DEVELOPMENT
COULD TRANSFORM DOWNTOWN FORT PIERCE
30
MASSIVE RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL COMPLEX
TCBusiness.com
AUDUBON DEVELOPMENT
The City of Fort Pierce is partnering with master developer Audubon Development to bring the $85 million King’s Landing project to the downtown waterfront.
The mixed-use project will include a hotel, single-family homes, condominiums and 60,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space..
The 7.2 acres between Indian River
Drive and Second Street in downtown Fort
Pierce that formerly housed the H.D. King
electric plant could be transformed into an
$85 million development featuring a hotel,
townhomes, condominiums, retail and
office space.
The Fort Pierce City Commission in June
selected Audubon Development as master
developer of a plan called King’s Landing.
The centerpiece would be a 100-125-room
hotel, surrounded by upscale townhomes
and 60 condominiums, and apartments
fronting onto the Indian River Lagoon.
Forty thousand square feet of retail, 14,000
square feet of restaurant and office space
will complete King’s Landing.
The plant was demolished in 2008 and
more than $4 million in city and federal
soil remediation efforts rendered the land
usable again. Over the years, a number of
community planning meetings have made
it clear what the people would like to see
on this important vacant property: a hotel,
retail stores and restaurants, offices and
upscale housing.
Those elements would extend downtown
northwards and breathe new life
into the city center. Incorporating residential
development would add to the city’s
vibrancy, especially outside work hours.
While the city is contributing the land
worth $2.8 million, master developer
Audubon is responsible for installing all
the infrastructure — street layout, utilities
and building pads for specific users who
will come later — about $2.5 million worth
of work. Individual parcels will then be
sold to a hotel operator and builders for
the condos and townhouses.
“We expect to break ground in June or
July 2020, with occupancy by November
2021,” said Dale Matteson, Audubon’s
president and CEO. “We’re currently in the
permitting, analysis and utilities stage —
all pretty unglamorous stuff.
“There’s been a lot of interest in the
retail and commercial opportunities. We
want to reflect the community and to
make King’s Landing a destination.”
The site is unique. It’s technically called
“urban infill,’’ meaning the property has
been filled in from the adjoining Indian River
Lagoon. At the same time, it’s in a town
enjoying a renaissance in downtown and
on the water. That’s a very rare combination
these days in Florida, Matteson said.
“The city marina is chockfull and this
would be the place for (boaters) to shop
and eat. We think retail will attract both
existing and new businesses.’’
The buildings will have an Old Florida/
Moorish design theme, reflecting Fort
Pierce’s Mediterranean architectural style,
but with a Bahamas flavor, Matteson said.
“We design differently for every market we >>
BY ANTHONY WESTBURY
/TCBusiness.com