LONG-TERM PUBLIC GROUND LEASE FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF A MOTOCROSS PARK IN EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA

Volusia County ("County"), home to Daytona International Speedway and the "Motorsports Capital of the World," seeks competitive proposals from qualified entities to develop and operate a motocross park on land located on State Road 44, ten miles east of DeLand, Florida. The facility will serve as a regional destination for motocross racing, practice, training, and related motorized recreation. The County intends to enter a ground lease (Exhibit A) with the selected Respondent ("Concessionaire") for a term of thirty (30) years . The Concessionaire will be responsible for all financing, development, operations, and maintenance at its sole expense.

The property is situated six miles from Interstate 4 and ten miles from Interstate 95 along one of Florida's most heavily traveled corridors. This location places 4 million residents within a 90-minute drive and captures year-round tourist traffic from Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and the Space Coast. With no publicly owned motocross facility in the four-county region (Volusia, Flagler, Brevard, and Seminole Counties), the selected Concessionaire will enter a market with demonstrated demand, limited competition, and significant growth potential.

ECHO Program Funding Context: This project is funded through the Volusia ECHO (Environmental, Cultural, Historic, and Outdoor Recreation) program, a voter-approved initiative supporting capital investments in outdoor recreation facilities. The County Council approved $3.5 million in ECHO funding for the motocross project on June 4, 2024. Foundational ECHO program requirements include public access, a uniform fee schedule for county residents, and submission of quarterly status reports during construction and annual reports thereafter. Additional ECHO requirements are detailed in Minimum Project Requirements Section 5.6 and the annual report template is provided as Exhibit D.

Feasibility Study: In February 2024, Hunden Strategic Partners completed a market feasibility and economic impact analysis confirming strong unmet demand for a public motocross facility in the four-county region, projecting economic impacts exceeding $300 million over 30 years within the $16.2 billion ATV/UTV industry. The full study is incorporated as Exhibit E.

Due Diligence Completed Exhibits D through F establish compliance and project validation: the ECHO Program Annual Report Template (D), Hunden Partners feasibility study (E), and zoning confirmation for motocross use (F). Exhibits G through N provide essential site data including the legal description, environmental constraints, access improvements, geotechnical analysis, surveys, stormwater assessment, and Phase I ESA. See Section 5.6 for the complete exhibit list with descriptions. These exhibits provide Respondents with the technical information necessary to develop informed proposals. See Section 5. Scope of Work for the complete exhibit list with descriptions. .

Zoning Confirmation: The property is zoned Forestry Resource (FR) and Resource Corridor (RC), with motocross park use confirmed as allowable under existing zoning and Future Land Use designations without requiring Comprehensive Plan or Land Development Code amendments. The Implementation will be subject to standard development review, environmental permitting, floodplain requirements, and interdepartmental coordination (Exhibit F).

County Contribution: Of the $3,500,000 in ECHO funding approved for this project, the County has expended approximately $2,250,000 on land acquisition and site due diligence. The remaining balance up to $1,250,000.00 is available to support eligible infrastructure improvements proposed by the selected Concessionaire, see Section 5.4 County Contribution for instructions.

Opportunity Overview & Strategic Goals

This opportunity eliminates barriers typically associated with motorsports development: land acquired, zoning confirmed, due diligence completed, and up to $1.25 million in County infrastructure support available. The County seeks an experienced operator to build Central Florida's destination motocross facility, extending Volusia's racing legacy from asphalt to dirt in America's motorsports heartland.

The following policy objectives have guided this project:

Fiscal Responsibility: Self-sustaining operations through private sector expertise with no ongoing County subsidy and zero County staff growth.

Risk Sharing: Private sector assumes development and operational costs; County investments are limited to infrastructure creating permanent property value.

Public Recreation Access: Affordable motocross opportunities for residents consistent with ECHO program requirements, including uniform fees and minimum public access days for County residents.

Economic & Environmental Balance: Tourism revenue generation supporting "Motorsports Capital of the World" positioning while conserving approximately 281 acres of wetlands consistent with Volusia Forever objectives.