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Developer gives timeline for Shipyards intersection improvements; city, developer to finalize cost and escrow requirements
Summary
Windward Marina Group briefed the commission on redesigned intersection plans at U.S. 1 and Arapahoe Avenue, said the developer has invested several hundred thousand dollars in design work, and outlined a permitting and construction timeline that relies on FDOT approvals and traffic thresholds for signalization.
Representatives for Windward Marina Group updated the St. Augustine City Commission on July 14 about intersection improvements associated with the Shipyards development, focusing on permitting, redesign work requested by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and a proposed construction timeline.
Carl Masters, the developer's director of development, told commissioners the project team has invested more than $300,000 in design and planning to date and is working through FDOT's review. FDOT provided a revised preferred conceptual layout earlier in the year; the developer is redesigning plans to reflect DOT's preference. The city has already committed $500,000 toward intersection work; the developer said early budget estimates for full intersection and signal work are on the order of millions (the developer provided a planning-scale estimate near $2 million for signalization and roadway work but said definitive costs will be determined only after final plans are bid).
Key points - The intersection improvements have been through FDOT's Interchange/Intersection Control Evaluation process and will move to formal permitting with DOT and the city. - FDOT indicated the roadway work can be constructed ahead of signal upgrades; signalization installation requires traffic volumes to reach FDOT's thresholds before activation. - Windward expects final construction plans and contractor bids to be available in spring 2026 and to complete roadwork by October 2026; signal work would follow when traffic counts qualify. - Ownership transfers within the project area do not remove obligations under the development agreement; successors and assigns that own land within the development agreement area remain subject to the agreement's provisions.
City staff said they will coordinate with the developer on escrow or bonding arrangements to secure construction funding once final bids are received; the developer said a formal escrow or letter-of-credit approach is anticipated once final construction costs are established.
Commissioners emphasized the safety need for the intersection improvements and asked staff to track progress and ensure required financial security mechanisms are in place before construction advances. No final funding transfer or escrow was executed at the meeting; staff and developer will return with bid-driven cost figures and documentation for the commission to review.
