PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Despite some public opposition, the future of Port St. Lucie's new 6,000-seat soccer stadium is moving forward after the city council held a special meeting on Monday.
The meeting comes a week after the announcement that the United Soccer League awarded the city an expansion team due to start play in 2027.
WATCH BELOW: 'I feel like this is kind of rushed': Soccer stadium plan advances despite concerns
After about an hour, the city council unanimously approved a first reading of ordinance 25-67 to authorize the mayor to "execute and enter" into a stadium agreement with the city's redevelopment agency and stadium operations.
WPTV reported last week that a petition, which now has more than 1,500 signatures, was started in opposition to the stadium, citing that the project is "ill-timed, fiscally misguided, and dangerously located."
Residents raised concerns during public comment about traffic, noise, the project's timeline and the potential financial risk to taxpayers.
Buddy Prause, who lives near the proposed stadium site, said the project feels rushed.
"It all seems like the cart before the horse," Prause said, concerned that taxpayers would foot the bill.
WATCH BELOW: How will soccer stadium benefit local economy?
Jennifer Davis, who worked on the project for two years with the City's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), said the agreement requires the developer to pay for the project up front.
"We are not funding their project on the front side, which is something that happened in the past," said Davis. "We are not obligating taxpayer dollars."
However, Davis said the city has agreed to reimburse the developer after a year, up to $27.5 million in tax increment revenue toward the construction of the stadium.
These funds will not come from the city's general budget, but from increases in property tax revenue, known as TIF (tax increment financing), generated over time and used to reinvest in the area.
However, the catch is that TIF dollars rely on projected tax revenue, so the city is banking on future growth to pay for the stadium.
If growth like that doesn't happen, residents like Prause fear taxpayers could be on the hook.
"You're going to build this stadium, we've got all these promises, but what are the things we don't know about?" asked Prause.
WPTV investigative reporter Kate Hussey asked Davis that question.
"If the project doesn't generate the tax revenue you're expecting, what then? How do you promise taxpayers they won't be paying the price if the project flops?" Hussey asked.
Davis said the city has carefully projected the value of land around the stadium over the next decade and is confident the revenue will match expectations. She also noted the developer will fund road improvements and a real-time traffic management center to ease congestion.
A second city meeting has already been scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 5:15 p.m. for more public comment.
Read more of WPTV's coverage below:
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