Good Morning, Sunland
It's Monday! I want to draw your attention to a meeting recap from last week. I love putting these together, and I want to make sure everybody gets a chance to see them. So much happens week to week in these meetings that I sometimes forget to come back and make sure you all saw it. Social media isn’t always great for showing every video from SUNLAND, and that’s okay!
There was a lot that went on at the county meeting, and I wanted to make sure it got highlighted alongside the story we wrote on the disapproval. You can watch the recap here.
👁️ Caught my eye (Sponsored)
Luke Lewis of Treasure Coast Realty Group shares where he thinks the best places to live on the Treasure Coast are. Check it out here.
💜 People Pass Shoutout
Thank you to everyone supporting the newsletter! If you want to help keep this going, support here.
In today’s newsletter:
🛍️ Much of Indian River Mall Is Gone as New Construction Nears
🛒 Winn-Dixie Closure Is Hitting Indrio Crossings Businesses
🚐 MARTY May Shift Toward Microtransit
👻 Once Upon A Nightmare, Sunrise Theatre Black Box
🏘️ Port St. Lucie rezones 150 acres south of Midway Road
🌦️ Weather Update: Partial sunshine with soaking showers and windy conditions, coastal alerts in effect.
☀️ Day: High of 83°F | Partial sunshine with a couple of soaking showers, windy.
🌙 Night: Low of 72°F | Mostly cloudy with a passing shower late. 59% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:28 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 6:43 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 6:55 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 9:04 AM
🎶 Sounds like: “Rock Steady” — The Whispers
Ja'Min Devon
Founder, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: St. Lucie County haunted spots…
and their histories
Some of these are rooted in real history and real trauma. Over time the stories take on a life of their own and it is hard to separate what is fact from what is folklore. I am not here to tell you what to believe. Just sharing what is out there.
🎭 Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce — since 1923
One thing I actually learned while filming there: theaters traditionally leave a single light on the stage when everyone goes home at night. It is called a ghost light. The idea is it is left on so the spirits can see. That is a theater tradition, not just a Sunrise thing. But knowing this building has been here since 1923 makes it.. make sense. Also, people have (allegedly) reported shapes in windows and knocking inside the walls. Paranormal investigators say equipment batteries drain unexpectedly inside the building.
🏛️ P.P. Cobb Building, Fort Pierce — built 1882
This is the oldest building in Fort Pierce. I did not know that until I read up on it. With that kind of age comes a lot of history. A historical society volunteer reported being alone in the building when she heard someone call her name and felt a hand on her arm with nobody else there. She said it felt friendly, not frightening. Today it is home to Old Florida Coffee Co., which I recommend, among other tenants!
🏠 Historic Boston House, Fort Pierce — built 1909
At 239 S. Indian River Drive, the Boston House just reopened earlier this year as a restaurant and it is worth visiting. Over the years tenants have reported windows and doors opening on their own, unexplained smells and a general sense of a presence in the building.
⚰️ Old Fort Park, Fort Pierce — 901 South Indian River Drive
This one I had not heard much about before. The park sits on an Ais burial mound near the site of a fort from the Second Seminole War in the 1830s. Paranormal investigators have reported apparitions moving through the trees and visitors claiming to feel something touching them. The history alone makes this one worth knowing about.
🌳 The Devil’s Tree, Port St. Lucie
I saved this one for last because it carries the most weight. In Oak Hammock Park where Crosstown Parkway meets I-95 there is a tree that has decades of stories attached to it, some of which are connected to real tragedy and real loss. I want to be respectful of that. Local folklore holds that chainsaws and tools stop working near the tree. Visitors report cold chills. Whether the folklore is real or not, the history around this spot is, and that is worth acknowledging.
💬 Have you been to any of these spots? Any stories? Call or text us at 772-212-1504
📰 Press Round: Malls, Microtransit & Grocery Gaps
🛍️ Much of Indian River Mall Is Gone as New Construction Nears
Macy's and Sears have been demolished at the Indian River Mall in Vero Beach, and everything east of the food court is now gone. Mall owner DTS Properties plans five outdoor retail stores, including a Sprouts Farmers Market, along with a drive-through restaurant. The site will take on a modern, hybrid indoor-outdoor design.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription may be required)
🛒 Winn-Dixie Closure Is Hitting Indrio Crossings Businesses
Six months after Winn-Dixie closed at Indrio Crossings, shops in the plaza are feeling the drop in foot traffic. An AutoZone manager says the grocery store used to bring in customers who would stop at neighboring businesses while running errands. ALDI is taking over the space and is on track to open in early 2027.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🚐 MARTY May Shift Toward Microtransit
Martin County's transit administrator is weighing an on-demand microtransit service that could supplement or replace some MARTY bus routes. Several areas, including Jensen Beach, Palm City and Hutchinson Island, have no fixed routes. The county's per-passenger cost is the highest among the systems TCPalm reviewed, and officials say no new funding has been identified for new routes.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription may be required)
⚡ Meet AAPEX Electric, and the calendar they built for your home
We came bearing gifts! I live and die by my calendar, so I asked AAPEX Electric to turn their 35 years of electrical experience into monthly home reminders you can add to Google, iPhone, or Outlook.
Get The Home Electrical Calendar🎉 Weekdayer: October 26 - 30
Monday, October 26
🛶 Full Moon and Sunset Guided Kayak Excursion, Vero Beach. Starts 5:15PM. Details
Tuesday, October 27
🥞 Port St. Lucie Networking Breakfast, St. Lucie Chamber, The Saints Pub, 2601 SE Morningside Blvd, Port St. Lucie. 8:15AM to 9:15AM. $20. Details
Wednesday, October 28
🎸 Jukebox Legends Starring The NY Rockets, Lyric Theatre, 59 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart. 7PM, a Vegas style tribute to the music of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Details
👻 Once Upon A Nightmare, Sunrise Theatre Black Box, 117 S 2nd St, Fort Pierce. 6PM opening night, runs nightly through October 31. $10 per walk through or $35 for an all night pass. Fairy tale characters with a dark and deadly twist, in a building with documented ghost sightings. Mature audiences suggested. Details
Friday, October 30
💧 The Last Drop: Port St. Lucie Council Agenda
🏘️ Port St. Lucie rezones 150 acres south of Midway Road – Council considers a rezoning for land north of the city’s Glades Wastewater Treatment Plant, plus a 357-acre Wilson Grove rezoning off SW Becker Road. Agenda
🏪 Port St. Lucie weighs Riverland Arts & Culture Center site plan – Council will consider a major site plan amendment for the Riverland Arts & Culture Center. Agenda
🧱 Mobility Fee plan on Monday’s agenda – Council will consider adopting the 2050 Mobility Plan and updated Mobility Fee rules at second reading. Agenda
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