Testing whether a new convention and events center anchored to Indian River State College can pencil out — and what it would mean for St. Lucie County.
Capital Group engaged BusinessFlare®, working alongside national general contractor Hensel Phelps, to test the economic and financial feasibility of a convention and events center tied to Indian River State College in St. Lucie County, Florida.
The question was practical: could a facility that serves the college's academic and community mission also stand on its own as a regional venue — drawing conferences, events, and visitors to the Treasure Coast — and be delivered on a sound financial footing?
BusinessFlare® paired finance-capacity research with direct engagement of IRSC administration to frame a convention center that works on two levels at once — as a campus and community asset for the college, and as a regional draw that keeps event spending and visitors on the Treasure Coast rather than exporting them to larger metros.
How a college-anchored convention center was scoped, tested for feasibility, and framed for regional economic impact.
The core idea is to anchor a convention and events facility to Indian River State College — letting a single building serve the college's programs and community while functioning as a bookable regional venue.
St. Lucie County sits within the Treasure Coast, a growing Florida market that currently sends much of its conference and event demand to larger metros. A local, right-sized venue aims to capture more of that activity close to home.
BusinessFlare® conducted finance-capacity research to assess how a facility of this type could realistically be funded and sustained — the discipline that separates an aspirational venue from a deliverable one.
Feasibility work was grounded in direct meetings with IRSC administration, aligning the concept with the institution's mission, priorities, and appetite before advancing costs and design.
Beyond the balance sheet, a college-anchored convention center is framed as a community asset — a place for events, workforce and educational programming, and a driver of local visitor spending and jobs.