St. Lucie County is actively sowing the seeds of the future by creating a Research, Education, and Development Park in Fort Pierce, Florida. It currently comprises 356 acres, with future additions expected to bring the total acreage to more than 1,000 acres.

The St. Lucie Board of County Commissioners and the University of Florida collectively created this agriculturally and biotechnologically focused Research Park on Florida’s east coast. The county established the Treasure Coast Education and Research Development Authority, comprising local agricultural experts, real estate investors, financial advisors, and educators, to assist in managing and developing the park.

The Research and Biotech Park is anchored by the USDA’s 170,000-square-foot Horticultural Research Laboratory and the 90,000-square-foot University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Research and Education Center. The Treasure Coast Research Park is home to more than 200 multi-disciplinary researchers, scientists, educators, and staff.

The Sunshine Kitchen, a 10,000-square-foot facility located inside the Research Park, is a professionally equipped, commercial kitchen and research lab designed to help entrepreneurs in the development of commercially viable food ventures.

With over three square miles of land, the park is planned for 3.3 million square feet of research and advanced manufacturing development and 800 acres of agricultural test fields. Since its formation in 2005, the Treasure Coast Education and Research & Development Authority (TCERDA) has guided the planning and operation of the Park.

In recent years, the county has invested millions in state and federal grants to make sure the park has the infrastructure it needs to be shovel-ready for expansion. The Research Park is located off Kings Highway and Pruitt Road in Fort Pierce.

For more information, contact the TCERDA-Sunshine Kitchen Manager, Regina McCants, at 772-467-3107 or regina.mccants@stlucieco.gov.