DEBARY, Fla. – DeBary is getting $2.5 million from the state to bring its massive nature park to life. The city plans to open the 200-acre Alexander Island, just off Fort Florida Road, with an initial phase expected to welcome visitors as early as December 2026.
The project is expected to take 10 to 20 years to complete, but visitors will be able to park inside the gates and access trails and the St. Johns River by December 2026.
“We have 224 acres of park here that’s got two miles of riverfront,” said Carmen Rosamonda, DeBary city manager.
The city’s vision is to turn Alexander Island into a one-of-a-kind nature park focused on river access — without the need for a boat.
“Our focus is to have folks enjoy this particular park and enjoy the river without needing a boat and that just doesn’t happen here in the state of Florida,” Rosamonda said.
The city bought the land for $3.5 million in 2023 to save it from residential development. Since then, grants and funding have continued to pour in. Volusia County contributed $2.5 million two years ago, and the state just awarded another $2.5 million this week — bringing the total funding to $5 million to get the project off the ground.
“The 2.5 million that the Florida legislature gave us this year and the governor will go towards all the water amenities, the boardwalks and everything else along the river,” Rosamonda said.
Rosamonda first walked News 6 through the area in 2024, when the park was little more than a vision.
He recently returned to show the progress — parking areas, retention ponds and trailheads are now going in.
“One of our visions obviously is to turn this into one of the most premiere nature parks in all of Florida, right on the St. John’s River,” Rosamonda said.
Just outside the entrance is the end of a trail that connects to the DeBary SunRail station and the future Main Street the city is currently building as part of a planned downtown.
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