PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Port St. Lucie neighbors are raising concerns about parking and traffic congestion around the Port District as the city prepares to open a new riverfront entertainment district called The Grove.
The Grove will bring five riverfront dining experiences to an empty lot at the Port District by 2027.
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While some residents say they are excited about the new attraction, many are worried about what it will mean for an area they say is already struggling with limited parking and heavy traffic.
George DiLeonardo said he welcomes the development but has reservations.
"I'm majorly concerned about the traffic around here and it's getting very crowded," DiLeonardo said.
Parking concerns were a recurring theme at our Let's Hear It Event Meet Up at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.
Lourdes Gonzales said finding a parking spot near the Port District is already a challenge.
"I bring my grandkids here to the playground, and sometimes I must circle the parking lot several times because there's no parking," Gonzales said. "I can just imagine when those restaurants go up, where's everyone going to park?"
Gonzales said traffic on Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Westmoreland Boulevard is already congested, and she expects the addition of The Grove to make things worse.
"At five o'clock I sit on the bridge for about seven minutes every day," Gonzales said. "I've tried taking Westmoreland to US-1, and going that road route to go home is the same thing."
We took those concerns directly to the City of Port St. Lucie.
Scott Samples, with the city, said there are currently 365 parking spaces at the Port District. The city is in the process of acquiring land at Bridge Plaza for an additional 62 spaces.
Samples said the city is also looking into adding parking spaces along Westmoreland Boulevard and adding transportation options from Veterans Park at Rivergate and Tom Hooper Park.
"We're looking at a lot of different options to try to make sure that we can accommodate what we know is going to be a very popular attraction," Samples said.
On the question of traffic along Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Westmoreland Boulevard, Samples said the city will continue to evaluate conditions.
"We will look at what the traffic needs are, what the traffic volumes are, and then what can be done to accommodate any sort of efficiencies or better traffic flow," Samples said.
