[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6492114,"mediaKeyId","5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021","parentId",5489795,"title","St. Augustine CRA presents preliminary budgets for West City, Lincolnville and Historic Area; staff to return with prioritized options","audioSeconds",1274,"startMs",110000,"endMs",1384000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021&start=110&end=1384","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021/thumbnail_110000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6492114/St-Augustine/St-Johns-County/Florida/St-Augustine-CRA-presents-preliminary-budgets-for-West-City-Lincolnville-and-Historic-Area-staff-to-return-with-prioritized-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492114-0f98423995e73db64e01591cc4b06d85/orig.mp4?Expires=1770693790&Signature=CkVO7ne9r6TuW8W6X2JgE1hEBLjqu85LXxT35wmMGOF8vFWQWY-pmeAnAQ2i2ExHb11PyR9C~G7a84lu8iZvMJQzc7S33pB04sz6oShZgmxdJhiTMnyTX2eBRiwFETStiJLRwa0~KN9RYYqKPIVAJJ-XAt7jXPOf-KCpZpYX59FTx0EVk0q5yo9Uc4h584RK~aaxIf3ubKtf~NaL0gGjtFdSJm24sEDMU8kQANtL~SRxpW909ojxgBnuDRuocLQUaf5qz9CvTg98d2Q4wadIkEvQhQ6RStqbT~dDaJ2whl-5R0i-eO2L9sFoZW~kvAHaOEsK4g0wNeyJvjqkpcRdCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Augustine","date","2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","article","City of St. Augustine Community Services Director Jamie D. Perkins on Thursday presented preliminary budgets for the city’s three Community Redevelopment Areas — West City CRA, Lincolnville CRA and the Historic Area CRA — outlining new revenue estimates, carryforwards and proposed allocations for administration, preservation and capital projects.

Perkins said West City, a newly established CRA with a 2024 base year, shows anticipated tax increment revenues of $295,816 (city and county portions combined). The draft West City budget includes a $10,000 transfer back to the general fund for shared services and a $52,500 reallocation to repay consulting fees used to establish the CRA. Perkins said the agency allocated remaining funds equally across the CRA’s strategic-plan line items to preserve flexibility.

The Lincolnville CRA draft shows new revenues of $2,516,136 (city, county and interest), carried-forward and encumbered funds that bring the preliminary budget to about $6.85 million, Perkins said. Major proposed allocations include a $527,800 increase to the Fix It Up homeowner assistance program, a continuing property-acquisition fund for affordable housing (about $839,110 set aside this fiscal year, including consultant fees), and $1.14 million toward Haley and Bickers Park improvements — listed line items include a kayak launch, dog park, basketball and pickleball courts and a playground. Perkins said she expects some committed funds to be spent before final adoption.

For the Historic Area CRA (HACRA), Perkins reported roughly $2.57 million in new revenues and a total preliminary budget of about $3.99 million after carryforwards and grant funds. Active projects identified in the HACRA draft include design and construction for Cordova Street, a downtown landscape master-plan implementation allocation and continued work at Francis Field. Perkins noted $1.45 million remains in the HACRA debt-service obligation.

Why it matters: the CRAs direct property-tax increment revenues toward neighborhood preservation, infrastructure and economic development in three geographically distinct parts of St. Augustine. Perkins told the board the drafts are preliminary; staff will return to the CRA with revised, prioritized budgets at an August workshop (she referenced an upcoming budget workshop) and with options the board requested.

Public comment and board direction

During the public-comment period, Lincolnville resident Denise DeClaire urged the CRA “to champion the development of a more thoughtfully designed fob-controlled, resident-centered dog park” as part of the Eddie Vickers master plan and asked that the dog-park footprint be large enough to meet future needs. DeClaire listed desired features including synthetic turf, agility equipment, dog wash stations, benches and “a secure fob-controlled gate system to limit access to responsible, registered residents.” She said the closest park, Pomar Park, suffers from inadequate maintenance and enforcement.

Perkins had earlier included a dog-park line item under Haley and Bickers Park in the Lincolnville budget and confirmed the kayak launch is shovel-ready pending grant funding. Perkins also said staff could accelerate a “Fix It Up” program for West City homeowners and suggested bringing an initial small program (for example, about $10,000) back for board consideration, growing it over time if revenues continue.

West City discussion and holiday lighting

Several board members asked whether the West City CRA could help pay for seasonal lighting events in that neighborhood. Perkins said holiday lighting downtown is typically reimbursed in part by the Tourist Development Council and that if the CRA participates in West City holiday lighting, the cost would come from CRA funds. Commissioners suggested a modest, targeted streetscape/lighting pilot rather than a full downtown-level expenditure; Perkins offered to reallocate funds and return options for both lighting and community-stabilization programming.

Affordable housing and property acquisition

Perkins said the Lincolnville draft continues a board directive to bank funds to acquire property for an affordable-housing program. She said the CRA is working with St. John's Housing Partnership on mapping and property identification and that the partnership’s consulting fee is included in the budget. Perkins described possible models including city purchase with nonprofit property-management partnership.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve prior meeting minutes (items 2A and 2B): Chair made the motion and a board member seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote (aye).

Speakers relevant to this article: Jamie D. Perkins (Community Services Director, City of St. Augustine); Denise DeClaire (Lincolnville resident); Delphine Sands (pastor, Remnant Outreach Ministry); BJ Kalei (resident/commenter); Commissioner Barbara Blonder; Commissioner Jim Springfield; Commissioner Cynthia Gehrs; Commissioner John Prater; Commissioner Garris. Quotes in this article are taken only from these speakers as recorded in the meeting transcript.

Next steps and staff direction

Perkins said staff will return with revised, prioritized line-item budgets at the scheduled CRA workshop, including options that would (a) accelerate homeowner assistance in West City, (b) identify funding for limited holiday/streetscape lighting, and (c) bring back program criteria for the Lincolnville Fix It Up program earlier in the fiscal cycle. Board members also requested clearer percentage breakdowns of administrative versus program spending on the next budget draft.

Ending note: The CRA presentation was a preliminary, informational review; no final budget adoptions were taken during this workshop session. Staff was directed to refine proposed allocations and present options at a future workshop for formal action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Augustine - Community Redevelopment Agency","oneSentenceSummary","City of St. Augustine Community Services Director Jamie D. Perkins presented preliminary budgets for the city’s West City, Lincolnville and Historic Area CRAs, showing new tax-increment revenues, proposed project allocations and carryforwards and asking the board for direction on prioritization.","taxTitle","St. Augustine, St. Johns County , Florida","taxId",4620,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6492103,"Downtown landscape master plan: consultants outline quick-action 'level 1' planting and cleanup for Knights of Lights",235,3514000,3749000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021&start=3514&end=3749","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021/thumbnail_3514000.jpg","/articles/6492103/St-Augustine/St-Johns-County/Florida/Downtown-landscape-master-plan-consultants-outline-quick-action-level-1-planting-and-cleanup-for-Knights-of-Lights","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492103-edcf466babf43160a091b3038f8ac7e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770693790&Signature=gMqyWMMtCT0yvSzMnx-aHRCw~yC~l6OAcmGBu4GiRVIex~ovAaweRLfNVy98weGskYGT7rcCaEK57Bmz-JOZKR8MFXYEN2CdLrSkibg3tT8QmweKN5zos9hiDHHut-BpFiLptMAXaiognvneKuoFoHOJSwx78FIgekXjl8aRu1GXMyfGN3gnELz5qI55zoy5G87YLfKlxV70ZF~ih0JJgggm9rABfpMAT8tO86CCRPpnP5b6zNutGsI-RjjC0EAutFKythEzp7ipjyNTJv6wx6rAmgdRmUiv9AlRDm4C-45mE61FWNcBhyMA1tAIZLZxDPBCQVF2xdzM-0W8BWdxPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants working with the City of St. Augustine presented a draft Downtown Landscape Master Plan and a set of quick-action, level-1 improvements the Community Redevelopment Agency could implement ahead of the Knights of Lights season.

Jeremy Marquis, representing the consultant team, said staff and consultants focused first on landscapes that already have Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) approval and on plant palettes that favor historically appropriate and salt-tolerant species. The quick-action items include restoration of hedges and small-planting beds near the Leitner Museum and city hall plaza, refreshed plantings around the visitor information center, reintroducing agapanthus and iris for seasonal color, and targeted additions of palms and live oaks to increase the downtown tree canopy.

Marquis said the plan intends to ‘‘refresh’’ landscapes that have lost plants over the years rather than wholesale redesigns for the immediate timeframe. He described the approach as prioritizing HARB-approved areas for quick action while reserving more intensive level-2 work for later review.

Board questions and maintenance concerns

Commissioners asked whether the plant palette is salt tolerant and whether irrigation and maintenance were addressed. Marquis and team members confirmed the selection emphasizes salt-tolerant and Florida-friendly species; consultants said level-1 work will largely use modified existing irrigation systems, while larger level-2 sites would likely require full irrigation retrofits. Commissioners also urged a stronger emphasis on native species and asked staff to de-emphasize commonly used nonnative elements where feasible (podocarpus, liriope, African iris and certain fan palms were discussed). Staff acknowledged the maintenance budget for ongoing care is separate from capital CRA funding and committed to follow-up planning on maintenance costs and responsibilities.

Why it matters: the downtown landscape work affects high-traffic civic spaces, the visitor experience, and preservation design review. Quick-action items are intended to produce visible improvements in time for a major seasonal event while larger design and irrigation upgrades are planned for later phases.

Speakers cited in this article: Jeremy Marquis (consultant lead), Kaylee Toller (consultant team), Commissioner Barbara Blonder, Vice Mayor (unnamed in transcript for vice mayor remarks).","Consultants presented a downtown Landscape Master Plan and a set of quick-action 'level 1' improvements — plant refreshes, salt-tolerant species, and HARB‑approved restorations — intended to be implemented ahead of Knights of Lights; maintenance and irrigation were highlighted as follow-up concerns.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6492109,"MLK Avenue streetscape reaches 90% design; construction estimated near $7 million, funding gap remains",73,3284000,3357000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021&start=3284&end=3357","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5489795-2992d102ef3dac10dac39abadb36d021/thumbnail_3284000.jpg","/articles/6492109/St-Augustine/St-Johns-County/Florida/MLK-Avenue-streetscape-reaches-90-design-construction-estimated-near-7-million-funding-gap-remains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492109-11cafe20de9498be4f343f0b962d0697/orig.mp4?Expires=1770693790&Signature=mTwfntGOmE-fXFG-Y91Cv5SipKWLUNXChaRcVRRvJPPQ3J3OaAcFWLCQkF1Ig8c3IMsNzAc3~1zr2ityHim6TTjPxY9ujjsSaFTGOxnAC9uNi5PICXW2XLaQCQjkBaHYt88Rqo5qMkDDXs-uP8Lt-oCZ6pEHrP8COc-lsS8iMODg6wqUTTQ9zE7aYFTd4hTTRNRJ1gIRND~z1SDB9KijfEd48jLx4fTdO25VsUuRWFocKYHP6WRSZpv3xW7nyHUZdMmJyw81KYXNVCJHXjvkhsuY1QzOxQuVEv4kYIjKfs9Sohb-tc-XtPNKq6YlnLWuNYlFae8Vdl6ch2g7y6uJvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of St. Augustine staff told the Community Redevelopment Agency that the Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue streetscape project is at near-final design, but the city does not yet have construction funding.

Jamie D. Perkins, the city’s Community Services Director, said the project is at about 90% design and that “we pretty much have 100% design documents and could be ready to put this on the street for bid.” Perkins described the planned cross section as two 10-foot travel lanes, a seven-foot parking lane on the east side and six-foot sidewalks on both sides, all within the existing 40-foot right of way.

Perkins told the board the preliminary construction cost estimate is around $7,000,000. Staff sought a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant; Perkins said the city was not awarded that grant and is pursuing other funding opportunities. She also said the project will require permanent easements to underground electric lines, many of which are on private property, and that city staff are coordinating with the landscape architect to finalize proposed easement footprints before approaching property owners.

Why it matters: the MLK Avenue project would reconstruct sidewalks, parking and utilities along a long-standing corridor, and the funding gap means construction cannot be scheduled until additional grants or local allocations are secured.

Board discussion and next steps

Board members asked about tree canopy and shade along MLK; Perkins said shade trees and plantings are identified in the design and that staff is working to incorporate shade-tree plantings along the corridor where feasible. Perkins said staff will continue to pursue grant and funding opportunities and will return when construction funding is identified.

Speakers for this article: Jamie D. Perkins (Community Services Director).","City staff reported near-complete design for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue streetscape — including two travel lanes, on-street parking and 6-foot sidewalks — but construction funding has not been secured after a RAISE grant denial.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

St. Augustine CRA presents preliminary budgets for West City, Lincolnville and Historic Area; staff to return with prioritized options

Downtown landscape master plan: consultants outline quick-action 'level 1' planting and cleanup for Knights of Lights

MLK Avenue streetscape reaches 90% design; construction estimated near $7 million, funding gap remains