Hypolita Street ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday

City officials and area business owners will join together for a ribbon cutting to signify the reopening of Hypolita Street following an eight month closure due to extensive utility work and a complete redesign of the streetscape.

The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5th at the intersection of Hypolita Street and St George Street.

Following the brief ceremony and continuing until 9:00 p.m., is the Hypolita Festival including live music and array of specials, discounts and giveaways from area businesses.

The festival is a way to announce to the entire community to come visit Hypolita Street and witness the new look. As one merchant said, “Even if you have been to Hypolita Street in the past, you have not been to this Hypolita Street”.

The festival includes performances by local entertainers on two outdoor stages. One stage is located at Hypolita Street and St George Street and the other adjacent to the Spice and Tea Exchange, 59 Hypolita Street.

In addition to the permanent locations for bicycle parking, the city will provide an additional area for this event at the intersection of Hypolita and Spanish Streets.

In another move to encourage residents to come downtown, the city made 1,000 ParkNow Cards available to merchants in the area to distribute to their customers.

The reopening of Hypolita marks the completion of the first phase of the Downtown Improvement District project which includes the rehabilitation of underground street utilities and redesign of the streetscape of Hypolita Street, Treasury Street and Spanish Street.

This celebration coincides with First Friday Art Walk and is the day before one of the city’s busiest — the St. Augustine Christmas Parade and the British Nightwatch.

The parade is on Saturday, December 6 at 10:00am and the British Nightwatch at 8:00pm.

Photo credits: © 2014 Historic City News contributed photograph by Felicia Regan