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Kings Highway jobs‑corridor study lays out overlay, infrastructure and annexation steps to attract industry
Summary
An initial phase‑1 report from the St. Lucie Economic Development Council and District Planning Group recommends a coordinated overlay zone, an economic impact study, and infrastructure work to position Kings Highway as a jobs corridor that can expand Fort Pierce's tax base.
The Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County and District Planning Group presented a phase‑1 update on the Kings Highway Jobs Corridor to the Fort Pierce City Commission on Aug. 11, outlining recommended next steps to attract light manufacturing and higher‑paying commercial uses west of downtown.
Pete Tesh, president of the EDC and a Fort Pierce resident, introduced the project and said the corridor’s combination of undeveloped land and three nearby interchanges represents a rare long‑term economic opportunity. Leslie Olson of District Planning Group reviewed the project area (roughly between Okeechobee Road and Orange Avenue, extending to the Turnpike and Jenkins Road) and the team’s research into future land use, zoning, transportation and infrastructure constraints.
The study’s key findings include: a large proportion of the study area remains unincorporated St. Lucie County and will annex to Fort Pierce as development requests water/wastewater service from FPUA; the existing zoning and future‑land‑use maps do not currently provide a coherent industrial corridor; electric capacity near some interchanges is constrained; and roadway capacity—especially at Graham Road and nearby overpasses—will be important to future development.
DPG recommended five main next steps: 1) perform an economic impact analysis to quantify expected tax and employment benefits; 2) address critical infrastructure needs with utilities and the TPO (noting FPL/FPUA coordination on capacity); 3) create a unified overlay district across city and county that sets design standards, permitted uses and a “turn‑on/turn‑off” adoption procedure with a 3‑year sunset; 4) establish an economic development fund to provide matching funds for grants and developer contributions; and 5) coordinate with property owners and the Kings Highway Corridor Association to move the work into a public‑hearing adoption draft.
Commissioners praised the report but asked detailed questions about zoning, the difference between “light” and “heavy” industrial uses, and annexation strategy. Commissioner Broderick asked that the GIS deliverables show existing built‑out industrial square footage and the pipeline of approved projects; DPG confirmed those layers are in the interactive maps delivered with the report. Commissioners and staff discussed the need to coordinate with St. Lucie County on a shared overlay, and several suggested starting incrementally on pilot annexations where FPUA service is already in place.
Why it matters: The study aims to broaden Fort Pierce’s commercial and industrial tax base and create jobs without reducing downtown character. Commissioners signaled support for phase‑2 work—particularly the economic impact analysis and an overlay framework—but raised caution about allowing “heavy industrial” uses in gateway areas and underscored the need to sequence annexation and utility upgrades.
What’s next: The consultants will incorporate commission feedback, refine the overlay concept and return with a public‑hearing draft and an economic impact analysis. Commissioners pressed for TPO coordination on Graham Road improvements and for a focused annexation plan linked to FPUA service territory.
