Tradition in spotlight during Romney's Port St. Lucie visit

Photo by Alex Boerner, Treasure Coast Newspapers

FILE PHOTO More than 13,000 people were in Tradition Square last Sunday to get a glimpse of Mitt Romney during his campaign stop.

PORT ST. LUCIE A slice of Americana is what presidential candidate Mitt Romney's camp was looking for when it chose Tradition as one of its stumping grounds this month, according to a spokeswoman for the 2,416-home planned community.

Tradition's "good old America" feel, with its decorative gazebos, brick roads and tranquil lakes, is finally getting the positive recognition it deserves, said Jane Rowley, who manages outdoor events for the 8,200-acre community west of Interstate 95.

On Oct. 7, more than 13,000 people flooded Tradition Square, the heart of a community with nine neighborhoods, two shopping centers and a research hub. Rowley said it's not a common sight, but it was good to see the 9-year-old space attract more people than the outdoor concerts typically held there.

Rowley and some business owners said the Romney event could put Tradition and its shopping centers on the map, and that's good news given its beleaguered past since selling its first of 6,945 planned houses in 2003.

In 2008, imported Chinese drywall plagued Tradition homeowners and renters who filed a class-action lawsuit over health-related issues they blamed on inhaling sulfuric gases. In 2011, the crippled economy stalled construction, causing PSL Acquisitions to foreclose on Tradition's developer, Core Communities, leaving scores of homes unbuilt. And last month, Digital Domain Media Group shuttered its Tradition Studios, laying off 346 workers.

Those events have left many in the area, like business owner John Vernaglia, saying "How much can everyone take?"

Vernaglia, who owns Johnny V's Pizza Trattoria in Tradition Square, said the Romney rally gave business owners the positive buzz they needed. He called the rally "fantastic" and said it was nice to have something positive happen in Tradition for a change.

Rowley, who manages regular weekend events that typically attract about 2,500 Treasure Coast residents, worked with Romney's logistics team to stage the event.

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Tradition in spotlight during Romney's Port St. Lucie visit