Summer Haven Revetment Project Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

30 July 2025
Category: SJC News

Ribbon-cutting honors legacy of coastal resilience and engineering excellence

St. Johns County hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 25, to commemorate the completion of the Summer Haven Revetment Project—a critical coastal protection effort designed to restore and reinforce a stretch of shoreline along Old A1A in the historic Summer Haven community. The Office of Public Affairs produced a video to commemorate the achievement.

The original revetment wall in Summer Haven was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1962, with a 1,070-foot extension completed in 1964—spanning nearly 2,900 feet of shoreline. These structures successfully protected the Summer Haven community for over 50 years.

In the wake of damage from a series of recent hurricanes, the need to restore and upgrade the aging wall became clear. This new, modernized revetment continues a legacy of coastal resilience, using today’s engineering to protect Summer Haven for the future.

“Each and every person that works for this County has a heart for this,” District 3 Commissioner Clay Murphy said. “And the people of St. Johns County need to understand just exactly who they have on their team. I’ve got a lot invested personally in this over the last 54 years, and I’m so proud of what we see here today—this next step in the evolution of protection and resiliency for St. Johns County.”

Held at 9033 Old A1A in the Summer Haven community, the ceremony brought together County leaders, residents, and project partners to recognize the completion of a years-long effort to rebuild infrastructure damaged by a series of major storms, including Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, Ian, and Nicole.

“We are protecting the coastline along with so many nearby homes with this project,” District 5 Commissioner Ann Taylor said. “It really symbolizes our strategic priorities that include infrastructure, community trust, and organizational excellence.”

The new rock revetment—constructed to modern standards of coastal engineering—replaces and upgrades the original wall built in the 1960s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The upgraded wall now serves to safeguard homes, public infrastructure, and natural ecosystems in one of St. Johns County’s most vulnerable coastal areas.

“This is one of the projects we’ve been working on for quite some time,” said Greg Caldwell, Director of St. Johns County Public Works, during the ceremony. “The road to this moment hasn’t been easy. Each storm set us back, but we kept going back, surveying, and pushing this project forward. Today, we stand here having not just rebuilt—but built stronger.”

The $6 million project was made possible through strong intergovernmental cooperation and significant outside funding. Approximately 75% of the project costs were covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with another 12.5% funded by the State of Florida. St. Johns County contributed the remaining 12.5%, reflecting a strong return on local investment.

“This is a very positive project for our community,” Caldwell added. “It took time, but it was done right—and it will protect this coastline for generations to come.”

The event concluded with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting in front of the revetment.