Fort Pierce City Commission gives first approval for taller buildings in King's Landing

Olivia McKelvey, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

FORT PIERCE— The $140 million King's Landing project is one step closer to final approval for taller buildings, despite some controversy from the public and two city advisory boards in the past three months.

The City Commission Tuesday unanimously gave first approval to Audubon Development's revised plans that increase the tallest King's Landing building from eight stories to 11 and add a three-story, 170-space parking garage.

A final vote is expected next month, according to city officials.

Planning Board: $110 million King's Landing project moves ahead; Fort Pierce residents grumble over height changes

November meeting: Fort Pierce Historic Preservation Board fails to approve revised King's Landing plans

Controversial vote: Fort Pierce Historic Preservation Board OKs taller buildings for King's Landing project

"I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime proposal with a couple of negatives — that some people see, that I do not think are game-changers, " Mayor Linda Hudson said.

King's Landing — on 7½ acres downtown between Indian River Drive and Second Street on the site of the former H. D. King Power Plant — could be completed by November 2026 depending when Audubon closes on purchasing the land from the city, according to development documents.

In addition to increasing the height of some building, revised plans include:

  • A three-story restaurant, retail and residential building

  • A two-story restaurant building

  • An eight-story restaurant, retail and residential building

  • A five-story, 140-room hotel

  • A one-story restaurant and retail building

  • An eight-story retail and residential building

  • Eight townhomes

  • 106 condos

Additionally, King's Landing is to feature second locations for local businesses Pierced Ciderworks, Pickled, 12A Buoy, Cobb's Landing and Steamworks Coffeebar.

Another restaurant is expected to be a partnership with Indian River State College for a culinary program called The Kids are Cooking, according to Audubon Development CEO Dale Matteson.

A surf shop, real estate and insurance offices, a Vero Beach-based furniture-and-design store, Freedom Boat Club, a liquor store and a grocery store have reserved retail space, Matteson added.

Revised King's Landing plans call for increasing the height of the tallest building from eight stories to 11. The City Commission is expected to review the new blueprints in January.
Revised King's Landing plans call for increasing the height of the tallest building from eight stories to 11. The City Commission is expected to review the new blueprints in January.

Tuesday's vote comes three months after the Planning Board approved the revisions and one month after the Historic Preservation Board finally gave them the OK, despite originally saying no in November to the the height increases and other additions.

Most of the nearly 20 people who spoke Tuesday were in favor of the revised plans, many believing King's Landing would funnel tourism dollars into local businesses.

The hotel alone is expected to have an economic impact of $20.8 million in its first year of operation and an impact of $120.5 million over the first five years, according to a study commissioned by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County.

Those who oppose the revisions, however, say taller buildings don't belong downtown and worry that the city's parking problem would worsen with a larger development.

"I want you to think about the condo buildings on your beach. Those have a height limitation of 120 feet," said Leslie Olson, former city employee and now director of St. Lucie County Planning and Development Services Department. "So think about, when you're standing right next to one of those 120-foot tall condo buildings, how massive that is."

The 11-story building would be 137 feet tall.

Developers, though, argue that taller buildings were needed to increase square footage of the condos and ensure the project is economically viable without scimping on the hotel's quality, according to Matteson.

It took the city about a decade to decide what to do with the site of the former power plant.

There were failed attempts in 2014 and 2018 before June 2019, when the city selected Audubon over Virgin Trains USA to transform the area into a mixed-use project.

Olivia McKelvey is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach her at olivia.mckelvey@tcpalm.com, 772-521-4380 and on Twitter @olivia_mckelvey.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: King's Landing: Taller buildings could be coming to downtown Fort Pierce