The City Council of Port St. Lucie, Florida, unanimously voted to extend preliminary approval to an operating agreement for a new 6,000-seat professional soccer stadium.
Treasure Coast News reports the council’s vote ignored a petition drive by city residents who argued the stadium would create greater traffic problems, adding city funds would be better spent on infrastructure and social services projects. The council will vote again on Nov. 4 to finalize the agreement.
The stadium will anchor the proposed mixed-use Walton & One development, formerly known as City Center. A men’s league franchise team within United Soccer League (USL), Port St. Lucie Sports Club, is expected to play at the stadium when it opens in 2027, with a women’s team slated to follow later.
The final approval by the City Council will include a 50-year operating agreement with Ebenezer Stadium LLC, with a 25-year renewal option. The agreement provides the company with a license to build, operate and use the stadium on city land with the option to purchase the land if it wants. If the land is not purchased, its ownership reverts back to the city when the contract expires.
The city would reimburse Ebenezer up to $27.5 million of the construction starting one year after the stadium opens – this could be accomplished in payments stretched out over 20 years. The $27.5 million is roughly half of the project’s original $55 million cost estimate.
Furthermore, the city would be guaranteed 24 events at the stadium per year, and Ebenezer would donate 150 tickets per year to local nonprofits while providing the city with a suite plus 10 field-level tickets and parking passes.
