Port St. Lucie Florida October 28–November 2, 2018 Advisory Services Report Panel A ULI Port St. Lucie Florida Increasing Municipal Financial Flexibility in Southern Grove October 28–November 2, 2018 Advisory Services Panel Report A ULI A ULI About the Urban Land Institute THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE is a global, member- a variety of factors affecting the built environment, includ- driven organization comprising more than 42,000 real ing urbanization, demographic and population changes, estate and urban development professionals dedicated to new economic drivers, technology advancements, and advancing the Institute’s mission of providing leadership in environmental concerns. the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining Peer-to-peer learning is achieved through the knowledge thriving communities worldwide. shared by members at thousands of convenings each ULI’s interdisciplinary membership represents all aspects year that reinforce ULI’s position as a global authority of the industry, including developers, property owners, on land use and real estate. In 2018 alone, more than investors, architects, urban planners, public officials, real 2,200 events were held in about 330 cities around the estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers, finan- world. Drawing on the work of its members, the Institute ciers, and academics. Established in 1936, the Institute recognizes and shares best practices in urban design has a presence in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific and development for the benefit of communities around regions, with members in 80 countries. the globe. The extraordinary impact that ULI makes on land use deci- More information is available at uli.org. Follow ULI on sion making is based on its members’ sharing expertise on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Cover photos, left to right: Ashley Robertson/ULI, Paul Angelone/ULI, and Ashley Robertson/ULI. © 2019 by the Urban Land Institute 2001 L Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036-4948 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents of this publication without written permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. 2 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report About ULI Advisory Services THE GOAL OF THE ULI ADVISORY SERVICES pro- accurate assessments of a sponsor’s issues and to provide gram is to bring the finest expertise in the real estate field recommendations in a compressed amount of time. to bear on complex land use planning and development A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique ability projects, programs, and policies. to draw on the knowledge and expertise of its members, Since 1947, this program has assembled well over 700 including land developers and owners, public officials, ULI-member teams to help sponsors find creative, practi- academics, representatives of financial institutions, and cal solutions for issues such as downtown redevelopment, others. In fulfillment of the mission of the Urban Land land management strategies, evaluation of development Institute, this Advisory Services panel report is intended to potential, growth management, community revitalization, provide objective advice that will promote the responsible brownfield redevelopment, military base reuse, provision of use of land to enhance the environment. low-cost and affordable housing, and asset management ULI Program Staff strategies, among other matters. A wide variety of public, Paul Bernard private, and nonprofit organizations have contracted for Executive Vice President, Advisory Services ULI’s advisory services. Thomas W. Eitler Each panel team is composed of highly qualified profession- Senior Vice President, Advisory Services als who volunteer their time to ULI. They are chosen for their Paul Angelone knowledge of the panel topic and are screened to ensure their Director, Advisory Services objectivity. ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide a holis- Lauren Callaghan tic look at development problems. A respected ULI member Director, Advisory Services who has previous panel experience chairs each panel. Jacqueline Canales The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is intensive. Director, Advisory Services It includes an in-depth briefing day composed of a tour Ashley Robertson of the site and meetings with sponsor representatives, Senior Associate, UrbanPlan and Advisory Services a day of hour-long interviews of typically 50 to 100 key Cali Slepin community representatives, and two days of formulating Senior Associate, Advisory Services recommendations. Long nights of discussion precede the James A. Mulligan panel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, the panel Senior Editor makes an oral presentation of its findings and conclusions to the sponsor. A written report is prepared and published. Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLC Manuscript Editor Because the sponsoring entities are responsible for signifi- Brandon Weil cant preparation before the panel’s visit, including sending Art Director extensive briefing materials to each member and arranging Deanna Pineda, Muse Advertising Design for the panel to meet with key local community members Graphic Designer and stakeholders in the project under consideration, partici- Craig Chapman pants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments are able to make Senior Director, Publishing Operations Port St. Lucie, Florida, October 28–November 2, 2018 3 Acknowledgments ON BEHALF OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, the A special thank you goes to Wesley McCurry and Teresa panel would like to thank the sponsor, the city of Port St. Lamar-Sarno for their support and putting together the Lucie, for inviting the panel to the city to examine the study panel’s briefing materials. Finally, the panel would like to area and Southern Grove. This panel would not have been thank the more than 70 residents, business and communi- possible without the enthusiastic support of Mayor Gregory ty leaders, and representatives from across Port St. Lucie J. Oravec, Vice Mayor and District 3 Councilwoman Shan- who shared their perspectives, experiences, and insights non M. Martin, District 1 Councilwoman Stephanie Mor- with the panel over the week. gan, District 2 Councilman John Carvelli, and District 4 Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo. 4 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report Contents ULI Panel and Project Staff ...............................................................................................................................6 Background and the Panel’s Assignment ..........................................................................................................7 Visioning for the Site ......................................................................................................................................11 Development Potential....................................................................................................................................16 Planning and Design ......................................................................................................................................19 Study Area Design .........................................................................................................................................24 Development Strategies ................................................................................................................................30 Implementation ..............................................................................................................................................34 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................38 About the Panel .............................................................................................................................................39 Port St. Lucie, Florida, October 28–November 2, 2018 5 ULI Panel and Project Staff Panel Chair Craig Seymour President and Managing Principal John M. Walsh III RKG Associates CEO and President Boston, Massachusetts TIG Real Estate Services Inc. Dallas, Texas Ross Tilghman President Panel Members Tilghman Group Seattle, Washington Daniel Anderton Senior Associate, Community Design and Planning Dewberry ULI Project Staff Rockville, Maryland Paul Angelone Director, Advisory Services Page Bolin Principal and Owner Ashley Robertson Sustainable Development Solutions Senior Associate, UrbanPlan and Advisory Services Arvada, Colorado Michaela Kadonoff Mary Beth Corrigan Associate, Meetings and Events Executive Vice President Urban Land Institute Washington, D.C. Donny James Chief Real Estate Officer Revenue Authority Prince George’s County Largo, Maryland 6 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report Background and the Panel’s Assignment THE CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE is a large, suburban The city is growing with people attracted to its small-town community with a diverse population and an average age feel, welcoming residents, and affordable housing. The of 41. Located along two major north–south corridors that study area is well positioned to enhance and support the connect south Florida with central Florida, Port St. Lu- visibility of the city in the region, as a place that is vibrant, cie lies within Florida’s Treasure Coast along the Atlantic active, and attractive—a city for all ages. Southern Grove Ocean about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach and half- is a 3,605-acre Development of Regional Impact (DRI) way between Miami and Orlando. The city is the state’s south of Tradition Parkway, part