[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6264055,"mediaKeyId","3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4","parentId",3099321,"title","County approves incentives for Costco’s $109M-plus Tradition distribution expansion; 115 jobs pledged","audioSeconds",866,"startMs",11184000,"endMs",12050000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4&start=11184&end=12050","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4/thumbnail_11184000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6264055/St-Lucie-County/Florida/County-approves-incentives-for-Costcos-109M-plus-Tradition-distribution-expansion-115-jobs-pledged","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264055-8a909042204ca0d335253b2d353b243f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440170&Signature=ATGv1OZNUAzJzTFK~ZjQ2Sp-JDeUnOhNh7Et~9zAuae~0ZB1VPUmVCCvDzSp0JAp8mSm0HB9Iz4M5K5v1gzq3e0TgTZnG6hCMZaNXyr4S-s7TB2XH8-nYJ~Pwl9vQXTFP5k733nsnUh6mRPC7TvufxVmN4n4cR8K~vETxM8lPeHLQ-y227Sk~Zu3ulo8bOaDKAuP85iDB78YD6vnV4pnUo7qIOAEltEQTJ6NEZXZHXx4zxB28hGTZhUkyYs~u3CYrwjB1L27wmTkUDogx-rwBFkwnv1Q4qvpYfBoOY8w-t6Y~MDrRhW-m8SBy~K6TqSXrptSNg2QDuapXNC6-d0-lQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Lucie County, FL ","date","2025-04-23T04:51:34Z","article","Economic Development Council (EDC) staff, joined by Costco representatives, presented a proposal for incentives tied to Costco Wholesale’s planned Phase 2 expansion at Legacy Distribution Park at Tradition.

EDC Director Katie Knight told the Board the proposed Phase 2 includes a roughly 1‑million‑square‑foot combined facility (a 994,000,000 construction figure and $15 million in machinery and equipment were cited in the presentation) and a commitment to create about 115 full‑time positions averaging $26.61 per hour. Knight described a tiered ad‑valorem tax exemption, impact‑fee mitigation and a county job‑growth grant as the county’s proposed contributions, with the city of Port St. Lucie offering parallel incentives and expedited permitting.

\"Phase 2 checks all the boxes,\" Knight said, citing capital investment and higher‑wage job creation in a targeted logistics sector. The board approved Resolution 2025‑597 (as presented) to authorize the incentive framework; staff explained that the ad‑valorem exemption requires a future public‑hearing ordinance after the company finalizes expansion details.

Commissioner discussion touched on how the county scores and benchmarks incentives and on alignment with affordable‑housing metrics such as area median income (AMI). Commissioners asked staff to include both local average‑wage comparisons and AMI references in future incentive analyses; county administration said the EDC and administration are developing a scoring matrix and that the board will be offered a briefing on a revised incentive framework.

Why it matters: County leaders said the incentives will retain and expand a major employer’s logistics footprint in St. Lucie County and create construction and recurring payroll activity. The board voted to approve the incentive resolution as described by staff; project agreements and the formal ad‑valorem exemption ordinance will return for further approvals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Lucie County BOCC Regular Meeting, April 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","St. Lucie County and the city of Port St. Lucie agreed to a package of tax‑exemption and fee mitigation incentives to support Costco’s Phase 2 distribution expansion in Legacy Park at Tradition, a project that company and EDC officials said will add roughly 115 full‑time jobs and significant construction investment.","taxTitle","St. Lucie County, Florida","taxId",2868,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6264060,"Board approves Navy SEAL Museum expansion with late-night limits, security and community-use conditions",3855,4478000,8333000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4&start=4478&end=8333","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4/thumbnail_4478000.jpg","/articles/6264060/St-Lucie-County/Florida/Board-approves-Navy-SEAL-Museum-expansion-with-late-night-limits-security-and-community-use-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264060-6f757269629cc2c7b3a98c4dd26539c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440170&Signature=UvpFEB~IW76g1IRdh7W1FACBdut7a0PgkdCzEFdwy2mYcEDHUPKGnjfwEtm8fuJ2b4CatPcpvYXMvLDAfrIGyBLRAZm8CuFql6Hgi1CWYHzH7ss4sXfyinuTs4cYc4B38mcKOUUOpaZC-QHv-csLkuWXGXVoH55QQBzmm8PNGciRFttMBGwsRldXlPMjqn3lhQAWvIKiGO0Q5PWl0S~gbkyGPSPgY~I6N6Oxn-p36bfc-PLUg8WPpVcEw1sqob0PWo9IyPfSXDXm6mo1MHiyc8dA3VHUbIuZAIHUI68eiezzOqQboqIBzooPiwKlcY7KIM6MeyVORqgS3aObmlK4Mg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners approved a major adjustment to the conditional‑use permit for the National Navy SEAL Museum at Pepper Park, allowing a roughly 30,747‑square‑foot two‑story expansion that includes exhibit space and a second‑floor event area.

The museum and its representatives said the expanded facility will host educational exhibits and public events; the museum asked for extended hours for special events and an upper‑level event terrace. \"We're willing to work with whatever guidelines that you guys wanna put down,\" Rick Kaiser, the museum CEO, told the board.

The board approved the permit but attached conditions to address neighbors' concerns about traffic, lighting, wildlife and noise. Key conditions adopted during the meeting require:

- Standard daytime operation with extended event hours allowed only under restrictions; staff and the applicant agreed that events should end by 10 p.m. with an additional hour for cleanup. The board set Sunday evening events to end at 9 p.m.;
- A requirement for law‑enforcement traffic control (a deputy or police detail) for events that exceed 100 guests to manage parking and public safety;
- A prohibition on outdoor nighttime events during sea‑turtle nesting season (March 1–Nov. 15) and limits on rooftop amplified music that could affect nearby residents and the beach environment;
- Documentation that shared parking arrangements are in place before site‑plan approval and a condition to address parking joint‑use agreements and maintenance; and
- One‑time, limited complimentary meeting access: the board directed the applicant to provide up to five no‑charge meetings per year to the North Beach Association, one two‑hour annual meeting to the Coral Cove Beach Owners Association, and continued availability to the supervisor of elections for precinct use when elections require it.

The board's conditions also require full compliance with Florida Fish and Wildlife sea‑turtle lighting standards and a gopher tortoise survey where applicable. Staff noted the museum's property is covered by an existing lease arrangement with the county and state park lands and that any alcohol sales would require a separate distance waiver and board approval.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the museum is an important cultural and tourism asset but that the county also must protect residential quality of life on North Hutchinson Island and meet environmental protections for sea turtles and gopher tortoises. Several residents and homeowners' associations asked for stricter hours, gates or dedicated infrastructure to prevent event spillover into adjacent condominium lots; museum leaders agreed to work with neighbors and incorporate mitigation measures.

Outcome: The board approved the permit with the conditions described; the motion passed with a roll‑call style voice vote (recorded in the meeting as \"All in favor? Aye. Motion carries.\").","The county granted a major conditional-use adjustment allowing a new two‑story museum and event space at Pepper Park but set conditions that restrict nighttime outdoor events during nesting season, limit hours, require security for large events and reserve limited free meeting use for nearby community associations and election use.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6264065,"St. Lucie County says $63.8M in ARPA funds obligated across 44 projects; $27M reprogrammed in late 2024",935,511000,1446000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4&start=511&end=1446","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3099321-33b35be1d647bd7013d30536657346b4/thumbnail_511000.jpg","/articles/6264065/St-Lucie-County/Florida/St-Lucie-County-says-638M-in-ARPA-funds-obligated-across-44-projects-27M-reprogrammed-in-late-2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264065-35c99af9cdc8caaf113f3f9fed25ce80/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440170&Signature=hOYUlhdw9A99enrq6KylcP~GXh085LvomGUg3kl9PoLTZ5e0u1ZoqVYjSpMoydCblgY2kEats5KZOqTzAHcSc54jSN3a69LmOYf2tJJRhYFgTSlM5m5gNvOOkYpK0ODmvU2uWF7aUmPFFjqjrE2nO4Rg54-ZG~zhScOrpjOD9JRsM~7ee5c0FS9OCCM4xKtRhDOuB2~21UdcXzottVJCnz6VuMU1zlGdiMDTznXKIa6IcVjDhuaTubKUv-vKq1bGtfq9DEeOJ~0CeD18lqnHte2H0RnLJFadcJbvG7IiUgimIyWBf8nh2vUo-vaQEZR20pSBRiMpXOHf~-rBnrlgIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lori Rockey, St. Lucie County government relations manager, told the Board of County Commissioners that the county has obligated nearly all of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) award and has 44 funded projects under way.

\"We have $63,767,000 that we were given by the U.S. Treasury,\" Rockey said, and she reported the county had an obligation balance of roughly $27,000,000 to secure in contracts by Dec. 31, 2024 — a target staff met after an intensive procurement push.

The projects Rockey described span the Treasury's eligible categories: public health, negative economic impacts and revenue-replacement. Public-health uses included vaccination sites and jail medical assessments; negative economic-impact programs included mortgage and utility assistance and a small-business assistance program; the county used revenue-replacement authority for general government items such as roof and air-conditioning replacements and some road repaving.

Rockey said procurement and legal staff played a critical role in meeting the Treasury obligation deadline. \"Procurement department did a great job,\" she said, and she thanked outside counsel and county procurement staff for helping ensure compliance with the U.S. Treasury rules.

On infrastructure, Rockey said the county obligated about $15 million for stormwater projects and roughly $36.1 million for utility projects. She noted two utility projects are complete (including an Indrio Road project identified as the first completed ARPA infrastructure project) and multiple stormwater projects and designs are under way or finished. Rockey also said the county reallocated some ARPA funds to a Tropicana purchase to free other county funding for utility-loop construction.

Commissioners asked about flexibility to move ARPA money between projects. Rockey said obligated funds are generally fixed, but unspent contingencies on qualified projects can be reprogrammed as long as the replacement uses fit Treasury categories and were allowable under the original award. She described using the revenue-loss option the county accepted from Treasury: county staff used a single-sum revenue-loss calculation rather than a formula, which affected how remaining dollars can be reallocated.

Rockey said as of the March 31 reporting period the county had expended about 31% of obligated funds and that construction oversight continues on a monthly schedule. She also listed completed and ongoing water-quality and stormwater projects by name and reported the county had secured an outside grant (Ducks Unlimited/DEP) to complete one water-quality project that had been over budget when bids returned.

Why it matters: County officials said meeting the Treasury obligation deadline avoided returning federal funds and moved multiple public-health, housing and infrastructure projects into construction. Commissioners praised staff for meeting the contracting deadlines and for coordination across departments.

Staff and next steps: Rockey said departments will continue monthly construction updates and compliance reporting; the county’s ARPA recovery plan remains posted on the county website and is updated for the Treasury-required quarterly and annual reports.","Government relations manager Lori Rockey told commissioners the county secured contract obligations for American Rescue Plan funds and has opened 44 projects across public health, utilities and stormwater, with most remaining work now in construction and monthly oversight.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County approves incentives for Costco’s $109M-plus Tradition distribution expansion; 115 jobs pledged

Board approves Navy SEAL Museum expansion with late-night limits, security and community-use conditions

St. Lucie County says $63.8M in ARPA funds obligated across 44 projects; $27M reprogrammed in late 2024