A proposed 85-acre development off Indrio Road and Russakis Road in St. Lucie County is moving closer to reality, but not without pushback from neighbors who say it will transform the area's rural character. The project, called Indrio Town Center, would bring a mix of commercial and retail space and possibly residential units to land near Interstate 95. On June 18, county planning and zoning unanimously recommended rezoning the land from agricultural to planned retail workplace. County commissioners are expected to vote on the rezoning in August.
The proposed development encompasses 447,250 square feet of commercial, retail and possible residential space across more than 85 acres. County Planning and Zoning Manager Kori Benton said the land is part of a planned design area called Town, Villages and Countryside, along with 14,000 other acres of land in St. Lucie County. Benton said this land was anticipated to transition from traditional legacy agricultural or citrus uses to development and will help avoid urban sprawl. The overlay district is designed to allow for tactful development and new communities that embrace the county's rural character while maintaining lands for open space and agricultural activities. Leah Heinzelmann from Cotleur and Hearing, representing the property owners and developer Glassman Holdings LLC, said the development will also include open green space and an over 26-acre park. She said the design incorporates a lot of open space and keeps a native buffer along Indrio Road.
Susan Lewis has lived near the proposed site for 15 years, running a farm rescue on a property that has been in her family for decades. Lewis said the development would surround her property and worsen existing conditions. She has dogs and horses that each have 10 acres to run around, and she worries that space will be gone. Lewis said she thinks there are plenty of other places for developers to build. She told reporters she moved to the area to be in the wilderness and that this is what Florida used to look like.
The rezoning still needs approval from county commissioners in August. Benton said the design area allows development that considers compatibility and how it is integrated into the county's need for infrastructure, quality of life, jobs and connectivity to the interstate and roadway system. The area equivalent to more than 48 FIFA-standard soccer pitches represents a significant shift for land that has traditionally been used for agriculture and citrus farming.