West Augustine is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. at the site of its future Health and Wellness Center.
Located on almost 1.23 acres on West King Street, the 14,000-square-foot center will include 2,000 square feet of outdoor patio space and on-site parking. The fully funded $8 million project — $5 million from county grants, $3 million from state grants, $500,000 in-kind and $500,000 in private funding — is expected to be completed by Oct. 2025.
Spearheaded by Greg White, founder and president of the West Augustine Historical Community Development Corp., the center will provide a comprehensive continuum of health care for West Augustine’s most vulnerable residents, regardless of their ability to pay. The center will also help redirect emergency room visits for local residents while offering resources for health and financial education.
According to White, the West Augustine community suffers disproportionately from health outcomes such as infant mortality, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, mental and behavioral health relative to countywide averages.
“The Wellness Center will expand health services and comprehensive care to the underserved, serving those with or without insurance,” he said.
White described the ground-breaking ceremony as nothing short of a miracle.
“We’ve spent the last eight years leveraging $8 million from nothing,” he said. “We’ve been surrounded by an incredible group of people, beginning with Mark Bailey, my drum major, who believed in our vision along with members of our board Derry Greene, Dorothy Williams, LaShawnda Pinkney, Willie Cooper Sr., Tom Crawford and Robert Nimmons. Add Philip McDaniel, Sarah Arnold, Cyndi Stevenson and Travis Hutson to that list along with everyone who championed with us to provide a continuum of health care for the ill-prone population.
“Every community partner willingly collaborated with us to offer West Augustine residents a health component along with a venue to address the stigma of mental health and substance abuse in our community,” he said.
According to White, the kudos and the efforts were not left solely to those in St. Augustine.
“Collectively, we went to Tallahassee,” he said. “Speaker Renner believed in us too.”
“We are proud of this $3 million legislative appropriation, approved by Governor Ron DeSantis, to provide hundreds of St. Johns’ residents local access to vital health care services and dozens with fulfilling jobs serving the community,” Florida House Speaker Paul Renner told The St. Augustine Record by email. “Beneficial local projects like this are largely realized due to the advocacy of hardworking lawmakers like Representative Cyndi Stevenson, who brought this need to our attention in the Florida House and saw it through to the finish line.”
County Commission Chair Sarah Arnold described the center as testament to the dedication and persistence of West Augustine residents, who refused to accept the “extreme health disparity in a community nestled within the healthiest county in the state.”
“To see a project of this magnitude that will have a generational impact on the health and wellness of an entire community come to life is nothing short of a dream,” she said.
McDaniel added his gratitude for the stakeholders who worked to make this dream come true.
“The center is a historic improvement that has long been overlooked,” he said.
Offering humility in a process that included “people who believed in Greg White and who understood the mission to make the center a reality,” Bailey sidestepped any kudos.
“Everyone gave their all for a journey that I can only describe as amazing,” he said.
Ceremony attendees will include White, Bailey; Renner; Arnold; Pastor Anthony Britton; St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews; CFCDC Consultant/Developer Gerald Chester; Dwala Willis, Weed and Seed site coordinator for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office; Scott Beaver, director of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office; and Pastor Edwin Coffie of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church.
Strategic partners, legacy benefactors and project champions also include McDaniel, Stevenson, Renner, Inez McDonald, The Bailey Group, The Mayernick Group, St. Johns County, the City of St. Augustine, Wells Fargo, EPIC Behavioral Healthcare, Wildflower Clinic, YMCA, Youth Crisis Center, UF Health St. Johns, Philip McDaniel, Sen. Travis Hutson, Rachael Miller, Les Thomas Architect, A.D. Davis Construction, and Gulfstream Engineering.
“Do you know that women in underserved communities often see a doctor for the first time when they’re giving birth?” White asked. “With pre-natal care in our community, we can change that statistic. It’s like saving one starfish at a time.”
“Our mission statement promises comprehensive, accessible, and compassionate healthcare to allmembers of our community, to foster an environment where wellness thrives, and every individual is empowered to live their healthiest life,” White said. “West Augustine’s Health and Wellness Center will be the answer to our prayer.”
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