STUART — A Miami businessman may spend more than $120 million to bring three more luxury car dealerships and more than 250 apartments to a stretch of U.S. 1. The strip already has eight dealerships nearby.
Mario Murgado — who owns the Audi, Maserati, Infinity and Alpha Romeo dealerships in Stuart ― has submitted plans to the city for three more dealerships along U.S. 1 between Indian and Pomeroy streets, just east of Willoughby Golf Club. The apartments would be behind the dealerships.
Murgado also owns automotive dealerships elsewhere in Florida and in Illinois, Virginia and New Jersey.
Idea for expansion
People in Stuart should be able to buy luxury cars locally and not have to drive to Palm Beach County or Melbourne, Murgado said. He said his company opened Audi Stuart and Infiniti Stuart in 2013 and Alfa Romeo Stuart and Maserati Stuart in 2020.
Nondisclosure agreements keep him from identifying the brands, Murgado said. But they will be at the “luxury level or above,” he said.
Proposal for housing
Murgado’s plan calls for 268 apartments on the west side of the project, abutting Willoughby Golf Club. Three four-story buildings would comprise part of Phase I. Murgado also wants three one-story commercial buildings, totaling 20,100 square feet, a car wash and a clubhouse along U.S. 1.
The commercial buildings may include a restaurant, he said.
Apartments would include one-, two- and three-bedroom units, hopefully where his employees could live.
The project is set to go before the Local Planning Agency Thursday, but Murgado has asked for a delay until March 14.
For her part, Mayor Becky Bruner said parking will be a critical factor for the project.
“It’s really important now if they build to have enough parking,” she said. “We need the parking.”
Golf club’s concerns
Also important, Bruner said, will be the communication with residents of Willoughby Golf Club. They already have concerns, said club General Manager Michelle Reilly.
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“This (proposal) is taller and closer” than a previous proposal that did not include housing, Reilly said. Residents may be affected by noise and lights, she said.
The golf club is about to begin a $5 million renovation and wants to be sure nothing impacts the club negatively, she said.
Murgado’s said the proposed project has a “huge buffer” that will maintain the privacy of golf club and apartment residents alike.
“I think we’ve been a great neighbor for the community,” Murgado said.
Entry to the apartments and the new dealerships would be from U.S. 1, according to plans.
Keith Burbank is TCPalm’s watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882.