Good Morning, Sunland
It's Wednesday! Let’s jump right in!
In today’s newsletter:
⚓ The Yacht Club lease expires December 13, and commissioners want a competitive process
🎬 AMC Indian River 24 closed permanently inside Vero Beach Mall on Nov. 8
🎶 Beach Jam returns to Causeway Cove Marina on Saturday, Nov. 14
🏛️ Indiantown is weighing a Data Center Advisory Committee and a proposed moratorium
🦸 PalmCon, the Stuart Air Show, and The Temptations lead this weekend’s events
⛅ Weather Update: Warm with clouds and sun, a stray evening storm.
☀️ Day: High of 84°F | Times of clouds and sun. Winds SW at 6 mph. 25% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 66°F | A thunderstorm in spots in the evening, 55% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:39 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 5:32 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 8:53 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 7:08 PM
🎶 Sounds like: "Before I Let Go" — Frankie Beverly and Maze
Ja'Min Devon
Founder & Publisher, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: ⚓ Fort Pierce Yacht Club lease expires in a month, and the city has no plan yet
Why it matters: The lease on the city owned building at 700 N. Indian River Drive ends December 13th, and the commission has not decided what comes next.
The details:
The lease: It started in 1984 with St. Lucie County. The city took it over in 2008 and used the one available renewal in 2015 for 11 years.
The rent: $10 a year, with the club covering maintenance, repairs and improvements.
The rule: Staff said there are no more renewals, and the city's procurement code and state law require a competitive process.
The vote: There wasn't one. Monday's item was for discussion and direction only.
The options staff presented:
A competitive lease solicitation open to any organization.
A management services agreement, with a third party running the building.
A facility use agreement, with the city renting it out like the Riverwalk Center.
The direction: Staff suggested a property condition assessment and an interim month to month arrangement with a 90 day termination clause. One commissioner said he would be more comfortable with 120 days and asked the club for two or three years of expenses and revenue. The interim city attorney will check what state law allows.
What commissioners said:
Commissioner Michael Broderick said a family he knows was quoted $1,400 to rent the building for a Saturday afternoon celebration of life, and he called that unfair to residents who underwrite the building through the $10 lease. He said the club has since changed its rental policy.
Commissioner Curtis Johnson Jr. said he has a challenge with a $10 a year lease, and that every nonprofit should have a chance to compete for it.
Commissioner Arnold Gaines criticized staff for bringing the item up just a month before the lease expires.
Mayor Linda Hudson said, "The city's waterfront property is certainly not for sale."
What speakers said: More than a dozen people spoke in support of the club, including representatives of the Boys and Girls Club, Project LIFT, the Highwaymen Museum, the Garden Club and St. Lucie Public Schools. They pointed to free swimming lessons, boating instruction, youth sailing, the holiday boat parade and donations to local organizations.
What's next: Staff will return with a lease amendment for a formal vote before December 13th.
💬 What should happen with the Yacht Club's lease? Leave us a voicemail at (772) 212-1504 and tell us what you think.
📰 Press Round: Theater Closure, Beach Jam & Data Center Committee
🎬 AMC Indian River 24 Closes Permanently Inside Vero Beach Mall
The AMC Classic Indian River 24 movie theater inside the Indian River Mall closed permanently on Nov. 8. AMC directed customers to its theaters in Melbourne and St. Lucie West. The mall is being converted into mixed-use retail, with five outdoor 250,000-square-foot stores and a drive-through restaurant planned, though the owners submitted their plans in May 2025 and little movement has occurred since.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription may be required)
🎶 Beach Jam Returns to Fort Pierce on Nov. 14
The second annual Pick, Paddle & Play Beach Jam takes over Causeway Cove Marina from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. Eight free musical acts, paddleboarding, an auction, a skate jam and a kids' zone are on the lineup, along with a blood drive and breast cancer resources. Proceeds support Friends in Pink and CareBag, and the event is hosted by Stabilize Revitalize Fort Pierce.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🏛️ Indiantown Considers Data Center Advisory Committee
Indiantown officials are weighing a five-member Data Center Advisory Committee, with each council member appointing one representative and the three exempt data center projects able to send a member as well. The council will discuss the committee at its Nov. 19 meeting, and will also vote that night on a proposed moratorium that would pause new data center projects, except for the three already submitted. Councilmember Anthony Dowling says residents have complained they were left out of the decision-making process.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
If something happened tomorrow, would your family know what you wanted?
Yes, it's all written down Some of it Not at allThe average score so far is 15 out of 100. I scored an 11. Takes two minutes.
🎉 772 Weekender: Friday, November 13 to Sunday, November 15
Friday, November 13
✈️ Stuart Air Show (Fri to Sun), Witham Field, Stuart. Fri 4PM to 10PM with Twilight Air Show, fireworks, and a drone show. Sat and Sun 9AM to 5PM. Adults $40, youth, seniors, veterans, and first responders $15. Details
🎄 Festival of Giving (Fri to Sun), Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast, 1707 NE Indian River Dr, Jensen Beach. 10AM to 4PM daily. Free on the ship side, town side needs museum admission. Details
🇺🇸 A Salute to Veterans: Patriotic Concert (Fri and Sat), McAlpin Theater, 3209 Virginia Ave, Fort Pierce. Fri 7PM, Sat 2PM. $25 to $30. Details
👻 Blithe Spirit (Fri to Sun), Pineapple Playhouse, Fort Pierce. Fri 7PM, Sat 2PM, Sun 2PM. $30 to $35. Details
🌌 Laser Light Shows (Fri and Sat), Hallstrom Planetarium, 3209 Virginia Ave, Fort Pierce. Fri 7PM to 10PM, Sat 1PM to 10PM. $12, VIP bean bag $15. Details
🎬 Drive In Horror Movie Nights: The Aftermath Edition, Treasure Coast Park and Watch, 601 Seaway Dr, Fort Pierce. Gates 6:30PM, Friday the 13th at 7:30PM, Halloween (1978) at 9:10PM. $24 per vehicle. Details
Saturday, November 14
🎨 Vero Beach Fall Fine Arts Festival (Sat and Sun), Intergenerational Recreation Center field, 1590 9th St SW, Vero Beach. Sat 10AM to 5PM, Sun 10AM to 4PM. Details
🦸 PalmCon: Treasure Coast 2026 (Sat and Sun), MIDFLORIDA Event Center, Port St. Lucie. Sat 10AM to 6PM, Sun 10AM to 5PM. $12 to $26 advance plus fees, kids 12 and under free with a paid adult. Details
🩰 Ballet Vero Beach Interpretive Dance Series: A Retrospective, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Leonhardt Auditorium. 12PM and 3PM. Details
🍜 Fort Pierce Asian Food Festival (Saigon Night Market) (Sat and Sun), Marina Square, 1 Avenue A, Fort Pierce. 2PM to 10PM both days. Free. Details
🌠 Savannas Under the Stars, Savannas Recreation Area, 1400 E Midway Rd, Fort Pierce. 6PM to 9PM. Stargazing with food trucks. Free. Details
🎤 The Temptations, Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce. 8PM, doors 7PM. $72.25 to $114.45. Details
Sunday, November 15
Continuing from above: Stuart Air Show, Festival of Giving, Blithe Spirit (2PM), Vero Beach Fall Fine Arts Festival, PalmCon, and Fort Pierce Asian Food Festival.
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