DAYTONA BEACH — Businessman Alex Spanos has a habit of buying old buildings and fixing them up.

He’s done it with three commercial buildings here along West International Speedway Boulevard, including Spanos Motors, which he co-owns with younger brother Vic.

Now he’s living in one of his recent renovation projects, a mid-1920s-era downtown building at Palmetto and Orange avenues that, in the traditional town style, had a business on the ground floor and residences on the second and third floors.

The building had been empty for several years when Spanos bought it in 2006 for $250,000.

It went untouched for a couple of years thereafter, before Spanos finally decided to renovate the inside and fix up the outside.

He moved in following the completion of that renovation work a little more than a year ago.

“I came down here from New York City and I miss the city atmosphere,” said the 45-year-old Spanos. “I’ve lived in Ormond Beach and Ponce Inlet and I’m constantly searching to find my spot. I missed walking and seeing people, walking to a pub or restaurant. I walk to work. Talk about living green.”

Spanos is part of a movement to revitalize Daytona Beach’s historic downtown that was building momentum before the recession, but is showing signs of renewal.

“I wish there were more like him. I think he’s done an amazing job there,” said Kelly White, a downtown resident who runs a real estate brokerage — the Jack White Land Co. — and who also serves on the City Commission. Her husband, Jack, is a real estate developer who is a partner in a company called White Challis Redevelopment, which specializes in projects in downtown areas and historic neighborhoods.

“I don’t know of anything like he’s done downtown,” said Kelly White of Spanos’ latest renovation project. “It used to be a bit wild downtown, but it’s starting to feel like a neighborhood with new businesses and we’re getting that mix with people.”

Jack and Kelly White kicked off a local residential urban-renewal effort in 2006 when they built the new 24-unit Wall Street Lofts condominium complex, where they also live.

As residential investment slowed, the Whites shifted to renovating downtown commercial buildings. They bought and fixed up the Warren Harding and W.H. Gardner buildings, both built in the 1920s.

In 2009, Jack White and environmental attorney Chris Challis teamed to form White Challis Redevelopment Co. They are currently developing new residential projects, including the WC Grand project of attached town homes on Grandview Avenue, beachside, and individual city homes in the William Square downtown project at Palmetto and Magnolia avenues.

“We call them city homes because we’ll sell the narrow lots for three- and four-story single-family detached homes. It will have that Savannah look with alleys between the houses,” Kelly White said. “The goal is to get people living and working downtown. People like Alex.”

Spanos initially wanted to buy in the Wall Street Lofts, but came late to the party. So, caught up in the excitement of living downtown, he bought the building at 307 Palmetto Ave.

“I have a passion for putting things together and restoring old buildings. And once I get into it, I go crazy. I am a general contractor’s and handyman’s worst nightmare,” he said. “On this one, I served as my own general contractor and worked with about 15 or 20 guys so I would get exactly what I envisioned.”

Outside, a new layer of brick went up, while inside walls and doors were removed to open the spaces that are decorated in a clean, contemporary, minimalist style. A fire-suppression sprinkler system was hung from the high ceilings to cover each room so the building could retain its mixed-used zoning for a possible future commercial or professional-office use.

On the ground floor, the single front door was made into a double door to allow Spanos to bring in and store his motorcycle and two mountain bikes in the foyer. A large photo of the triangular Flatiron Building in New York City dominates the entry.

The rear of the ground floor is a guestroom and bathroom, blending contemporary style with old materials.

A wooden closet door hangs and slides along an old iron bar that used to hold up a concrete fire-oven door at the old bakery that is now home to Spanos Motors. The original hardwood floors remain, but are painted white and the bathroom has a modern glass bowl for a sink and has a floor of dark green, brown and black-slate tile.

“We didn’t want to throw too much away so we reused, recycled as much as we could,” Spanos said.

The wood staircase is painted white and leads to the second floor that includes the living and dining areas, ultra-modern kitchen and patio that has a circular iron staircase to a third floor patio.

While the first and third floor walls are white-painted brick, the more formal second floor has smooth walls so as not to distract from the artwork that includes lithographs of Spanos’s native Greece and pictures of New York City.

The third floor is the open master suite. White hardwood floors and an old, black, wood-burning stove contrast the modern walk-in closets with glass sliders and marble bathroom.

Spanos estimates spending about $250,000 for the renovations, but is again looking to move on.

The home is listed for sale with Jack White Land Co., and Spanos is eager to buy riverfront property and fix up an old Victorian.

“I’m ready for another project. There’s a few deals out there,” he said.