May 1, 2018

St. Lucie County is currently seeking a private partner to operate and develop the Port of Fort Pierce.

The Board of County Commissioners has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a private partner to operate and develop the former Indian River Terminal.

St. Lucie County recently purchased the terminal and a 10-percent interest in the 67-acre tract inside the Port of Fort Pierce, known as the Bell Property. The terminal features 1,200 feet of seawall, as well as more than 125,600-square-feet of warehouse space between the two buildings.

Proposals are due to St. Lucie County by Wednesday, June 6 at 4 p.m. County officials will hold a site visit and question-and-answer session on Tuesday, May 8 at 10 a.m. Interested parties must submit a statement of qualifications that detail their experience, expertise and financial capabilities, along with a description of its proposed development program and marketing plan for the terminal.

St. Lucie County’s goal is straightforward: Create an enduring source of economic activity that will generate high-paying, long-term jobs within the community.
The Port of Fort Pierce is ideally situated on Florida’s east coast between Port Canaveral and Miami, less than three miles from the mouth of the deep-water Fort Pierce Inlet and offering unobstructed access to the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean. The site is thought by industry experts to be the ideal for the development of a maintenance and refit facility for marine vessels, including large recreational vessels that have made calls on the port in increasing number of years.

The port is in close proximity to the Treasure Coast International Airport and Business Park, with its expanding U.S. Customs facility and active Foreign Trade Zone.

St. Lucie County has recently completed more than $7.3 million worth of improvements to the streets leading into the port area. These improvements, which include resurfaced roads, retention ponds, sidewalks and lighting, will increase the access in and around the Port of Fort Pierce for the public as well as the local businesses operating in the port area.

The Port of Fort Piece is one of seven deep-water, seaports on Florida’s east coast.

Businesses interested in learning more about the Request for Qualifications to operate the Port of Fort Pierce can review the RFQ online: www.DemandStar.com or it can be emailed at the vendors request. Interested vendor’s can e-mail a request for the RFQ document to Sandi Morando at morandos@stlucieco.org. The deadline to apply is June 6 at 4 p.m.