Steven Giordano’s Blueprint for a Thriving PSL Economy

Port Saint Lucie is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. The question isn’t whether we’ll grow, it’s whether that growth works for every family who calls PSL home.

Every morning, before most of Port Saint Lucie has poured their first cup of coffee, hundreds of thousands of our neighbors start their cars and drive away. Away from their families. Away from their community. Away from PSL.

That’s not a minor inconvenience. That’s a fundamental failure of economic opportunity, and it has a number attached to it. Sixty-one percent of Port Saint Lucie’s workforce commutes outside the city for work every single day. They live here. They pay property taxes here. They raise their children here. But their paychecks, their lunch breaks, and the better part of their waking hours go somewhere else.

As your next Mayor, I intend to change that.

“A great city doesn’t just give people a place to sleep, it gives them a place to thrive. Port Saint Lucie has everything it needs to do exactly that. What it needs is a Mayor with a plan to make it happen.”

The PSL Commuter Problem, And Why It Matters for You

Port Saint Lucie has been called one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the data backs it up. Our population has surged by more than 30% since 2020. Amazon, Cheney Brothers, Xcel International, and Oculus Surgical have all set up operations in our Southern Grove Jobs Corridor. The infrastructure is improving. The potential is undeniable.

And yet, the majority of working residents still wake up each morning and leave to earn their living somewhere else. That means billions of dollars in spending power flow out of Port Saint Lucie every day, money that could be circulating in our local restaurants, small businesses, and neighborhoods isn’t here.

The economic ripple effects of this daily exodus are real: our local shops lose customers, our tax base underperforms our population size, and our families spend two, three, sometimes four hours a day in traffic instead of at home. The city of PSL has a talented, driven, skilled workforce. What it needs is a Mayor who will fight to bring the jobs to them.

Giordano’s Economic Plan for Port Saint Lucie

My approach to growing the PSL economy is built on four concrete priorities. These aren’t campaign slogans, they are actionable commitments I will pursue from the first day I take office.

• 1. Maximize the Southern Grove Jobs Corridor. The city has already invested in this 1,200-acre stretch along I-95, and early results are promising. As Mayor, I will work aggressively with the St. Lucie County Economic Development Council to recruit high-wage employers, in healthcare, technology, advanced manufacturing, and logistics, to fill this corridor with good jobs that PSL residents can reach without a two-hour commute. Strategic location between Miami and Orlando is our competitive advantage. Let’s use it.
• 2. Cut red tape for small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of any healthy local economy, and right now too many PSL entrepreneurs face unnecessary bureaucratic friction when trying to open or expand. I will streamline the permitting process, reduce wait times, and create a dedicated small business liaison in the Mayor’s office, someone whose job is to say “yes” and help local businesses get off the ground faster.
• 3. Connect residents to local workforce training. The fastest-growing industries in PSL, healthcare, construction, and technology, all need skilled workers. But too many of our residents lack access to the training that would qualify them for those jobs right here at home. I will partner with Indian River State College and local employers to expand workforce training pipelines, so that when new companies arrive in PSL, the first people they hire are PSL residents.
• 4. Attract a true downtown anchor. Port Saint Lucie was originally built as a residential community; there was never a traditional downtown. That’s changing, and I want to accelerate it. A vibrant downtown core, with dining, retail, events, and professional services, doesn’t just improve quality of life, it creates local jobs, drives foot traffic to small businesses, and makes PSL a place people want to visit, invest in, and stay.

Good Jobs, Built Here. For Every PSL Family

I want to be clear about what economic growth means to me. It’s not about attracting corporate headquarters for their own sake. It’s not about building skylines or chasing vanity projects. It is about making it possible for a nurse, a construction worker, a teacher, or a small business owner in Port Saint Lucie to earn a good living without leaving the community they love.

PSL’s median household income sits at around $78,000. Our homeownership rate is 84%. These are signs of a stable, proud, working community. My economic agenda is designed to protect and build on that foundation, not disrupt it.

As a licensed Florida Realtor and someone who has worked and lived in this community since 1989, I understand the connection between economic health and neighborhood quality. When local businesses thrive, streets feel alive. When residents earn well without a brutal commute, families are stronger. When young people see a future in their own backyard, they stay and build here.

“Port Saint Lucie doesn’t need to borrow anyone else’s vision for growth. We have the land, the location, the workforce, and the momentum. What we need is the leadership to bring it all together.”

Why Economic Leadership Starts at the Mayor’s Office

Some will ask: what can a mayor actually do about jobs and the economy? The answer is: quite a lot. The Mayor of Port Saint Lucie sets the tone for how the city engages with businesses and investors. The Mayor negotiates, advocates, approves, and prioritizes. The Mayor decides whether a new employer’s calls get returned in two days or two months.

I’ve spent nearly 17 years in public service, and I’ve seen what results-driven leadership looks like up close. I’ve also seen what happens when city hall is slow, bureaucratic, or indifferent to the needs of working residents and small business owners. Port Saint Lucie deserves better. Our workers, our business owners, and our families deserve a Mayor who gets up every morning with one clear mission: make this city work for the people who live in it.

On Election Day, you have a choice. You can vote for more of the same, or you can vote for a plan. I’m asking for your vote, your trust, and the privilege of serving as the next Mayor of Port Saint Lucie.

Together, let’s build the PSL economy our families have always deserved.