City Manager's Annual Report Annual Report 2018 | A Year In Review | Page 7

“ You have a special opportunity, and we really want you to seize that,” said Ross Tilghman, who was part of a seven-member panel of land planning experts and volunteers from the Urban Land Institute who analyzed the jobs corridor. “We think you can make this area a model for Port St. Lucie, and the region – a place where people truly want to be. ” A final report from ULI will be provided in early 2019 and the City Council will be integrating strategies in their strategic plan for decades to come in order to fully harness the potential of Southern Grove. “Bring in the talent, explore the facts, listen to your community and deliver what could be one of the greatest assets in the state of Florida,” said the panel chairman, John Walsh. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Key projects poised for Southern Grove: • The City secured a $3 million Florida Job Growth Grant for a loop road. The City broke ground on the road named Tom Mackie Boulevard and Trade Center Drive in September 2018. It extends to Discovery Way and Village Parkway and will provide access to 100 acres of pad-ready development. This project was among the first nine across the state to be awarded from the $35 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund approved by the governor. • City Electric Supply, and parent company Tamco, announced the expansion of its manufacturing and distribution facility. The company is building a 411,000 square-foot facility, retaining 210 employees (of which 90 percent reside in St. Lucie County), creating 50 new jobs which will pay above the average wage and investing $38 million in new construction and equipment. • Oculus Surgical announced plans and submitted a site plan application to build a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility on 9.75 acres. The expansion will create 50 new jobs paying above the average wage, and the company will invest $6.9 million in new construction and equipment. • As part of its strategic goal to promote quality education for all residents, the City Council this summer directed staff to issue a request for qualified proposals for a technical career academy to be located on land leased through the City’s Government Finance Corporation in Southern Grove. • Martin Health Systems is planning a new state-of-the-art Neuroscience Center of Excellence. • Martin Health Systems/Tradition Medical Center officially became a part of Cleveland Clinic. They are now known as Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital. • Pop Stroke is expected to open in 2019. This is a golf entertainment complex that consists of a point of sale building, a golf simulator building, a covered bar deck, and a 36 hole miniature golf course. • Construction was underway for the Healthcare Center at Tradition, which will be a 3 floor, 34,000 square foot medical office building. CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 7