PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 For more than two decades, Port St. Lucie leaders have talked about creating a downtown.<\/p>\n
The city has grown rapidly, reaching nearly 270,000 residents and becoming one of Florida\u2019s largest cities. Census data show Port St. Lucie\u2019s population has increased about 31% since 2020.<\/p>\n
But despite that growth, some residents say the city still lacks something many communities take for granted: a central gathering place.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I don’t see a downtown area,\u201d resident Ronald Hemphill said. \u201cWe have to travel to West Palm to go to the restaurants, the trendy places, stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hemphill moved to Port St. Lucie from New York during the pandemic. He said he enjoys living in the city but believes a recognizable downtown could help give Port St. Lucie an identity of its own.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a downtown, every borough has a hipster area,\u201d Hemphill said. \u201cI think it’ll do well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why doesn\u2019t Port St. Lucie have a traditional downtown?<\/p>\n
It is a question that comes up frequently among residents.<\/p>\n
Dan Toback, who runs the popular SLC Scanner Facebook page<\/a>, said the city has several places where residents gather for dining, shopping and entertainment, but no single area that functions as a traditional downtown.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don’t have what I would describe as a formal downtown right now,\u201d Toback said. \u201cWe have several hotspots that people go to for entertainment … but we don’t have a place that anybody can call home that’s like a formal downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n City leaders say the reason is rooted in Port St. Lucie\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Unlike many Florida communities that developed around a railroad, waterfront or historic commercial district, Port St. Lucie began largely as a residential community.<\/p>\n \u201cThis city was created really as a bedroom community,\u201d city spokesperson Scott Samples said. \u201cWe’ve had to kind of go in over the last 25 years or so and try to retrofit what would be more of a traditional city design.\u201d<\/p>\n