ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — St. Augustine is known for its history, but one piece of the classic downtown is so old, it may need a facelift.
The days of taking a stroll right on top of the seawall in St. Augustine could become a thing of the past soon.
The Florida Department of Transportation is looking at a plan to renovate the seawall from The Castillo de San Marcos to The Bridge of Lions, dropping the promenade down so you wouldn’t be able to walk on top of it.
The idea is to keep the area safer and free of some of the floodwaters the area sees during hurricanes.
“Downtown here in St. Augustine, when there’s a lot of rain or wind or a combination of those things, we do hold water very well down here," said River & Fort Executive Chef Derrick Haggerty.
Haggerty vividly remembers the sight of water crashing over the seawall and onto Avenida Menendez during Hurricane Ian.
That seawall has seen thousands walk on it through the years since it was built to protect downtown St. Augustine several decades ago.
“The current sea wall that is there was built in the 1960s," said FDOT Spokesperson Hampton Ray. "It’s reached the end of its service life. The barrier between the river and the sidewalk is, essentially, a chain.”
FDOT is considering a plan that would replace that chain with a raised wall with a coquina finish.
The space where people walk right now would be dropped by two feet, while the wall itself would be built up – making a three-and-a-half foot tall divider between the walking path and the water.
“Provide a more resilient wall for pedestrians, provide that coverage," said Ray. "Ultimately, when big storms come our way, it’ll make that area more resilient.”
Haggerty says while flooding is an issue, his experience is that it drains back quickly. He’s hoping a taller seawall will keep more water out without also keeping it in when it does flood.
“I think an upgrade would be a wonderful thing, and just making sure everything flows back out would be a beautiful thing," said Haggerty.
The plans aren't set in stone just yet. FDOT is looking for your feedback by hosting some community meetings.
The first will be virtual on Tuesday, Jan. 23, the other will be in-person at St. Augustine City Hall at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25.
You can find more information on those meetings and the project as a whole here.