Under the shade of an old oak tree over 70 St Augustine community members learned more about Barry Broudy‘s vision for his long-owned family property at the entrance of the West King Historic District. With the support of his consultant team including Marquist, Latimer, and Hallback, Nine Oaks Development, Rogers Towers, and, DDEC, those who attended were welcomed warmly on this July day. Not because of the summer temperatures which were tempered by the large white tent and gentle afternoon breeze, but also from Heart and Soul food truck and Barry himself ready to welcome comments, questions, and general excitement. While designs are certainly far from final, to-scale imagery of what the Mobility Oriented Development could look like were provided. From parking and traffic to trees and houses, the community who attended had excellent questions and comments regarding the transformative project.
“I never realized how large this property was or that there was even a railroad track running behind all these buildings,” said one person in attendance. He also went on to say that being able to stand on the site and see visuals of what the height and various components would look like helped him feel more comfortable with this large project that will change to this iconic corner.
For Barry, the next steps include ensuring zoning is approved and we will be there with him every step of the way that we can. It’s not often projected as these come along and it’s certainly even rarer when they’re from a local who is specifically invested in the future of the town that helped build his business. Cities across the nation are facing similar triumphs and heartaches as it relates to traffic, mobility, housing, the environment, and so on. Having the vision to enhance places is where everything starts, from the Magnificent Mile in Chicago to the redevelopment of Clematis Street in West Palm Beach. The road will be long as we venture forward to develop this MOD and think creatively about how to make it an economic success for this person so willing to invest in a city he holds so dear. We encourage you to follow along as we are sure this will make headlines for years to come, and of course, attend the ribbon-cutting that we all await eagerly to RSVP to.
