The King’s Landing project will likely get a new developer, according to emails obtained by WPTV through a public records request.
Records show Alabama-based Harbert Realty Services entered into an agreement with Audubon Development to become the lead development company for the revitalization of the former HD King power plant.
“Audubon and Harbert have agreed to the terms set forth in the agreement sent to you last week,” Lainey Francisco, an attorney for Audubon Developers, said on August 2.
The Fort Pierce City Commission must still approve the change at a future commission meeting, but their approval will likely save one of the city’s largest development projects from the brink.
Kaitlyn Ballard, a city spokeswoman, said there was no comment on the King’s Landing project.
“We will be better informed after the Commission meeting on Monday, August 12, 2024, when future actions will be discussed,” she said in an email statement. “We remain excited about the potential of this project and look forward to the discussions ahead.”
According to emails, Harbert entered into an agreement with hotel franchisee Mainsail Lodging and Development. Those documents also show that Harbert’s vice president, Bill Ware, scheduled meetings with every city commissioner, including Mayor Linda Hudson and members of city staff.
Documents uncovered by WPTV’s Ethan Stein show that Harbert Realty Services and Audubon Development will form a new company in which Harbert Realty Services will have majority decision-making power.
According to the agreement, the project will also include 106 condominiums, a 170-space parking garage, a hotel with approximately 140 rooms and approximately 4,600 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
WATCH: A look at the development of King’s Landing
Model of the development of King’s Landing
Neither a representative for Audubon Development nor Harbert Realty Services responded to WPTV’s inquiries prior to publication.
Lucia Graham said she put down a deposit of about $2,500 to get one of the condos when the project was first proposed because she liked the project’s location near downtown and next to a marina. She said she was concerned when construction still hadn’t begun years later.
“We waited and waited, but nothing happened,” Graham said. “So we started sending little warning signals.”
She said it was frustrating due to a lack of communication and missed deadlines. She said she eventually requested a refund of her deposit, but the check from Audubon Development bounced.
“It’s also disheartening because I think this is a business,” Graham said. “It made me believe even more that I was being taken advantage of,”
She said she received a cashier’s check from Audubon Development in the mail on Tuesday. Graham is confident the new developer will complete the project.
“I’m cautiously optimistic, if you can put it that way,” she said. “I wonder if Brightline would have reconsidered its decision and moved to Fort Pierce if it had already been built.”
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