FORT PIERCE, FL -- St. Lucie County has set its sights on landing an unnamed eyeglass lens research firm that could bring 200 high-paying jobs to the Treasure Coast and create a curriculum at Indian River State College focused on training people to work for the company.
The county is awaiting Enterprise Florida, the states economic development arm, to approve its share of an incentive package that would require the local government to provide about $550,500 as its part of a state and local package that includes a job growth incentive grant and property tax breaks.
This is a serious competition for us, said Larry Pelton, president of the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County. I cant give you more until we see how this all turns out.
County commissioners approved the local portion of the incentives deal on June 16 and officials hope the state signs off on the proposal quickly so the company can make a decision by the end of the week.
We hope it gets an affirmative approval, said St. Lucie County Administrator Faye Outlaw. Its another piece of us trying to build economic opportunities here in the county,
The incentive package comes as Martin County officials also work with the state and an unrelated unnamed company with the hope of bringing 245 new manufacturing jobs to Stuart. Martin County has named their effort Project Quick.
St. Lucie County's effort is called Project Vision.
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Each project includes a 20 percent local match with the state money.
