Good Morning, Sunland
It's Friday! And thank you everybody who supported Calendar Club! Somebody told me they planned out the rest of the month with seeing all the events coming up. It's right in your calendar so you can see if other events coming up get in the way! It's been convenient for me so I hope it's convenient for you! Check it out here!
📅 ICYMI: Yesterday's events list has everything happening this weekend. Don't miss it!
💜 Tangie Jennings became a supporter and says: "I appreciate you keeping me abreast with local current events happening on The Treasure Coast." Thank you so much for the support! If you want to join People Pass, support here.
Alright, let's jump right in!
🌧️ Weather Update: Cloudy with rain.
☀️ Day: High of 78°F | 100% chance of rain. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
🌙 Night: Low of 68°F | Cloudy this evening with showers. 40% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:33 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 7:29 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 4:02 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 2:22 PM
🎶 Sounds like: "Pretty Wings" — Maxwell
Ja’Min Devon
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💻 Miami company floats AI data center plan in Fort Pierce, but no application filed
Atlas Compute, a Miami-based startup, announced plans last November to build a massive AI data center in Fort Pierce that would generate its own electricity using natural gas.
What’s Going On: The company says the facility could be operational by 2027 and eventually consume 1 gigawatt of power — comparable to an entire city. But months later, no applications have been filed with St. Lucie County.
The details:
Location: Midway Industrial Park, more than 26 acres off Post Office Road
Power source: Four industrial 40 MW gas turbines running on natural gas
Land cost: $600,000 to $700,000 per acre
Cooling: Company claims it would use technology that eliminates water use
The zoning problem: The land is currently zoned for heavy industrial use, which is incompatible with a data center. It would need to be rezoned to light industrial.
What locals are saying: Neighbor Juli Iles told WPTV she has questions. "I want to know how big it's going to be, where it's going to be, how that may affect my home and my access to utilities."
The gas situation: Fort Pierce Utilities Authority told Atlas Compute the amount of natural gas needed is "an exceptionally large load" that exceeded the utility's capabilities.
FPUA said "this level of capacity is not currently available at any utility within the state of Florida"
Atlas Compute would need to work directly with Florida Gas Transmission
Daily transport cost: Up to $46,035
The big picture: This is becoming a pattern in St. Lucie County. Another data center, Sentinel Grove Technology Park, has also been proposed with a 1 GW capacity across 15 million square feet. Both projects have generated headlines but little actual movement toward construction.
Bottom line: Until applications get filed and approvals sought, this looks like another data center trial balloon testing public sentiment in St. Lucie County.
🏫 Press Round: Parks, Parking & Payments
🅿️ Vero Airport Going Private for Parking
Vero Beach is handing off airport parking to a private company instead of running it themselves, with Envision Parking investing $5 million to build the lots and handle operations. The deal would bring in about $422,000 a year for the airport and create 630 total parking spaces, with drivers paying through an app, phone call, or getting billed in the mail like E-Pass if they don't pay.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🚧 Tradition Crosswalk Signs Finally Removed
Those in-street crosswalk signs at Tradition roundabouts that kept falling over and damaging cars are now gone after WPTV started asking questions. Port St. Lucie says the signs weren't installed to federal standards and weren't properly anchored, with one guy doing $2,500 in damage to his truck after hitting a fallen sign back in August.
👉 Read more (WPTV)
🎭 Stuart's Lyric Theatre Turns 100
The Lyric Theatre in Stuart opened March 15, 1926 and is hitting its 100th birthday, making it the third Lyric Theatre built by the Hancock family in downtown Stuart. The theater seats 500 people today and never closed except for COVID, hosting everyone from Katharine Hepburn to Boyz II Men over the years.
👉 Read more (TCPalm, TCPalm subscription may be required)
🎉 The Top Events This Week!
Friday, March 13
⛵ Causeway Cove Boat Show & Sale Marine Flea Market – Marine bargains, boat sales, and nautical swap meet at 601 Seaway Dr, Fort Pierce. | Mar 13–15 | Details
Saturday, March 14
🌺 Zora Neale Hurston Experience Festival 2026 – Live music, marketplace vendors, Authors Alley, Children's Corner, and Dust Tracks Tours celebrating Fort Pierce's own Zora at 809 N 9th St, Fort Pierce. | 9 AM–4 PM | Details
☘️ Port St. Lucie Irish Festival – Parade, Irish music, Celtic dance, and food at MIDFLORIDA Event Center, Port St. Lucie. | 3–9 PM | Free | Details
🎨 Zora Experience Festival – Vendor Marketplace – Art, crafts, food, and Zora merchandise vendors at 809 N 9th St, Fort Pierce. | 8 AM–4 PM | Details
🎤 772 Sunrise City Cypher – All-ages hip-hop cypher showcasing local artists at Priscilla's Oasis on Orange, 223 Orange Ave, Fort Pierce. | Sat, Mar 14 | $7 presale / $10 door | Details
If you have an event, send it to me here
📅 Florida Headlines: Lobbying, AI, and Budgets
💡 Florida utility companies' lobbying linked to rising electric bills – Four investor-owned utilities spent over $80 million on lobbying and campaign contributions while earning $6 billion in profit. Read more
🤖 Florida House weakens transparency in AI data center bill – House stripped Senate's ban on non-disclosure agreements between agencies and data center companies, allowing businesses to keep expansion plans secret for up to a year. Bill passed 92 to 16, heads back to Senate. Learn more
💰 Florida lawmakers end session without budget, return in April – Legislature adjourned without finalizing state budget due to $1.4 billion gap between House and Senate. Get updates
📸 This is Sunland: I love my CITY!
See you Monday!
With Love, Ja’Min
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