The Fort Pierce Planning Board on Monday reviewed the Causeway Cove development project, a proposal that would bring five high-rise buildings to the area off Seaway Drive. The tallest structure would reach 17 stories and 192 feet, more than four times the city's height limit. Plans also call for two hotels and more than 70,000 square feet of retail space. The development qualifies under the Live Local Act, a state law passed in 2023 that allows developers to bypass height and density restrictions as long as they set aside 40% of units for affordable housing for at least 30 years. The project includes more than 900 apartments and condos, with 365 of those designated as affordable housing.
Neighbors packed the chamber during Monday's planning board meeting to voice concerns about the project's impact on the area. Buster Brewster, a boater at Causeway Cove Marina, said he worries the project will change the character of the area. "We're going to put this big old conglomerate up here, and I'm just afraid it's going to take away from the beauty of this place," Brewster said. Dennis Fein attended the meeting and raised concerns about traffic. "Nobody's thought this out," Fein said. "You're going to have massive traffic jams. Nobody's going to be able to get on the island, off the island."
City Planning Director Kev Freeman said developers must add traffic mitigation efforts and any required intersection or access improvements. City Commissioner Michael Broderick told attendees that the city has no authority over whether the project is approved. "The city does not have a play here. We do not have a position in this. This is regulated by the state of Florida in the entirety. The city has been eliminated from the process," Broderick said.
City commissioners are scheduled to hear a review of the project as the next step in the process. The Live Local Act's provisions allow developers to exceed local zoning restrictions in exchange for dedicating a substantial portion of units to affordable housing. The law requires that 40% of residential units remain affordable for at least 30 years, which in this project translates to 365 units out of the total planned housing.