Future Changes to Saint George Street

Saint Augustine has been getting quite the boom it needs for a bustling tourist town. Despite the occasional and regular frequencies of destination weddings and school tours for educational trips, bachelor and bachelorette parties stumbling about from bar to bar, and the wonderful eau de homeless wandering the street, some areas of Saint George are getting the overlooked makeover they deserve. Here might be some of the future prospects of a tourist and local economy that deserve the best boom in decades.

Arcade Upgrade Saint George

There are plenty of shops and restaurants along the portion of Saint George that lies closer to the Governor's house and Casa Monica than the old Spanish fort. There is a project for that.

There are old wooden arcades located nearest to the colonial quarter in Saint Augustine. There are also plenty of old and abandoned buildings on that side of Saint George. Some of the rumors that are going around include adding or renovating the arcades that are currently in use, or building a few more to bring restaurants and stores on the end closest to the colonial quarter and fort. This will bring more people to the other side of the pedestrian-only street, and bring a few more customers in shops that often close quite early, due to the activities of the local bars found towards the Cathedral Basilica.

This might help with some of the traffic for most of the tourist and visitors who walk the main drag. The other problem is that it could be detrimental to the middle of the street. More shops might make way for better restaurants to keep the people coming for more.

Parks and Future Pedestrian Roads

There have been some buildings in the world and some of them seem to have a lingering shadow over the city.

There's an up and coming building that has a separate restroom building behind the Cuban Cafe and Bakery, located on Hypolita Street. It doesn't seem unusual. until you see how small it is for a public restroom stall for men or women.

There are several other things tied into the work and one is the grant for building a park linking Saint George and Spanish Street in Saint Augustine. The grant and the park are to be built by the University of Florida. But once the park is set up, there is a probability about making Spanish Street a pedestrian-only street from the park onward. It will be located next to the arcades that are being updated and renovated to be better efficient, and provide cover for thunderstorms or easy navigation.

One option to keep vehicle access would be to ensure curfew type barriers that come up during pedestrian only hours, and then vehicle access at all other times. It is a method that is useful in countries like Iceland where this is a common occurrence.

Less Retail, More Restaurants

Since the move is to expand and make all of downtown around Saint George pedestrian-only, then that means there may be less retail stores in the area and more restaurants popping up; especially, in areas where there once was vehicle access.

There are several buildings in the development, and for several future developments once the foundation is laid out for pedestrian-only sections of Saint George Street here in Saint Augustine.

Parking may become more cumbersome for people who work downtown or live in the downtown area. But those who live closer or nearby to downtown will have a much better opportunity to enjoy the amenities that Saint George Street has to offer. There is a plan to purchase lots in the uptown section, north of the main drag and turn those into temporary parking or future parking lots, and then use the funds to build a permanent garage somewhere closer to the shops located at San Marco Avenue.

Some of the best benefits about this type of information include the input in keeping Francis Field as a permanent event field. This is great for future tourists or locals who enjoy some of the local events like the Rhythm & Ribs festival, the Celtic Festival, and some of the other festivals out of the hundreds that pop up here and there in Saint Augustine.

Sewage and Water Drainage

This is important for Saint Augustine because as the nation's oldest city, it also has the oldest plumbing and sanitary equipment in the country. Our water tanks and treatment plants are facing erosion and rust buildup, because of the natural sulfur in the water. Some of the drainage systems in downtown don't work or provide proper dispensing of large puddles because the pipes are made from galvanized steel or lead and have crumbled, caved-in, or are starting to crack.

PVC piping and tubing is much more efficient in making sure that no cracks or leaks are developed, and they can be treated with better efficiency than steel or lead piping. But the best outcome is that the water can get to where its going and can be easier to run off or away from the streets and prevent pooling.

Our water treatment plant is old and needs to be maintained, and some of the treatment includes putting stronger HCL acid with a rust and corrosion buffer added to the water to prevent any further neglect or rust from developing. The turn off would be stronger smells of sulfuric acid or sulfide gas and could in turn cause more harm than damage for those whose water may be effected. Since I live on the outskirts and rely on well-water, the only effects may come from working in the city because I use the sinks and bathrooms at work or in the public facilities to refill water bottles or cups.

Re-Bricking the Brick Streets

There is a push to keep some of Saint Augustine historic, and that includes the old brick roads. Some of them have been tarred over or have been pulled up and tarred for better traffic and vehicle accessibility. But this, in turn, can cause some up-cry because there are areas of the city in which tar-paved roads or pedestrian access are usually brick, or tar, or both.

Many of these adjustments are minor, but these are a few from a recently published document located online that contained the outline and business plan for Saint Augustine's push to modern comfort. This business and city plan outlines the fiscal years from 2018 to 2022, and contains information about current projects, completed projects, and budgeted projects. It does not mention how they are to get the money or the funds and when or where they are going to achieve it. But hopefully, these plans and outlines are for the best of the city and not for the pocket lining.

I hope you enjoyed the article and some of the updates coming to the nation's oldest city. I hope to catch you with either a popcorn sample or a brief conversation. If you live in the area, don't be afraid to look it up yourself, or check out the local cable channel that provides the meetings on your local television provider. Remember, Google can be your friend or your enemy, maybe these things are one and the same for the benefit of the city and its representatives. If you liked the information you read, leave a tip or a comment below.