ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla – A major makeover is coming to one of downtown St. Augustine’s busiest corridors.
The Florida Department of Transportation is partnering with the city by providing $18 million for the road redevelopment of King Street, focusing on the main stretch from Malaga Street to Cordova Street — a half-mile corridor that connects Ponce de Leon Boulevard to the Bridge of Lions.
Project leaders said the goal is to improve safety, traffic flow, and walkability while extending the feel of the historic core farther west.
“The idea is to really focus in on the history and the mobility of King Street so that we can take our historic district, our historic core and really bring that aesthetic all the way out to U.S. 1 or Ponce de Leon Boulevard,” Jeremy Marquis, CEO of Marquis Latimer & Halback Inc. said, and one of the project managers.
A concept plan approved by the St. Augustine City Commission calls for:
- Expanded sidewalks on the north and south sides of King Street
- A brick multi-use center turn lane
- An additional travel lane
- New mid-block pedestrian crossings to make it easier and safer for people to cross the street
Marquis said the team is also working to make King Street more resilient to storms and hurricanes.
“It will be more hurricane-ready and storm-ready,” Marquis said. “We’re working with Florida Power and Light to see if we can underground all of the electric and the utilities that run along King Street so that it will be more storm-ready and resilient.”
Construction is not expected to begin until 2028, as the city and FDOT continue to work through engineering details and logistics.
Some businesses along King Street say they are bracing for the short-term disruption but welcome the long-term benefits.
“I’ve been here for six years, and it’s always been a challenge to get the people down here, because they’re mostly in villas in that area. and in that area,” Lisa Meyers, an employee at Art Box on King Street, said. “This new project, I’ve been waiting for and looking forward to it. I know it’s gonna be difficult in the short run, but I think in the long run it’ll be good.”
Marquis said once the construction phase begins, he plans to have crews limit the impact on traffic and commerce by scheduling most construction work at night, when many businesses are closed, and fewer drivers are on the road.
More information about the “Concept A” design is available on the project website.