Raise and Rehabilitate Seawalls

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (CASA) is proposing a project to repair and raise the historic seawalls of the Castillo. The seawalls are part of a larger system of seawalls that protects the City of St. Augustine. The Castillo was built by the Spanish starting in 1672 and is located along the Matanzas River northeast of the St. Augustine historic district. Like the Castillo, the seawalls are constructed of coquina, which is a stone formed from shells. Coquina was widely available in St. Augustine and believed to be a more suitable material for the fort than wood because it would not burn and could absorb cannonball fire. However, coquina is porous and not very strong or durable which has led to substantial subsidence and erosion of the seawalls over time. Not only are the seawalls degrading but are also the lowest elevation of the City's seawall network, making the Castillo the first area to flood during storm events.

The purpose of the proposed project is to enhance the protection provided by the seawalls in order to reduce flooding within CASA and adjacent properties while preserving the surrounding natural and cultural resources. The historic seawall is 1,355 linear feet and comprised of five (5) different wall sections that vary in degrees of deterioration necessitating the need for repair: North, North Transition, Center, South, and South Transition Seawalls. Each section of seawall was constructed at different times with different materials and methods, which will require differing rehabilitation solutions.

The need for the project is to address structural integrity issues at the seawall, including effects of aging, erosion, storm damage and flooding, as well as mitigate the impacts of sea level rise by raising the seawall elevations.

A public meeting is scheduled for September 24, 2024, at 6pm ET at the Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel, 6 West Castillo Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32084. A virtual meeting option will be available, as well. The public is invited to learn more about the proposed project at the meeting and to provide comments on the project between September 17 and October 17, 2024.

You can also attend the first part of the meeting virtually via Zoom. (Copy and paste the link into your browser, then input the meeting ID and passcode if prompted.)
https://app.zoom.us/wc/81155173675/join?fromPWA=1&pwd=15YSS4DqSBJRlsOhQLmlf2kLgVbg66.1&_x_zm_rtaid=pqZACFf6Q5SKhP_f5lEoWA.1727201492672.1bb2d07e671c894e5b359240a9a9a8f7&_x_zm_rhtaid=31
Zoom Meeting ID: 811 5517 3675, Passcode: 286429