Court Theophelia Flood Mitigation & Streetscape Improvements

SERVICES: Design | Construction Documentation | Public Engagement | Construction Administration

LOCATION: St. Augustine, FL

CLIENT: City of St. Augustine, FL

COMPLETION: 2026

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

PROJECT UPDATE: This project has been named a finalist for the 2026 ULI North Florida Awards for Excellence!

Castle Bay is leading the design of this neighborhood-wide enhancement project for the City of St. Augustine. The Court Theophelia neighborhood is a very low-lying residential community that is subject to severe tidal, coastal surge, and rainfall-driven flooding. Paired with its unarmored proximity to an adjacent salt marsh and poor roadway conditions, the roadway network throughout the neighborhood was identified by the City as a perfect candidate for a pilot project aimed at improving flood protection while also incorporating enhanced mobility elements that would provide a safer and more aesthetically pleasing connection to the historic San Marco Avenue corridor the neighborhood abuts.

As part of the final design, Castle Bay has proposed a reduction in impervious surfacing by reducing an underutilized two-way road to one way and using the additional green space as an area that is utilizing green infrastructure and being converted into a bioretention planter in an effort to provide additional stormwater capacity during typical flood events.

Additionally, mobility improvements include adding sidewalks to roadways where sidewalks were not previously provided and widening sidewalks in areas where smaller sidewalks had been provided. The result is a neighborhood that will see approximately 85% of its flooding events eliminated, increased pedestrian circulation improvements throughout the neighborhood with safe connections to San Marco Avenue, and improved aesthetics. This pilot project will ultimately serve as a prescription for future neighborhood flood mitigation projects throughout the historic city.