🌅 🏗️ The Grove Breaks Ground

It’s Friday! and quick note about the events list.

I know sometimes the events lists are super super long and depending on where you're reading the newsletter, sometimes you have to hit the little "see more" button at the bottom to see all the events. But you can always visit the website via this link to read the full events list as well.

I know some people said they missed the event that was over at clover Park, but I actually did add it in. It's just in the last section under the social events going on. So just a heads up!

Also, I missed adding First United Methodist Church's Trunk or Treat (October 25th, 5-8pm at 260 SW Prima Vista Blvd, Port St Lucie) to yesterday's list, so if you're looking for something to do this weekend, check that out!

📝 Take this week's quiz and see how well you've been keeping up with the news. Test your knowledge here!

👁️ Caught my eye: Is it legal to park in front of someone's house in Florida? Yes. You can't block driveways, but you can park in front of someone's home.

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Alright, let's jump right in!

☀️ Day: High of 83°F | Sunshine and clouds mixed. 13% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 74°F | Some clouds. Winds ENE at 10-15 mph. 13% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:27 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 6:43 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 10:15 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 8:35 PM
🎶 Sounds like: "Easy" — The Commodores

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What's going on: Port St. Lucie broke ground on The Grove, a $15 million entertainment hub next to Pioneer Park in The Port District. The public-private partnership with SŪDĀ Investments will feature seven venues with dining, rooftop spaces, and family-friendly entertainment.

By the numbers:

Started from the Bottom: Residents have been asking for entertainment options close to home for years. "We travel outside of Port St. Lucie to go find fun things to do so this will keep money down here, revenue down here, and keep us down here too," resident Jonathan Loyd said.

Resident Shantel Luke put it this way: "I have seen Port St. Lucie change quite a bit. It is becoming more geared towards families which is nicer because there really wasn't a lot for young families to do in the area."

Mayor Shannon Martin said bringing entertainment dollars local is good for the economy. "Bringing that economic impact, bringing those dollars right here into Port St. Lucie is really great for our local economy."

The timing: City leaders broke ground on The Grove less than two weeks after announcing plans for a soccer stadium nearby at Walton & One. Between the stadium announcement and now The Grove moving forward, some residents are getting cautious about the pace of growth.

Too Much Too Fast? Some residents worry about parking and traffic once The Grove opens. "The parking lot right now is already full," said resident Gemini Soto. "There's zero, zero parking at all. Where are we going to put those people?"

Martin said the city planned ahead for these concerns. "Everything has been set and planned according to all of our planning standards, according to all the traffic analyses and it's not like we're going to have swarms of hundreds and hundreds or thousands of people at a time."

What's coming: The Grove will offer everything from rooftop dining to casual eateries. The vacant lot next to Pioneer Park is expected to transform into a space for dining, entertainment and community connection by early next year.

The bigger picture: This is the latest piece of PSL’s development, which includes the MidFlorida Event Center and the planned soccer stadium. Port St. Lucie is rapidly building out entertainment infrastructure to serve its growing population. The question is whether residents embrace the growth or worry it's happening too fast.

Your take: Is Port St. Lucie growing too fast, or is this the entertainment infrastructure the city needs? Will parking be adequate? Share your thoughts here.

Airport Director Todd Scher updated City Council on terminal renovations and parking plans as Breeze, JetBlue, and American prepare to serve Vero Beach, with Phase 1 work targeting completion by late December or early January. The city is converting Lot A into 54 employee-only spaces to free up short-term parking and negotiating with a private party to lease land for paid parking, though the badly needed Lot C paving project got pushed to May or June 2026 after design changes increased both capacity and cost.

👉 Read more

City Manager Richard Chess received unanimous praise from commissioners at his October 20th performance evaluation, with even former skeptic Michael Broderick admitting "in hindsight, I was wrong" about voting against his hire. Mayor Linda Hudson commended Chess for his "comprehensive command" of city operations and ethical leadership, while commissioners highlighted his willingness to identify and tackle problems systematically despite being "thrown right into the deep end."

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The school board approved changes to the grading policy that eliminate the 50% floor and allow zeros for incomplete work, with missing assignments receiving a "Z" during the makeup period before converting to zero. Student Lucas Hall says "it's better if students receive a zero instead of a 50" because it shows consequences, while parent Paul Drainville supports the change saying when he was a kid incomplete work meant "you're going to get an F, you're going to get a zero."

👉 Read more

If you have an event, send it to me here

I've been running into some hand readers all week, and I love this because it really reminds me why I started this in the first place, why I should keep going, and who I'm writing this for, who it's for. The best thing I can do is be at service to the people who read this, and this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but it's also the most rewarding thing. I'm working for the world. I appreciate every single person who reads this newsletter, and I can't thank you enough. I'm probably never going to stop saying that, so get used to it!

See you Monday!
With Love, Ja’Min

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