The St. Johns Cultural Council is seeking requests for proposals and qualifications (RFP) for architectural/engineering and historic preservation work for the St. Augustine Beach Hotel in St. Augustine Beach, Florida.
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
The mission of the St. Johns County Cultural Council (SJCC) is to provide support to local artists and arts organizations; to promote St. Johns County as a premier destination for cultural travelers; and to ensure that the lives of residents and visitors alike are enriched by opportunities to experience arts and culture. As part of this mission, the SJCC manages the St. Augustine Beach Hotel building.
Originally constructed as a Works Progress Administration project in 1939-40, it now houses a dance school and art studio and gallery. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its national significance as the location of beach wade-ins protesting segregated beaches in June 1964. These wade-ins, and the press coverage they received, are widely credited with influencing the passage of the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964. This project is to restore elements of the St. Augustine Beach Hotel in keeping with its historic nature and the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation.
SCOPE OF WORK
Project Purpose
The purpose of the project is to add an awning and to restore portions of the second floor of the National Register-listed St. Augustine Beach Hotel that was the site of important civil rights era demonstrations organized by African Americans, including Dr. Martin Luther King, John Lewis, and St. Augustine residents such as Dr. Robert Hayling.
