Local dignitaries and business leaders broke ground Oct. 23 on The Grove, a long-awaited $15 million restaurant expansion to the Port District along Westmoreland Boulevard.
Approximately 60 dignitaries including the Port St. Lucie City Council, St. Lucie County Commissioners and primary financier SuDa Investments attended the morning ceremony to usher in the latest riverfront amenity near Port St. Lucie Boulevard.
Much of the investment behind the Grove is attached to companies led by Guarav Butani, a Miami-based real estate executive. He has founded several companies, including SuDa, that will fund the Grove through a “landmark Public-Private Partnership,” in effect since January 2023, an Oct. 23 city release said.
The return of shovels to the Port District came a month later than construction on the Grove was due to begin, city records show. In addition, the Grove’s budget now totals more than double the approximate $7 million it was once budgeted for, due to federal tariffs enacted since January.
Nonetheless, the city will forge ahead with investments from SuDa to open by February 2027, according to the Port St. Lucie website.
“Mr. Butani has pledged to make sure that everything is built on time and on his budget,” Mayor Shannon Martin said after the groundbreaking ceremony. “It’s important to note that there are no taxpayer dollars going into this project. Mr. Butani has a land lease with the city and, so, it’s his responsibility – his team’s responsibility – for paying for all of that.”
The city intends to have the Grove serve as one of many “spaces that truly nourish us (and) speak across generations,” upon its opening, Butani said at the podium.
The Grove – which has alternatively been called “Dining Docks” by the city and the “River Food Garden Project” by SuDa – promises to be an innovative, sustainable dining experience.
“The Grove will feature an eclectic mix of distinctive dining experiences and bars with food offerings that blend casual charm with upscale flair, all in a lush garden-like setting,” wrote city spokesperson Scott Samples in an email Monday.
To that end, SuDa tapped the Atlas Restaurant Group, a Baltimore-based hospitality firm. According to their website, Atlas manages over 50 unique restaurants – many of them specializing in seafood – between the Chesapeake Bay area, Philadelphia and Houston.
The site will welcome five restaurants in the first phase of its construction, according to the city website. They include:
• Salt River, “a coastal-inspired dining experience” with rooftop access.
• Italian Disco, a pizzeria “infusing old-school flavor and modern energy.”
• Kannon, a Japanese cuisine center featuring sushi and bento boxes.
• The Grove Bar, with craft beer and cocktails.
• The “Tequi” Bar, a tiki bar with “artisan, tropical drinks.”
Plans also exist for a “Mediterranean” restaurant to be built in a second phase.
The Grove is expected to “generate approximately 200 jobs and welcome approximately 400,000 visitors annually,” the Oct. 23 city release said.
Construction there will remove more aging plumbing intended for abortive developments planned before the Port District’s buildout, according to Samples.
Builders will dig up approximately 85 feet of 8-inch-wide sewer mains; 60 feet of 6-inch-wide water mains; one fire hydrant; one water service; one sewer service; and one manhole. In its stead, the Grove will use a gravity sewer “going to an existing onsite wastewater pump station,” Samples added. It will also incorporate 2,750 gallons of exterior grease interceptors to manage culinary waste.
Since its June 2024 grand opening, the Port District has housed the Pioneer Park playground; Historic Homes museums; and Event Lawn bordering the city Botanical Gardens. It emerged from a construction cycle that saw several delays and budget overages since its August 2022 groundbreaking, city records show.
“Just over a year ago, this area opened to the public as a place where families could explore, play and enjoy the St. Lucie River,” Martin said. “Since Pioneer Park opened in June 2024 – just 16 months ago – it has welcomed more than 480,000 visitors.”
The Port District now stands as one of two “destination points” bookending Veterans Memorial Parkway along the east side of Port St. Lucie, Martin said. The Grove’s construction runs parallel to that of an $80 million soccer stadium at the Walton & One City Center due to open 2027, city records show.
“Some of the concern that our residents have had is that there’s so much happening on the west side,” Martin said, referring to developments between St. Lucie West, Tradition and the Southern Grove Jobs Corridor likely shadowing those closer to U.S. 1. “We paid close attention to that over the years and we want to make sure that we are building those destination points.”
The Port District will also welcome a 13-acre Preserve directly south of its extant amenities expected to open in the first quarter of 2026, Samples wrote.
The Preserve’s buildout began in August for a total of $971,531, according to Samples. The city paid for it through their Capital Improvement Fund in addition to a $400,000 Florida Inland Navigation District grant.
“To protect the surrounding environment, the design incorporates elevated wooden boardwalks and other low-impact construction methods that allow visitors to experience the area without disturbing sensitive habitats,” Samples wrote. “The project uses existing parking facilities at Pioneer Park and the Botanical Gardens to minimize new impervious surfaces and maintain harmony between the natural setting and nearby public spaces.”
Representatives from Atlas and SuDa did not respond to requests for comment by press time.