PORT ST. LUCIE – The City Council here voted unanimously April 13 to approve the first amendment to the lease agreement between the city and the developer of the Port District dining venue, which includes permission for temporary structures on the site and an expanded lift station provided by the city.
Community Redevelopment Agency Director Jennifer Davis introduced the agenda item that afternoon. Her last update on the progress of the long-awaited restaurant on the banks of the St. Lucie River was last June, when she told the Council she’d be before them “in a few weeks” with a draft amendment. That time span, however, morphed into nearly a year as she and Miami developer Gaurav Butani hammered out more details in that draft document.
“This afternoon we’re bringing you the first amendment to the lease agreement with PIII regarding the restaurant development at the Port District,” she said of the park area south of the Botanic Garden. “The agreement is for PIII Investments to develop a multi-venue food garden concept consisting of one or more structures comprising up to 15,000 square feet. The benefit to the city will be achieving strategic goals with culture, nature and recreation, as well as a diverse economy and employment opportunities. There is no cost to the city associated with the lease agreement itself, and the lessor will be receiving revenue from the project.”…