Fort Pierce gives King's Landing developer more time to create new plan, sets expectations

FORT PIERCE — City officials will give Audubon Development at least 45 more days to come into compliance with the contract and meet a key deadline on the King's Landing project, paving the way for a future meeting where the developer will ask the city to push back all deadlines.

The decision came at a special City Commission meeting Friday, just one day before the end of a previous 30-day period given to Audubon by the city to remedy the alleged contract default, which centered around a permitting application that was deemed insufficient by the city.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the extension. Commissioner Curtis Johnson was absent.

Extension may give time to create revised timeline

The 45-day extension gives Audubon until June 4 to submit a sufficient permitting application for phase two construction, intended to include residential, retail and restaurant components of the planned multi-use development.

However, Audubon CEO Dale Matteson and his attorney, Scott Hawkins of Palm Beach County firm Jones Foster, indicated the real purpose of the extension is to give the developer and its partners time to put together a new plan and timeline to get the development done, despite the turbulent history and current challenges such as high interest rates.

"We think we've got a plan through that, but I can't hatch it in 30 days," Matteson said.

After walking through a number of the reasons for delays on a contract first agreed to by the city and Audubon in 2019, many of which he blames on the city misrepresenting the readiness of the site, Matteson warned commissioners that new timelines on construction would be similar to those agreed on when Audubon closed on the property in 2022. All of the work that has taken place between then and today, Matteson argued, was in order to get the property to the level of readiness that he believed it was at two years ago.

"I just want to brace everybody that you're not going to like the dates," Matteson said.

Future meetings in next 45 days

Those details could be presented at a planned May 14 meeting of the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency, or at a special meeting called on another date. Matteson had planned for Marriott corporate executives to be present at the May 14 meeting, but Commissioner Michael Broderick disclosed that he has surgery planned for May 10. If possible, commissioners indicated, they would like to find a date when all parties can be present, including Broderick and the Marriott officials.

If the meeting must take place on May 14, Broderick said he will attempt to attend, or, at the very least, watch. The issue will have to come before the City Commission at a separate meeting, so Broderick said if he cannot attend the FPRA meeting, he will voice his opinions at the subsequent meeting.

"I will make my best effort to be at both meetings, but I cannot guarantee that I will be at the May 14 meeting," Broderick said.

Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson said he would like to see meetings held on the topic before the one where commissioners are asked to agree to Matteson's revised timelines. That creates the possibility of at least three meetings held on the topic during the 45-day period. The City Commission can call an emergency meeting within 24 hours, but the FPRA requires a seven-day notice. Though both bodies are made up of commissioners, they will each have to approve changes to the contract separately.

Demand for details

Matteson said that plans are currently fluid, and that a finalized financing agreement may be dependent on reaching an agreement with a hotel franchisee. He said Marriott officials were also meeting Friday with a potential franchisee that operates more than 100 hotels across the country. The hope is that franchisee would agree, and would then be present at the future meeting, Matteson said.

Commissioners told Matteson and Hawkins that they wanted to see certain concrete details presented at that future meeting, including on timeline, a hotel franchisee and financing.

"I want granular specifics, not broad strokes, on financing for this project. Exclamation point," Broderick said.

If those details are not provided, Audubon's request for further extended deadlines may not be approved, commissioners indicated.

"If Marriott, or some other hotelier, is not here on the 14th with some money and some contracts being said, I'm not going to be a happy camper," Commissioner Arnold Gaines said.

Public frustration and confusion

Mayor Linda Hudson acknowledged some of the concern that she has heard from residents about Audubon and the project.

"Everybody is beginning to think that this is never going to happen," Hudson said.

More: Fort Pierce calls special Friday meeting on King's Landing as deadlines, legal actions loom

More: Disputes between city and Audubon over King's Landing escalate; will legal action be next?

That said, with the tension surrounding the timelines, and a possibility of future legal action acknowledged by both parties, Hudson said she hoped the extensions could be an opportunity to "rebuild trust."

Matteson said he understands the frustrations of residents, and repeatedly said that he would like to start construction.

"These delays have just squandered good will that this project had from the beginning," Matteson said.

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com and 504-331-0516.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Audubon Development will have 45 days to come up with a new timeline