For more information, contact: Trisha Riggs at 202-624-7086; [email protected]

WASHINGTON (October 26, 2018) — A group of nationally renowned land use and urban planning experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI) will be making recommendations next week to the city of Port St. Lucie on the creation of a clear vision, goals and strategy for the successful development of Southern Grove.

ULI is a global, multidisciplinary real estate organization whose work is driven by 42,000-plus members dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving, sustainable communities. The ULI representatives, convened through ULI’s renowned Advisory Services Program, will be visiting the community October 28-November 2. The Advisory Services panelists will be considering creative approaches for the development of Southern Grove that is sustainable, and which catalyzes further economic development to benefit the entire community. Panelists will conduct a thorough review of all aspects of development, including:

• The appropriate and best land uses for Southern Grove, including recommended density and intensity; and types of land uses that best support the South Florida regional market in terms of site location, access, labor availability, and local/regional competing sites;
• The market’s ability to absorb residential, commercial, industrial, and other types of uses proposed in the Master Plan;
• How best to facilitate appropriate development of industrial uses envisioned in the Master Plan to ensure integration with other land uses and limit the impact on low-density residential areas and other areas;
• The advantages and disadvantages of including one or more large industrial sites (50 acres – 300 acres);
• Development of a workable road network that accommodates the proposed Master Plan;
• The merits of the local government phasing the growth by location or other means versus allowing market demand to guide development and phasing;
• Strategies the city should consider for marketing, sales and development for each land use type (industrial, office, research/development, retail, multi-family, and mixed-use) given the city’s objectives and its debt obligations; and
• The circumstances under which the City should consider a public-private partnership for the development of Southern Grove.

ULI Leader John Walsh, President and CEO of TIG Real Estate, will serve as the panel’s chairman. “We’re excited to bring ULI’s expertise to Port St. Lucie,” Walsh said. “We’ll be considering a broad range of opportunities to ensure Southern Grove is a premier employment center within the South Florida region, and that the planning, design and development of the site meet the needs of the growing community.”

Walsh will be joined by: Daniel Anderton, senior planner/landscape architect, Dewberry, Germantown, Maryland; Page Bolin, principal and owner, Sustainable Development Solutions, Arvada, Colorado; Mary Beth Corrigan, executive vice president, the Urban Land Institute, Washington, D.C.; Donny James, chief real estate officer, Revenue Authority of Prince Georges County, Largo, Maryland, Craig Seymour, president and managing principal, RKG Associates, Boston, Massachusetts; and, Ross Tilghman, president, Tilghman Group, Seattle, Washington.

During the week, the panel will tour the site and surroundings neighborhoods, and interview a variety of stakeholders in the community before developing a set of recommendations that will be presented at the conclusion of the panel’s visit.

Now in its 71st year, the ULI advisory services program assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to participate on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs and policies. Panels have developed more than 700 studies for a broad range of land uses, ranging from waterfront properties to inner-city retail.

According to Thomas Eitler, senior vice president of ULI’s advisory services program, the strength of the program lies in ULI’s unique ability to draw on the substantial knowledge of its 40,000-plus members, including land developers, engineers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners and urban designers. “The independent views of the panelists bring a fresh perspective to the land use challenge,” Eitler said. “The advisory services program is all about offering creative, innovative approaches to community building.”

Past sponsors of ULI advisory service panels include: federal, state and local government agencies; regional councils of government; chambers of commerce; redevelopment authorities; private developers and property owners; community development corporations; lenders; historic preservation groups; non-profit community groups; environmental organizations and economic development agencies.

NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: The media and public are invited to a reception on Monday, October 29, at 6 p.m. in the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, 9221 SE Civic Center Place, Port St. Lucie; and to the presentation of the panel’s recommendations on Friday, November 2, at 9 a.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, Building A, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd, Port St. Lucie.