Construction begins on Dragonfly Commerce Park

The commerce park will feature move-in-ready suites and build-to-suit spaces. SLCEDC

The commerce park will feature move-in-ready suites and build-to-suit spaces. SLCEDC

Four new buildings will add over 400,000 square feet of commercial real estate

PORT ST. LUCIE — A Miami-based investment group has started construction of a four-building commerce park that will add more than 407,000 square feet of research, development and office space.

The Dragonfly Commerce Park will offer four divisible, rear-load buildings totaling 407,099 square feet, with tilt-up construction, electrical service for manufacturing and life sciences tenants, and 180-foot-deep truck courts. The multi-tenant industrial development is located on Tom Mackie Boulevard in the Tradition Center for Commerce. It is being built by Dragonfly Investments, a real estate and investment group based in Miami. The first tenants will be able to move in by this summer.

“Dragonfly Commerce Park was created to fill an unmet demand for high-quality, Class A facilities for tenants needing 12,000 to 24,000 square feet of space,’’ said Ted Konigsberg, president of Infinity Commercial Real Estate and broker for the park. “I don’t think there is anything like it in the county. We are not just putting up shell buildings; we are delivering move-in-ready suites at 18,000 and 24,000 square feet in two of our buildings and offering true build-to-suit spaces in the other buildings. We can accommodate tenants up to 127,000 square feet and are delivering spaces this summer.’’

Port St. Lucie Councilwoman Stephanie Morgan likes the project’s appeal to smaller businesses. “In the last three or four years, we’ve seen some of the biggest companies in the world — like Amazon, Costco, and FedEx — find their way to our city and that is fantastic. But I’m a small-business person and it really excites me to see space being constructed that can become home base for smaller businesses as well,” she said.

“This development will bring high-paying jobs in manufacturing, life sciences, and other key industries to the area,” said Pete Tesch, president of the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County [EDC]. “The EDC is working closely with Dragonfly Investments to attract businesses that align with the community’s vision for long-term growth, and I know they’ll have great success with this project. The demand for these spaces is already evident.”

The first tenant to lease space in Dragonfly Commerce Park is Florida Forklift. “John Gehrhardt, president of Florida Forklift, told me he simply couldn’t find another project like ours in the area, after searching for a year,” said Konigsberg.

In addition to the commerce park, Dragonfly Investments has also developed Dragonfly Educational Park and retail properties at City Fountain Center in Port St. Lucie.