PORT ST. LUCIE – The vacant CVS Pharmacy building at the northwest corner of U.S. 1 and Veterans Memorial Parkway may soon see new life as a unique gymnasium for autistic children after the City Council approved the necessary special exception use permit for such a large indoor space in the General Commercial Zoning District during its Feb. 23 meeting.

Planner Ivan Betancourt introduced the request that evening.

“This is a special exception use application for a project known as David, Joann, Margaret – Children’s Gym,” he said. “The property is located west of U.S. Highway 1 and north of Southeast Veterans Memorial Parkway. The request is a special exception use to allow an enclosed assembly area of over 3,000 square feet for a proposed recreational facility for children. The facility consists of a 5,801-square-foot open activity area along with several partitioned rooms bringing the total enclosed assembly area to 7,114 square feet.”

Betancourt pointed out that a special exception use had been previously granted to the property in 2003 to allow the pharmacy’s drive-though window. CVS closed the location in the summer of 2024 because it had another location about a mile and a half to the south. He assured the Council that the SEU request confirmed to city code and acknowledged that the Planning & Zoning Board had previously recommended approval on Feb. 3.

“There are no proposed changes to the existing ingress and egress of the site,” he explained. “The property will continue to utilize its two access points along with the cross-access to the north. There are 86 parking spaces on the property, which are sufficient to serve the proposed use. The property is located in the Community Redevelopment Area, and CRA staff submitted a letter of approval of the SEU.”

The applicant’s representative, Mary Rogers, then provided her own presentation.

“It is a franchise called ‘We Rock The Spectrum,’ and it will be the first in the Port St. Lucie area,” she said. “The concept is an open area, and most of the equipment is sensory equipment. The gym is tailored to all children from one month to 13 years old. Specifically, we cater to children who are under the [autism] spectrum, with any type of neurodivergant disorders. The motto is Finally a place where you never have to say I’m sorry. So, this is a very safe, inclusive place for them.”

Rogers proceeded to briefly describe the various offerings of the gym, which includes 12 specific types of equipment designed to teach children strength, endurance, tolerance and the ability to challenge themselves.

“Some of them really help body coordination, and all are tailored for children that specifically need help with motor and sensory challenges,” she explained. “The favorites are the zipline, trampoline and climbing mountain. We have areas for reading where they can read by themselves or with parents or a caregiver. We also have the craft area and the calming room, which is very popular [and] well designed with dim lights and sensory toys. We have different therapy rooms where we’ll have speech, occupational and physical therapies and Applied Behavior Analysis.”

Vice-Mayor Jolien Caraballo was the first Board member to comment afterward.

“This is a wonderful concept,” she said. “My son is not in the spectrum, but he did need occupational therapy, special instruction and speech therapy when he was younger. We had to have our house full of toys and different types of activities to even give him assistance when he was a baby. Having a place where people can get therapy and work with their therapist is fantastic instead of having to do it at home.”

After affirming that no children’s activities would be taking place outside, Vice-Mayor Caraballo posed a relatively serious question due to an electric go-kart accident at a nearby children’s attraction last December that resulted in the death of a six-year-old child.

“Just for public knowledge and awareness, as you may know we had a recent death unfortunately at Urban Air across the street with a young child,” she said. “Could you speak a little bit about your safety mechanisms and making sure that children aren’t going to exit?”

In her reply Rogers assured her that We Rock The Spectrum would not serve as a drop-off point for busy parents and caregivers and be kept secure with both cameras and doorway sensors.

“We don’t just have the children by themselves,” Rogers replied. “Parents have to be there to supervise their children. Everybody will be trained and have to have an ABA Certificate. The open area is like that so we can see everybody, wherever they are. There are no hidden places, and all the doors will have sensors.”

Councilman David Pickett, in turn, wondered what might be done to the exterior of the old pharmacy, which has been closed now for almost two years and he was hoping for some new exterior paint.

“I think this is an excellent place for kids and families to spend time together,” he said. “I see you’re going to make a lot of renovations to the inside of the building, but what are your plans on the outside and for the landscaping?”

“That will be for the landlord, Rogers answered, emphasizing that the gymnasium would just be leasing the facility. “They’re already working on potholes and a lot of dead trees. The painting will be for them, and I think they have to do the color by code.”

The vice-mayor then made a motion for approval of the SEU, which was seconded by Councilman Pickett and passed unanimously.

For more information, visit the website at www.werockthespectrumportstlucie.com.