Vero Beach Waterfront Redevelopment Moves Into Another Critical Negotiation Window

The City of Vero Beach has granted another 30-day extension in negotiations over the redevelopment of the Three Corners property, a 38-acre city-owned site on the western end of the 17th Street Bridge.

The city is negotiating with Clear Blue LLC, a partnership between Madison Marquette and Clearpath Services, over a master development agreement that will establish the responsibilities, timelines and long-term obligations of both the city and the development team.

Clear Blue entered the formal negotiation period after providing a $50,000 good-faith deposit in March. Since then, the two sides have been working through the terms of the proposed agreement, including regular meetings and revisions to the development contract. The latest extension was approved after city staff delivered another round of proposed changes for the developer to review.

City officials have indicated that they want the negotiations to move forward carefully but without allowing the process to drag on indefinitely. The Three Corners redevelopment has already been years in the making, beginning with public planning efforts in 2019 and progressing through multiple development proposals and selection processes. Vero Beach voters approved commercial development of the property through a referendum in 2020.

The property includes the former municipal power plant site along the Indian River Lagoon as well as the city’s operating sewer plant, which is expected to be demolished in 2028. Under the proposed structure, Vero Beach would retain ownership of the land and lease the property to the developer under a long-term agreement.

Once the master development agreement is finalized, it will require City Council approval before Clear Blue can move into detailed design, permitting and pre-construction work.

What ultimately rises on the waterfront could become one of the most significant redevelopment projects in Vero Beach in decades — and the current negotiations will determine whether the city and developer can move that vision from planning into execution.