During the Oct. 17 regular meeting, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners convened as the St. Johns County Community Redevelopment Agency to approve an agreement with Vilano Beach Main Street Inc. for $58,000 to continue support of the nonprofit organization's dedication to enhancing, promoting and preserving the historic character of the Vilano Beach Town Center and surrounding areas.
"We have gained the community's trust and have fostered goodwill within the public with our monthly community meetings and our monthly Vilano Road Artisan Market," President of Vilano Beach Main Street Linda LaCerva said. "Our fundraising efforts continue with a variety of special events and festivals. For example, our organization of volunteers will again be the charity partner for the Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife event that helps fund coastal wildlife protection and education programs. We are grateful for the support we've received from St. Johns County since we first became a designated Florida Main Street community in 2019. We look forward to more progress in 2024."
On Oct. 24, St. Johns County held a public event to celebrate the groundbreaking of the $1.8 million Vilano Beach Oceanfront Park Renovation Project. It will feature improvements to the beach walkovers, a new covered performance stage with terraced seating, a new outdoor climbing play structure and recreation features, and numerous enhancements to public facilities and the parking lot area.
Earlier in October, Hyatt Place St. Augustine/Vilano Beach opened its new 120-room hotel that has more features than a typical Hyatt Place location. Located at 117 Vilano Road, St. Augustine, the property includes a ballroom with more than 7,000 square feet of space. It also has an indoor/outdoor flex space of 20,000 square feet. The Art Deco-inspired Hyatt Place features Pesca Vilano, the new restaurant and rooftop bar from Chef Michael Lugo, with sweeping views of Vilano Beach.
"There is a lot of economic synergy happening in Vilano Beach," LaCerva said. "The excitement and energy are exceeding expectations."
Vilano Beach is located only 10 minutes away from historic downtown St. Augustine on Florida's scenic A1A Byway. Vilano offers a variety of amenities, from oceanfront and oceanside opportunities for beach lovers to a wide array of restaurants, hotels and activities — including fishing, surfing, boating and more. The Vilano Beach Pier is located on the river side of the Matanzas inlet, and it's one of the best vantage points to watch the sunset over downtown St. Augustine.
