Port St. Lucie City Council approved a site plan Monday for a proposed 6,000-seat soccer stadium at Walton & One, advancing the redevelopment near U.S. 1, SE Village Green Drive and Walton Road. The council held a brief discussion before approving the plan, which calls for seven buildings totaling 133,412 square feet on city-owned land. The stadium is intended to anchor a broader redevelopment envisioned to include residential, retail, office, hotel and entertainment uses.
The project still has outstanding requirements involving water and sewer service, drainage plans and public art. Staff recommended site-plan approval subject to recording a replat. The city says the project will not use money from its general fund.
Under the city’s published project terms, the developer could receive reimbursement for up to 50% of eligible stadium and infrastructure costs through community redevelopment agency tax-increment revenue, capped at $27.5 million. The site-plan review also included a traffic analysis and a special-event traffic plan reviewed by police and Public Works. Residents have previously raised concerns about traffic near the proposed site.
The development would include the stadium, a cabana, concession and restroom facilities, and three retail buildings. Construction is planned in four phases, beginning with the approximately 97,296-square-foot, two-story stadium, followed by the retail buildings. The stadium would stand 61 feet tall, with an LED scoreboard that could reach 85 feet and field-light poles that could rise to 135 feet.
The city is also advancing related zoning and sign-program changes to allow the stadium and its taller lights and scoreboard. Those measures were listed on Monday’s agenda for second reading.
The stadium is planned as the home of Port St. Lucie SC, a United Soccer League League One team expected to begin play in 2027. Matches at the new stadium are planned to begin in 2028, and the venue is also intended to host concerts, festivals and other events. The city says it acquired 22 parcels in the Walton & One district in 2022 and intends for the stadium to help spur development there. Parking for stadium events would use other city-owned parcels under a parking license in the operating arrangement.