Downtown Port St. Lucie doesn’t exist yet, but it may with a long-awaited mixed-use urban district now taking shape along the US-1 corridor, anchored by Walton & One. After decades of purely suburban growth, the city is building its first true downtown area. The plan centers on a 46-acre site near MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center incorporating a professional soccer stadium, hotels, restaurants, apartments, retail, and public park space.
Port St. Lucie is the sixth-largest city in Florida. However, until recently, it had no traditional downtown. That is now changing. The Walton & One project, formerly called City Center, represents the most significant urban development in the city’s history.
Why Port St. Lucie Has No Traditional Downtown
Port St. Lucie was established in the 1960s as a planned residential community. The General Development Corp built it around home sales and suburban neighborhoods, not a commercial center. As a result, the city grew outward instead of upward. This layout left no central urban core.
In the 1980s, the city tried to create a downtown-like shopping area. The Village Green Shopping Center was built near US-1 and Walton Road. It included a movie theater, retail stores, a restaurant, and an ice cream shop. However, the center struggled and most of it was demolished in 2006…