ST. LUCIE WEST
‘A LITTLE CITY
UNTO ITSELF’
Born of the vision of Thomas White, St. Lucie West today
is a bustling community whose centerpiece is the stadium
White made sure was built
STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUSAN BURGESS
There wasn’t much to see when visionary developer
8
Thomas J. White first stood in front of 4,600 acres of
sandy Florida pastureland in the early 1980s. But in
his mind’s eye, White saw a vibrant community
with a major league baseball stadium, landscaped streets,
residents working in its stores and professional offices, children
at school and playing in parks, and homes in neighborhoods
with manicured lawns and flower gardens.
Today, St. Lucie West is part of the city of Port St. Lucie,
but its own utility company, plenty of shopping, professional
services, recreation, schools, houses of worship, entertainment
and neighborhoods give it the feel and look of an oldfashioned
but thriving small town.
“I think my father would be happy with the way it turned
out,” said White’s son, Thomas J. White Jr. from the White
Company’s St. Louis, Mo., office. “Very happy. He wanted a
quality mixed-use development with good roads, and we
have all that.”
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This intersection at Bayshore Boulevard and St. Lucie West Boulevard marks the familiar east entrance into St. Lucie West, a master planned community.