Aviles Street may be template for others areas

When Historic City News covered removal of the first bricks; making way for a new streetscape on the nation’s oldest, documented street, it was hard to imagine exactly how much of an improvement was in store.

“It was nine weeks ago, just 63 days, that we stood here and pulled a few bricks from this street to mark the start of the Aviles Street Rehabilitation Project,” St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles said. “Today we stand here to cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the project.”

Historic City News editor Michael Gold was on hand July 30, 2010, and again yesterday to find out more about the project and what it means to merchants, their patrons and residents in the area.

“I spoke with several Aviles business owners who are optimistic about the future — and one, who is glad the construction that closed the street is over,” Gold said.

Although the sidewalk was kept substantially open throughout construction, David M. Pupkiewicz, Senior Project Manager with Winter Garden based Gibbs & Register, who is working in their Orange Park office, says they tried to communicate closely with the business owners to keep access as open as possible and down time to a minimum.

Gold had lunch at La Herencia in the middle of the renovated section of Aviles Street. “Cuban Sandwiches don’t come any better than this one,” Gold said. In an interview with restaurant owner, Manny Herrero, Historic City News learned more about what Herrero sees for the future of his business.

“I’m excited,” Herrero said. “Food sales will finally go up, the entranceway is more inviting and we’ll probably extend our hours — if people start coming down.”

Asked how he fared the construction, Herrero said that his business was off but “nobody went out of business.” La Herencia reportedly lost only one day of sales while the contractors poured the new sidewalks. “They did a good job,” Herrero said. “I’m glad they got the work done on time.”

La Herencia has been opening Sunday through Thursday until 6:00 p.m. each evening. Herrero said that he stays open until 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night and as late as 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. when he holds monthly special events. “I’ll probably do more of those,” Herrero said.

Two restaurant operators, including Herrero, felt like more locals are going to start visiting in the evening. Trinity Episcopal Parish, the owner of the building on the west side of the street, made expanded public access available in their parking lot on Artillery Lane. The lot will be refit with City operated parking meters. The revenue from the meters will be shared between the church and the City.

“The lighting is much better,” Herrero said. “When FPL removed the light pole from the front of my restaurant, it was like doubling my outdoor space.” As part of the project, FPL moved all of their utility service underground. Overall, merchants we spoke to felt like the flow along Aviles Street has been greatly improved by relocating the utilities.

Looking back at the activities taking place on the revitalized street, City Public Affairs Director Paul Williamson speculated, “We should continue doing this on other streets that could benefit.” One feature Williamson was particularly proud of is the relocation of a tile collage that has previously called the west courtyard of Government House home. “In one of my visits to Sister City Aviles Spain, I noticed a framed, tile structure just like this,” Williamson said. “They actually copied us when one of their representatives saw what we had done.”

Of course, the improvements came with a cost. Manny Herrero says that, in his case, the rent he pays the church did not go up. He has a lease that he said runs through 2012. The outdoor seating had to meet a certain specified style and was purchased at La Herencia’s expense. Herrero told Historic City News that he also had to pay the City a one-time impact fee equal to $580 for each chair and he has to continue to pay a $500 per year fee to the City for his use of the expanded sidewalk.

Dan Holiday was present for both ceremonies as well. A 51-year resident and owner of apartments and a leather shop on Aviles Street, Holiday says he hopes complaints won’t increase from noise generated at night. Another full-time resident says one of the restaurants generates “a late night bar crowd” that spills out into the street and gets “a little loud.”

Holiday believes Aviles Street won’t return to its 1960’s and 1970’s splendor, however, he is optimistic that business could improve. The greatest hurdle for the newly reinvigorated 16th century street, in Holiday’s opinion, is that tourists are coming for the fort — they meander along St. George Street and when they hit the Plaza, they stop, and head back north to their cars.

New signage is in place on the north side of the Aviles Street intersection with King Street, however, the City has not announced any additional signage in the plaza area. Another impediment to walking traffic is the fact that no cross-walk exists at Aviles Street and King Street traffic is usually heavy.

Photo credits: © 2010 Historic City News staff photographer