ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Businessman Pat Croce is dropping his plans to transform the Santa Maria Restaurant in St. Augustine.
Croce filed papers with the city requesting to turn the restaurant into a Half Shell Raw Bar, similar to one he owns in Key West.
“I received an email Monday from Pat just saying it was over,” said Les Thomas, an architect working on the project.
Croce possibly backed out because of the cost of renovation. "We were beginning to put the numbers together on the project," Thomas said.