Port St. Lucie Seeks Opportunity Zone for 73-Acre Walton & One Site
Port St. Lucie plans to formally ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to nominate a 73-acre redevelopment site along U.S. 1 for a new federal Opportunity Zone designation, a move the city says could attract private investment to a planned sports and entertainment district.
City leaders highlighted the Walton & One site during HUD Secretary Scott Turner’s visit to Port St. Lucie on April 14, 2026. The tract is in eastern Port St. Lucie and already includes the MIDFLORIDA Event Center.
The proposed designation would cover Census Group 381802. The city’s request is the next step described in the approved city materials; those materials do not confirm that the governor has submitted a nomination or that federal officials have approved the designation.
What the city is proposing
Port St. Lucie describes Walton & One as a mixed-use redevelopment area that could include restaurants, retail stores, offices, hotels and residential units. A future United Soccer League stadium is also planned within the site’s footprint.
That combination would place housing, commercial uses and sports-related development around the existing event center. The city said an Opportunity Zone could provide tax benefits to investors while supporting job creation and revitalization.
For residents, the designation effort matters because it could influence how one of the city’s largest redevelopment areas takes shape. The potential effects identified by the city include private investment, jobs, housing, retail and public interest in a planned sports and entertainment district. The designation itself, however, is not a construction approval or proof that the full project is financed.
The process remains underway
A later city publication dated June 9, 2026, said Port St. Lucie was participating in Florida’s 2026 selection process and described the Opportunity Zone effort as an active development issue. That provides later context after the April announcement, but it does not establish a final federal designation.
The city has also not established construction dates, project financing or a final cost for the proposed soccer stadium in the materials reviewed for this report. The stadium should therefore be understood as a planned future use, not a confirmed construction project.
The next known step is the city’s formal request for the governor to nominate Census Group 381802. Any later state nomination or federal approval would determine whether the proposed area receives the designation and its associated tax benefits.
Part of broader development activity
The Walton & One proposal comes as Port St. Lucie continues to announce other large-scale development activity. In March, the city reported plans for a 170,000-square-foot Costco retail store and gas station on a separate 22.8-acre site that was sold for $6 million.
That Costco project is separate from the 73-acre Walton & One site. Together, the projects show the scale of commercial and mixed-use development being discussed in Port St. Lucie, but the Opportunity Zone request remains focused on the U.S. 1 tract around the MIDFLORIDA Event Center.
Sources
- City highlights redevelopment potential during HUD secretary’s visit, City of Port St. Lucie
- Heart of the Treasure Coast: June 9, 2026, City of Port St. Lucie
- Long-awaited Costco retail store planned for Port St. Lucie, City of Port St. Lucie
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