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Planet Fitness has grand opening and Starbucks, T-Mobile under construction in Fort Pierce

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Planet Fitness has grand opening and Starbucks, T-Mobile under construction in Fort Pierce

The Gateway Plaza renovation continues on U.S. 1 and Virginia Avenue.

Construction continues at the soon-to-be-renovated Gateway Plaza.

New businesses are opening as new buildings are rising at the former Kmart plaza at the corner of U.S. 1 and Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce. The plaza’s developer, Time Equities Inc., declined to comment via Quinn PR.

Planet Fitness, which opened March 12, will have a grand opening party from 4-6 p.m. April 18 that will include a raffle, free membership offers, day passes and coupons, giveaways and prizes, a donation presentation, and vendors that include Celsius, Little Caesars and Heathcote Botanical Gardens.

A new 4,500-square-foot building is being constructed south of the former Burger King building that will be divided into two units for Starbucks and T-Mobile, according to previous reports.

An empty former boatyard on the northern end of the 14.2-acre property is being cleared for construction of a new 4,000-square-foot retail bank with a drive-thru for TD Bank. The former boatyard has room for up to three buildings.

Other businesses previously reported to have committed so far and expected to open by the end of the year include: Burlington, Ross Dress for Less, Bravo Supermarkets, Five Below, dd’s Discounts and America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses.

The revamping includes renovating each unit, replacing the roof and resurfacing the parking lot. Construction has two phases: demolition and buildout.

The property doesn’t include the closed adult arcade in the former Payless building, the closed Burger King, the Seacoast Bank or the PNC Bank. However, the Wawa gas station that opened in 2021 is part of the property.

The plaza was built in 1969 and expanded in 1982 and again in 1983. It was anchored by an 88,732-square-foot Kmart that opened in 1976 and closed in 2017. It also was home to a Winn-Dixie grocery store that closed in 2013.

Since then, most businesses have left. Only a few remain, including a Family Dollar and Little Caesars. It will be up to existing business to renew their leases when necessary because the cost will increase after the renovations.

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm’s entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

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