Commentary

Milt Thomas

The so-called “Three Corners” term originated back in 2015 during preparations for the sale of Vero Electric to FPL and it referenced three developable properties – the power plant property north of Alma Lee Loy Bridge, the water treatment plant property south of the bridge, and a parcel of land south of the 17^th Street/Indian River Boulevard intersection. The latter parcel was given to FPL for a new substation, which eliminated one of the Three Corners. Long range plans for the water plant property are still a long way off, so that leaves the power plant property as the one at issue.

The sale of Vero Electric to FPL finally took place in November 2018. I won’t get into specifics of the deal here, but keep in mind that the power plant property has been out of use for anything since 2015.

In 2019, the City hired City Planner Andres Duany of DPZ Design in Miami to develop a master plan for Three Corners at a cost of around $150,000. He presented his findings on January 30, 2020, to what was described as a “standing ovation” at the First Presbyterian Church.

Then in March 2020 we were introduced to COVID-19. All further planning for Three Corners came to an abrupt halt.

Gradually life returned to normal, DPZ Design made several adjustments to their standing ovation plan that reflected new post-COVID realities. Then in November 2022, after City Council approved the plan, a referendum was held and Vero Beach voters agreed to free up the 18-acre power plant property from City Charter protection so it could be developed.

In August 2023, the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) based on the DPZ plan with a deadline for submissions of December 15, 2023. The City paid the Collins real estate firm $118,000 to publicize the property and generate proposals.

By December, little had happened, so the deadline was extended until February 1, 2024. At that point, four proposals had been submitted. Only one through Collins (Edgewater), the other three developers (Clearpath, Suda, Vista Blue) had ties to Vero Beach as residents or businesspeople.

Nevertheless, a selection committee was appointed to evaluate the proposals and make a recommendation to City Council.  A financial services firm, PFMGC, was paid $270,000 to evaluate the proposals for financial viability.

PFMGC ranked Clearpath as moderately high risk for financial failure and Suda as moderately low risk. The seven-member selection committee met on May 17, 2024 and selected Clearpath as the winning proposal. Suda was ranked second. (The two City staff members on the committee ranked Suda first, while the other five chose Clearpath.)

City Council met later that day and selected Suda as the developer, with Clearpath, Vista Blue and Edgewater next in order.

Then City Council met in a special call meeting on June 7, 2024 and voted to disqualify Suda for communicating with City staff and Council members in violation of RFP rules. A second vote was taken to scrap the entire RFP process and start over. This could delay everything until the first quarter of 2025. Assuming a developer is chosen, it will probably take five years or more before any kind of development is begun.

However . . .

As to the water treatment plant south of Alma Lee Loy Bridge, it is a bright spot for the future. The property is still protected in Vero’s City Charter, but the City and Youth Sailing Foundation have agreed to a long-term lease for 3.5 acres of waterfront to develop a marine recreational park and community sailing center. The YSF has raised over $4 million and will break ground on the Pat Harris Community Sailing Center on May 1, 2025. It will include a recreational park, large pavilion, picnic pavilions, a kiddy playground and public ramps for launching small sail and paddle craft. The water treatment plant will eventually be moved to a new location near the Vero Beach Airport, leaving more than 12 acres of available property for future use and/or development.

Meanwhile, the highly visible 18-acre property next door, with its shuttered “Big Blue” power plant, will stand as an eyesore reminder of unmet – possibly unrealistic – expectations.