HARB approves design for new institutional building at 241 Saint George Street with conditions on pavers, stucco and details

After multiple continuances, the board approved a certificate of appropriateness on Feb. 19 for a large institutional project at 241 Saint George Street, contingent on material and detail clarifications. The applicant team (Schimmer Associates and DCCM) presented full architectural plans showing a simplified Mediterranean/Gothic-revival massing inspired by an existing motherhouse; key discussion points included paver material and color, a retention pond (aerator vs. fountain), aluminum-clad versus wood windows, exposed rafter tails, stucco-on-CMU details, column plinth and capital profiles, and tree retention.

Staff and board members urged use of clay brick pavers that visually match existing historic pavers along Saint George Street (rather than the proposed concrete Trimron color that might appear "shocking"). The board required a traditional three-coat stucco on CMU (not an EIFS/DRIVIT synthetic system), requested that the column trim 'wrap' fully around the column and be scaled more subtly, and asked the applicant to provide paver samples and photographs showing the street condition for staff review. The applicant agreed to provide clay paver options and to revise column and soffit/rafter details; structural engineers confirmed that projected balconies will be cantilevered using open-web steel joists without new exterior columns.

Why it matters: The project is large and will visibly change part of downtown St. Augustine; the board balanced modern needs and stormwater/perviousness with a strong preference to integrate historic brick color and texture and to avoid synthetic stucco that would alter the traditional masonry appearance.