Verano Life Guide 2018

Port St. Lucie Civic Center

In the Spotlight

Everyone is talking about Port St. Lucie—it’s a city on the move. In 2017 for the third year in a row, Port St. Lucie was named one of the top 100 “Best Places for Business & Careers” by Forbes magazine. A cost of living that’s below the national average, four colleges and universities, a temperate year-round climate, and a wealth of recreational opportunities are some of the reasons Port St. Lucie is on everyone’s radar. Movoto.com , a national online real estate brokerage, ranked Port St. Lucie “The Best City in Florida” based on livability, crime rate, cost of living and housing costs. Bloomberg rated Port St. Lucie as one of the leading cities in the nation in 2016. To accommodate all its growth, the city is focused on upgrading the transportation infrastructure, which will serve both the business community and local residents. St. Lucie officials have recruited a carrier to offer limited commercial flights to the general aviation airport, which has been renamed Treasure Coast International Airport. The airport is presently one of the busiest general aviation airports in the state. It is in a foreign trade zone and currently sees a large number of arrivals from the Bahamas. Road improvements are also in progress. The Crosstown Parkway connects I-95 to US 1 and has dramatically decreased the amount of time it takes to travel between those major highways. The medical sector is growing rapidly in Port St. Lucie. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies has brought national recognition to this town. The nonprofit research center, dedicated to the improvement of human health, is housed in a $40 million state-of-the-art LEED- certified facility in Tradition. Area medical facilities are also experiencing growth. Tradition Medical Center, part of Martin Health System, has added three new floors to accommodate a larger patient base, and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center, part of the Treasure Coast HCA, opened a pediatric emergency department to complement the facility’s comprehensive pediatric care.

Tradition Medical Center

Veterans Memorial Park

Other newsmakers that have come to Port St. Lucie include Christ Fellowship Church. The nation’s ninth-largest megachurch opened a new location here in 2016.