Port St. Lucie - Friday July 28, 2023: The City of Port St. Lucie is partnering with St. Lucie County Fire District to hold training exercises in the former Bealls Outlet retail building and Walton Road warehouse building before the buildings are torn down to make way for a modern replacement.
“It was determined that the costs would be too great to bring the former Bealls Outlet retail building and Walton Road warehouse building up to habitable standards, cumulatively upwards of $2 million,” said Jennifer Davis, Community Redevelopment Agency Director, City of Port St. Lucie. “Our city staff has been working toward the demotion of the buildings to provide a clean slate for development activities related to the revitalization of eastern Port St. Lucie.”
Before the demolition, St. Lucie County Fire District will use the buildings to run training exercises for their firefighters. The upcoming removal of the structures provides a perfect opportunity for the department to run search and rescue drills while navigating unfamiliar spaces in the dark and with the smoke present. Training will take place intermittently through the end of August and the buildings will be demolished soon thereafter.
“We are thankful for this partnership with the City of Port St. Lucie and the opportunity to conduct a live exercise,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Gonzalez, St. Lucie County Fire District. “Training exercises like this help condition our firefighters to think clearly, act calmly, and actively troubleshoot while safely and effectively performing rescues. That muscle memory and clear decision-making ability are important in the heat of the moment when every second counts.”
While passersby may see activity around the buildings and fire trucks and ambulances, it is purely for training purposes. Visitors are being asked to avoid the sidewalk and area surrounding area.
Background
The former Bealls Outlet retail building and Walton Road warehouse are slated for demolition to make way for new buildings that will replace the existing structures.
This work begins a major phase of construction in the City Center Master Plan, a phased project to replace and update aged structures near the MIDFLORIDA Event Center.