COA’s Shelter and Shade project is a capital improvement project that will provide shelter from the elements and greater ease of access for senior participants and visitors at COA’s facilities at 180 Marine Street in St. Augustine, Florida.
The $1.28 million Phase One of the project will raise the elevation of the building entrance at 180 Marine Street and construct a covered portico and other improvements to provide shelter from the elements and improved ease of access. The facility is home to COA’s Coastal Community Senior Center, the Sunshine Center therapeutic adult daycare center, and COA’s Independent Living, Care Connection, Community Care-Giving, and administrative offices.
In November 2024, COA announced receipt of a grant of $545,000 from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida that provided the balance of funds necessary to begin construction of phase one of the project.
“We are very excited to break ground on this project to create more ease, more comfort, and improved quality of life for seniors in our community,” COA Executive Director Becky Yanni said. “We cannot thank Delores Barr Weaver and all of our donors enough for their generosity in making these improvements possible. We look forward to honoring our donors and partners in this project at the ceremony.”
St. Augustine’s A. D. Davis Construction will oversee the improvements, designed by Open City Architecture and Marquis, Latimer + Halback, Inc. In 2009, A. D. Davis Construction built River House, COA’s lifelong learning center and events venue located at 179 Marine Street, directly across from COA headquarters.
Phase Two of the Shelter and Shade project will refinish and screen the outdoor deck for Sunshine Center adult daycare participants, so they may sit outside in the shade year-round and enjoy nature therapy in COA’s garden. Landscaping and additional outdoor seating will also be installed, so that participants walking to and from the center may sit, rest comfortably, and relax.
To contribute to phase two of the project, please contact COA Development Manager Amy Robinson at (904) 209-3700 or arobinson@coasjc.org. Donations may also be made online at www.coasjc.org/donate.
To make a contribution today to support phase two of the Shelter and Shade Project, contact COA’s Development Manager Amy Robinson at (904) 209-3700 or click this button to donate online.
St. Johns County Council on Aging is supported by a grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds.
Delores Barr Weaver has an extraordinary legacy of philanthropy in Northeast Florida since moving to Jacksonville as co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1993. Since her historic gift of $50 million in 2012 establishing the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, she has partnered with The Community Foundation on her philanthropy through numerous, multi-million dollar gifts, including the Foundation’s largest-ever gift of $61 million in 2023. She has established permanent endowments for more than four dozen nonprofits, including 20 that receive ongoing annual support through the Delores Barr Weaver Forever Event Fund, est. 2015. Today, her grantmaking exceeds $220 million, with support for more than 300 organizations in Northeast Florida and beyond.
“We cannot thank Delores Barr Weaver enough for her generosity and support for our mission,” COA Executive Director Becky Yanni said. “We are so excited to be able to create more protection, more comfort, and more joy for the seniors in our community.”
COA asks members of the community and local businesses to please join in the effort to complete phase two of the project. To learn more, please contact COA’s Development Manager Amy Robinson at (904) 209-3700. To donate online today, please click the Donate button.
