Residents, businesses urge commission to give King's Landing final chance

Public commenters at the Fort Pierce meeting urged commissioners to allow Live Oak time to secure financing instead of terminating the development agreement, arguing that cutting ties now risks years of litigation and a vacant waterfront site.

"We have waited so long for this to happen... Fort Pierce is a wonderful place but it really could use a nice hotel downtown," said Charlie Hayek, who also told the commission that the developer spent about $1,500,000 to remove debris and prepare the site. Real‑estate broker Brooke Harris cited an independent study by the St. Lucie Economic Development Council estimating more than $20,000,000 in economic activity in the hotel's first year and growth to more than $120,000,000 within five years.

Builders and sales representatives said uncertainty about the hotel undercuts buyer confidence: Reiner Richter of IMB Homes said the villas construction is about 50% complete and that prospective buyers need assurance the hotel and other amenities will follow. Several speakers urged the commission to set a firm deadline and require regular written updates rather than immediately terminating the agreement.