. According to Bill Partington, owner of AHC Safe and Lock and one of downtown's oldest business owners, incremental progress was the only realistic approach available to them.

Early wins were modest by design: raising enough money to hire the nonprofit's first executive director, and successfully pushing to eliminate Granada Boulevard's two-way left turn lane to help slow traffic and make the corridor more walkable. Over three decades, those small steps added up to a downtown now anchored by locally owned restaurants, shops, parks, and public art that didn't exist when the organization started.

During the 30th anniversary celebration, Ormond MainStreet presented Partington with its Founder's Legacy Award. Colleagues described him as someone who leads quietly but has carried the organization's history and values for three decades. To honor his contribution, Ormond MainStreet and the city are planting a tree in his name at Main Street Park, a fitting tribute for someone whose work helped shape the physical landscape of downtown itself.

The 30th anniversary also comes on the heels of another notable recognition: Ormond MainStreet was named Florida Main Street Program of the Month in August 2024 by the Secretary of State's office, which credited the organization with transforming Ormond Beach's reputation from a city known mainly for "salt, sand, and speed" into a hub for homegrown businesses and preserved history.

Executive Director Becky Parker, who has led the organization for a decade, has said the group's near-term goals include launching a redesigned website with a more robust community calendar and business directory, and continuing to grow the weekly Ormond Beach Farmers Market held every Thursday at City Hall Plaza.

Thirty years in, Ormond MainStreet's founders are quick to note the work isn't finished. As Partington put it in remarks at the anniversary event, there's still plenty left to do, but the organization has built a strong enough foundation to keep doing it. For a downtown that once struggled to convince skeptics it had a future at all, that's no small achievement.