PORT ST. LUCIE — The first Tesla store and service center on the Treasure Coast may soon be coming to the Southern Grove area of Tradition, along SW Becker Road just west of Interstate 95.
A major site plan for the building was unanimously approved, without discussion, by the City Council Dec. 8.
“We’re excited to welcome Tesla to Port St. Lucie as the first dealership of its kind on the Treasure Coast,” Mayor Shannon Martin later said in a statement. “This new addition not only gives our residents access to a popular product, but it also brings valuable job opportunities and economic growth to our area.”
The 6-acre property does not yet have an address but is south of the Southern Grove jobs corridor. It currently is owned by Mattamy Palm Beach LLC, the master developer of the Tradition master-planned community, according to the St. Lucie County property appraiser.
However, Tesla, along with some other electric car companies such as Rivian, has a policy of always owning its own stores. That is in contrast to the traditional dealership model most car companies historically have followed, which uses franchisees.
If built, the Port St. Lucie store and service center would the first on the Treasure Coast. The nearest stores and service centers are in West Palm Beach and Merritt Island.
According to the site plan the City Council approved, the location here would include a 35,325-square-foot commercial building with 96 parking spaces. The building would be 27 feet tall, according to plans.
Representatives for Tesla and Mattamy did not respond to requests for comment on when construction might begin or when the store and service center would open.
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm’s Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Tesla eyes Port St. Lucie for Treasure Coast store, service center
Reporting by Wicker Perlis, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
