Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Award RFP #20230055 for the Development of the Becker / Village Lifestyle Center in Southern Grove.
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Submitted By: Nathaniel Rubel, Procurement Assistant Director, Procurement Management Division (“PMD”).
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of a diverse local economy and employment opportunities.
Summary Brief (Agreements/Contracts only)
1. Prepared by: Nathaniel Rubel, Procurement Assistant Director, PMD.
2. Parties: Governmental Finance Corporation (“GFC”) and Sansone Group, LLC (“Sansone”).
3. Purpose: Development of the Becker / Village Lifestyle Center in Southern Grove.
4. New/Renewal/Modified: New.
5. Duration: To Be Determined.
6. Benefits to Port St. Lucie: Provide a lifestyle center in Southern Grove that will offer a variety of uses including retail, restaurants, hotels, multi-family / apartments, etc.
7. Cost to Port St. Lucie (Annual and Potential): GFC Revenue to Be Determined.
Presentation Information: No presentation, but staff will be available to answer questions.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Board award RFP #20230055 for the Development of the Becker/Village Lifestyle Center to Sansone.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Board amend and approve the recommended award.
2. Move that the Board reject all proposals and provide staff with direction to reissue the solicitation or cancel the Request for Proposals.
Background:
Early in 2021, the City completed the Southern Grove Master Plan based on extensive public input. Port St. Lucie is experiencing significant residential growth within the southwest area of Port St. Lucie. Recognizing a need to continue to meet the desire of Port St. Lucie residents for high quality shopping, dining, and entertainment areas, the Southern Grove Master Plan recommended the development of a Lifestyle/Commercial Center at the northeast corner of SW Becker Road and SW Village Parkway.
Located just west of the Interstate 95 interchange at Becker Road, the area consists of approximately 55+/- acres over multiple parcels as well as a proposed north/south roadway. That road is located between the parcels and will be the responsibility of the selected Developer to design, permit, and construct. These parcels are owned by the GFC, and it has been the GFC’s expectation that this block will be developed as a Lifestyle Commercial Center, inclusive of uses such as grocery, gas station, restaurants, small box retail, office, hotel, and higher density residential uses buffered from the adjacent large scale employment center by stormwater lakes and adequate landscaping. The development would include gateway feature locations to allow for signature branding with integrated sculptural elements, pedestrian/public plazas, and carefully designed signage, landscaping, and lighting. The development would include incorporation of the Tradition Trail, a 12-foot-wide multimodal trail proposed to border the adjacent stormwater lakes, which will connect to the larger Tradition Trail system planned throughout the Southern Grove development.
The GFC sought an experienced developer / development team of village scale urban retail/restaurant projects to construct this project, whose experience should incorporate forward thinking approaches to urban design, architecture, engineering, environmental technologies, and the public realm, as well as a focus on placemaking. Envisioned as a destination area, the development of the property should:
• Include a grocery store, restaurants, and small retail shop space. Restaurants should be unique in nature and developed with outdoor dining and/or rooftop dining options. Additional uses are encouraged to include hotel rooms and high-density condominiums, apartments, and/or townhome units integrated into the overall development.
• Create a dynamic urban destination that encourages public gathering places and considers the importance of a pedestrian environment. Buildings are encouraged to address the street where practicable to avoid large parking areas being visible from the streets. Use of on-street parking and shared parking is encouraged.
• Create a unique name, signage, merchandizing, and branding for the development.
• Create substantial positive economic value for the City through the generation of additional property and sales tax revenues.
• Provide a source of quality construction and permanent jobs for area residents.
• Improve connectivity to the surrounding development to effect property values, quality of life, and public safety.
The objective of the initial RFQ process was to determine the level of interest, and select a limited number of qualified developers who would be invited to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop the site. Responses to this RFQ were intended to provide general ideas and strategies for the development of the sites, including resumes and qualifications for the development team(s). The qualification packages would then be reviewed to select experienced developers that will advance to the next step of the process, which would be the RFP.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued via DemandStar on June 19, 2023 to 1,088 potential developers. There were six (6) proposals received on August 3, 2023. PMD held the first evaluation committee meeting on September 24, 2023, to review and discuss the proposals and individual firm scores to determine the short list. The Evaluation Committee voted to shortlist the top five (5) ranked firms to participate in the second step of the RFP process. Results for all six (6) firms that submitted proposals in Step One are shown on the attached Step One Consolidated Score Sheet.
The Step Two Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on January 14, 2025 to the shortlisted firms. There were two (2) proposals received on March 21, 2025. One of the proposals was deemed non-responsive for failure to provide information required to comply with the minimum RFP requirements. The lone responsive firm was invited to an evaluation meeting held on May 5, 2025, to make presentations and answer more detailed questions regarding the project and their proposal. After the presentation, the Committee discussed the presentation and proposal and submitted their final scoring of the technical proposal and presentation to determine the final rankings. The Committee voted to recommend the award of the RFP and enter into contract negotiations with the highest ranked firm, Sansone. The final scores were announced as follows, and a copy of the Consolidated Score Sheet is attached:
#1 Ranked firm: Sansone Group - 433 points (out of 450)
Due to the length of time required to negotiate a development agreement of this type, staff is requesting GFC Board approval to award RFP #20230055 to Sansone, so that contract negotiations can commence, and close the cone of silence period. Once an agreement is negotiated, staff will bring it forward to the GFC Board for review and consideration.
Issues/Analysis: N/A.
Financial Information: GFC revenue to be determined upon successful contract negotiations.
Special Consideration: N/A.
Location of Project: The Becker / Village Lifestyle Center is located at the northeast corner of SW Village Parkway and SW Becker Road. It encompasses approximately 55+/- acres of land over multiple parcels.
Attachments:
1. Notice of Intent to Award.
2. Step #2 Consolidated Score Sheet.
3. Step #1 Consolidated Score Sheet.
4. Proposers List.
5. Recommended Proposal - Sansone Group.
6. RFP #20230055 Step One Documents.
7. RFP #20230055 Step Two Documents.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 10122; 24192-11; 24352-01.
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Alyssa Lunin, Senior Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, City Attorney.