Planning board recommends John Carroll High School expansion, approving 45,159‑sq‑ft academic building

The Fort Pierce Planning Board voted April 13 to recommend approval of a major site plan amendment for John Carroll High School to add a new three‑story academic and administrative building totaling 45,159 square feet.

City staff summarized the proposal as a three‑story building with a 16,735‑sq‑ft footprint, a maximum building height of 44 feet, 255 parking spaces including ADA and bus spaces, and two retention ponds. The application includes demolition of approximately 12,000 square feet of existing buildings, replacement of portable classrooms, improved circulation and paved parking, stormwater treatment upgrades and additional landscaping; staff recommended approval with six conditions addressing landscape maintenance agreements, site development permitting, land‑clearing and tree mitigation, separate sign permits and demolition permits.

Applicant Mike McCarty (McCarty and Associates) and Rick Gonzales (REG Architects) presented the design intent—preserving key tree clusters where possible, creating improved entry circulation and aligning a new chapel element to function as a campus anchor. Corey Heroux, president of John Carroll High School, said the project would secure the school’s facilities for “generations to come” and noted the school’s 60‑year history at the site.

Motion and next steps: The board moved to recommend approval with the six staff conditions; the motion carried by roll call. The recommendation will be transmitted to the City Commission for final approval, and remaining technical items will be resolved as part of development permitting.