ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A St. Augustine-based nonprofit recently proposed a plan to the St. Johns Board of County Commissioners that could lead to the construction of a multi-million-dollar performing arts center in the city.
EpiCentre Alliance, which is a nonprofit coalition made up of over 10 organizations in St. Augustine that support the arts, says that arts and culture funding has not kept up with the area’s rapidly growing population and believes “The Shell” would alleviate the issue.
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The venue, according to EpiCentre, would be a “multi-use performing and visual arts venue” that would include indoor and outdoor theatres, auditoriums, arts academies, a rooftop restaurant, retail stores, office spaces, banquet halls, and more.
However, finding a location for the project has posed some “infrastructure challenges” for the group, as it hasn’t been able to do so since at least 2022, according to the St. Augustine Record.
While speaking to the news outlet three years ago, EpiCentre Alliance President Albert Syeles said the nonprofit had “most of the money lined up” and described the venue as an “international attraction.”
“And it looks like this thing is ready to pop,” Syeles said to the St. Augustine Record. “I mean, we’ve got everything in place except a deal on a particular piece of land.”
Fast-forward three years, and it seems as if the group faces the same dilemma.
“The Shell at St. Augustine and the EpiCentre Alliance are working on securing land for this project,” the group’s proposal read. “We are offering to work with the County on developing solutions for related cultural, economic, and infrastructure challenges. We are asking for logistical support from the County as we move forward.”
The nonprofit said it is looking at several locations, but is aiming for a spot near Holmes Boulevard and King Street, which is about 3 miles west of St. Augustine’s Historic Downtown.
At the meeting on Tuesday, Commissioner Clay Murphy said the venue’s proposed location would help the West Augustine area, while other commissioners chimed in with support for the project as a whole.
County Administrator Joy Andrews said the county might be able to help with finding a proper location for “The Shell” and even floated the idea of it landing in the World Golf Village.