Fort Pierce adds $20M to facelift fund

By ALEXI HOWK
FORT PIERCE — Redevelopment efforts got a $20 million boost Wednesday — by land and sea.
City commissioners approved a $10 million budget for the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency, including $250,000 toward a crime surveillance pilot program and $306,797 for the Sunrise Theatre operations.

The commission also approved $9.9 million in contracts to acquire property near the Port of Fort Pierce as part of a future redevelopment plan.

The redevelopment agency will start funding salaries for several employees in the community services and planning departments who will work with the agency on economic development projects, such as the Moore's Creek Linear Park plan and redevelopment of Avenue B.
Responding to Mayor Bob Benton's question about a $335,000 budget request for the anti-crime Weed & Seed program, Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency Director John Ward said $250,000 of the money would go to the police department for a pilot program to install surveillance cameras in the city's most crime-ridden areas.

"That was the only way we could fund it," Ward said.

Meanwhile, city officials have remained tight-lipped about their plans to redevelop port property.

The commission approved a $5.7 million contract to buy 1.67 acres on Fisherman's Wharf, including an acre of submerged land with 42 boat slips. The commission also approved a $4.2 million contract to purchase 5.2 acres on Second Street, the former site of Southern Film Extruders.

The purchase would give the city control over development on the site.

Benton said the city is currently in negotiations with two developers interested in developing a five-star hotel and a convention center on port property.

"This isn't something that is going to happen overnight, but it could be the largest waterfront redevelopment plan in Treasure Coast history," Benton said after the meeting. "I wish I could tell you more."

Eventually, the city wants to acquire more than 90 acres of port property, including 67 acres owned by prominent business man Lloyd Bell's property that have been the subject of years of negotiations between Bell and the city.

On Monday, Bell and his attorney met with county and city officials to discuss future plans for the land, but results were inconclusive.