Epic Misunderstanding & RSVP for Let's Talk Vero
- Irina Woelfle, Let's Talk Vero
- Feb 3
- 3 min read
Hello all,
Many of you have reached out asking about rumors circulating online regarding a so-called "Epic City" development that packed the recent planning and zoning meeting. The confusion stemmed from mixing up two organizations with similar names; the East Plano Islamic Center and another entity, Epic Estates, leading to false claims that the County was approving a massive new religious community on agriculturally zoned land.
We caught up with County Commissioner Laura Moss, who had a simple but crucial reminder: Never rely on social media as your source for trusted County or planning information. The only place to get verified facts is www.indianriver.gov. By now, you may have already understood this is misinformation, but we wanted to reinforce it here.
OSLO WORKSHOPS
Speaking of planning and zoning, Indian River County is hosting three public workshops this month on the future of the Oslo Corridor. These are interactive sessions where residents can share ideas and priorities that will help guide strategic recommendations for county leadership.
The workshops are scheduled for:
Wednesday, February 11 at North Indian River County Library (11am-12:30pm or 6pm-7:30pm)
Monday, February 16 at Indian River County Commissioner Chambers (11am-12:30pm or 6pm-7:30pm)
Wednesday, February 18 at Intergenerational Recreation Center (11am-12:30pm or 6pm-7:30pm)
More information on these workshops can be found here.
Let’s Talk Vero Arts & Culture — Feb 11
The next Let's Talk Vero is moving from the Waxlax to Riverside Theatre's Stark Stage to accommodate growing interest.
Rochelle Wolberg (McKee Botanical Garden), Brady Roberts (Vero Beach Museum of Art), and Jon R. Moses (Riverside Theatre) join moderator Baerbel O'Haire to discuss how these three cultural pillars evolved from local vision to national acclaim—and what's ahead for the 2026–27 season.
In a city of just 17,000, these institutions deliver arts and culture programming on par with cities of several million and give us our outsized quality of life.
As usual, the evening begins at 5 with complimentary light bites and cash bar; the program begins at 5:30 and concludes promptly at 7 pm.
RSVP is required.
Rochelle Wolberg
McKee Botanical Garden
Brady Roberts
Vero Beach Museum of Art
Jon R. Moses
Riverside Theatre
THREE CORNERS AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL PROJECTS UPDATE
Things are moving along with Three Corners, with a signed letter of intent in hand with negotiations moving forward soon. More as we know it.
Meantime, thanks to Council Member Aaron Vos for this comprehensive update on current projects underway:
Between 2025 and 2030, the City of Vero Beach will undertake more than $740 million in major public and private investment devoted to strengthening community life, protecting the environment, and ensuring responsible long-term stewardship of local assets. These efforts reflect a normal maintenance and improvement cycle designed to position the city for the future.
A cornerstone of this work is a $498 million public-private partnership (PPP) portfolio that fuels tourism, drives economic activity, and enhances quality of life across the city and county. A public-private partnership is a cooperative arrangement between government and the private sector to finance, design, build, and operate projects that deliver public benefit. By sharing costs and expertise, these partnerships accelerate project timelines, reduce public sector risk, and strengthen community outcomes through private innovation and investment.
In Vero Beach, this collaborative model includes landmark projects totaling approximately $500 million, such as the Three Corners Development, the Riverside Theatre expansion, the Vero Beach Museum of Art renovation, and the Airport, Marriott Hotel.
Complementing these initiatives, the City’s Enterprise Fund investments—totaling $234 million—focus on environmental resilience and infrastructure modernization. Major undertakings include the One Water Reclamation Facility ($164M), Marina Improvements ($25M), and Airport upgrades ($45M). Additional municipal projects—nearly $19 million in value—will enhance civic and recreational amenities such as Humiston Park, Downtown lighting and streetscape upgrades, and the John’s Island Pipeline, which will improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff into the Indian River Lagoon.
While proposed property tax reductions under consideration in the Florida House could affect municipal revenues for essential services, the City is proactively exploring offset strategies, which will be discussed at an upcoming workshop special call meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 17 at 1:30 pm.
Upcoming Official Meetings Vero Beach City Council (City Hall, 1053 20th Place)
Indian River County Commission (Commission Chambers, 1801 27th St)
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