More than 13,000 square feet of gathering space along the Indian River in New Smyrna Beach is poised to put the small beach town on the map as an elite spot for events in Volusia County.

The new Brannon Civic Center on Riverside Drive is set to open in late September 2016, and it could be a competitor to the several convention centers and meeting places available in the northern part of the county. With a terrace overlooking the river, an outdoor green space and a 6,500 square-foot ballroom with a 600-person capacity included in the $5.7 million new building, it will hopefully bring smaller and mid-sized events to southeast Volusia, city and business officials said.

“For New Smyrna Beach, it’s an incredible asset,” said Nancy Keefer, president and CEO at the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There is limited space available for parties of any size there, and I know that the smaller convention market is a big market.”

The city-owned building could be another option for smaller conventions and corporations looking to rent space in the county that aren’t big enough to fill a large space like the county-owned Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, according to Assistant City Manager Khalid Resheidat. Resheidat said that kind of thinking is “premature,” though, and any kind of partnership between the city and the county would happen later down the road once the Brannon center is closer to completion.

“In the next few months, we will have a better idea,” Resheidat said this week.

Don Poor, director of the Ocean Center, said it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to direct smaller events toward the New Smyrna center once it’s completed. He said the Ocean Center, which features more than 205,000 square feet in event space, prefers to book larger events first that will fill up the whole space before booking events that only require partial space.

Shriners International announced in 2013 that they will hold both their 2017 and 2018 conventions at the Ocean Center. As it stands now, the events would be the largest ever held at the beachside convention center — bringing an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people each year.

Poor said the Ocean Center tries to get commitments from larger conventions years ahead of time, and they typically won’t book smaller events until closer to the actual date. He said the Brannon center has a lot of potential to host small and mid-sized events. The side of the Brannon center facing the river will be mostly windows, creating an exceptional view for guests.

“It’s a very nice and upscale facility,” Poor said. “It would certainly give folks another smaller option that’s aesthetically pleasing.”

Kris Sainsbury, general manager of the Venetian Bay Golf Club on New Smyrna’s west side, said he isn’t worried about the Brannon center taking away the facility’s clientele — in fact he thinks the new civic center has the potential to help Venetian Bay Golf Club. With a banquet-style seating space of only 120, the club is a much smaller space than the Brannon center will be, but it’s one of the only “larger” venues in town.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt us. I think being at the golf club, we can provide that certain kind of feel and atmosphere that a lot of people like in the way we are set up,” Sainsbury said. “If anything, it can drive more people to come from outside of the area.”

Many community and government meetings are now currently held at the Alonzo “Babe” James Community Center on North Myrtle Avenue in New Smyrna, which was recently renovated. The center includes a large gymnasium and conference room.

The city said the design of the Brannon center will be more energy efficient, which will save the city money on operation costs in the long run. The space will also feature a catering kitchen, lobby area, larger restrooms and administrative offices, according to the city’s website.

Nancy Maddox, New Smyrna’s new leisure services director who used to be a county employee, said she is still working on the fees and pricing for the Brannon center. She said in a “couple of months” the City Commission will be voting on the fee structure, so the city can begin renting out space for when the center is completed.

For more information on the Brannon center, and for construction updates, visit the city’s website at www.cityofnsb.com/987/Brannon-Civic-Center.