DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Work will soon begin to repair the iconic Main Street arch approach in Daytona Beach. The structure is nearly 100 years old.
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For months, the arch has been blocked off by construction fences to protect people from all the debris and the crumbling coquina rock.
The arch was built in the 1930′s along with the Bandshell and Clocktower. A city spokesperson said each landmark was built as part of the Works Progress Administration; a Federal Agency created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to alleviate unemployment during The Great Depression.
But now, nearly 100 years later, Public Works Director David Waller explains the arch has seen better days.
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“It has deteriorated to the point where it’s structurally compromised so we closed the area to be safe,” said Waller.
Waller said construction crews made that determination during repairs to the pier following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. There is now a plan in place to install new internal concrete beams and external coquina rock which is already being cut and shaped in a nearby parking lot.
“The arch that you see from the east and west side that will be demoed and poured back in solid concrete and then we will put a coquina veneer back on it and it will look just like it did before,” said Waller.
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Preserving the arch’s historical accuracy is an important part of the project and one Waller said the city takes seriously.
The repairs to the arch are just over $800,000 and should be finished by next summer.
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