National Park Service ~ St Augustine, FL ~ 15.6 acres & 1,315 LF seawall ~ $19,269,000

The Castillo de San Marcos is an historic masonry coastal fortification constructed by the Spanish between 1672-1695 on the Matanzas River in St Augustine, FL. The Castillo is protected by a 1,315-foot network of five historic seawalls that are integrated into the larger seawall network protecting the City of St Augustine.  The five seawalls, which date in construction to 1740, have undergone substantial subsidence and have become the lowest points within the city’s seawall network, leading to flooding throughout the park and city center during even minor storm events.  Additionally, the pedestrian walkways and access points around the Castillo needed enhancement to comply with ABA accessibility standards, reroute stormwater, enhance pedestrian circulation, and improve the overall experience for the Castillo’s more than 700,000 visitors annually. ST JOHN Principal Ed Setzler served as the AE Project Director for the rehabilitation of the Castillo de San Marcos historic seawall, pedestrian trails, and visitor entry plaza.  ST JOHN Structural Engineer Matt Hammond served as the Structural Engineer of Record for the design of a new custom visitor fee station, designed in the historical vernacular of the park with resiliency to withstand direct hurricane impacts.