Baerbel O'Haire

Supporting the downtown improvement referendum is an investment in our community's future. Revitalizing our downtown area will boost local businesses, create jobs, and enhance the quality of life for all residents. Let's come together to build a vibrant, thriving heart of our hometown.

Barbara Ruddy

Forty years ago during my work at the World Bank I came up with a phrase that fits perfectly today in Vero Beach.  That is, “Go to the source, do it once, get it right, and get on with it!” Vero’s City Council, with the help of Andres Duany, set the stage for jump starting downtown redevelopment and vibrancy.  I am certain TP Kennedy and colleagues will lead this very diverse community named Vero Beach to a YES VOTE for both referendums November 5th!  The time is right and it is time to get it done!  Let’s GO FOR GOLD!

Bob Stanley

Historic Downtown Vero Beach is buzzing with new energy. Now's the time to take that momentum and turn our city core into a thriving, vibrant hub. A dynamic city center is the heartbeat of any community, and with all the recent activity, Vero Beach is ready to level up. Let's seize this moment and make it happen!

Chris Baker and Peter Moor

Andres Duany & DPZ CoDesign wrote the playbook on creating vibrant downtowns rooted in charm and human scale.  Thank you to the City for bringing them on board to help lay the groundwork for future generations.

Mario Corbiciero

What an exciting opportunity we have before us! We can be revered by future generations as the pioneers with vision and innovation who broke ground and fostered in the growth and prosperity of our great city or the ones who blew it.

Brandy Buckner

As a native of Vero Beach and a former business owner on 14th Avenue, I have witnessed firsthand the potential our downtown holds. The proposed density changes are a crucial step in unlocking that potential, making Vero Beach a vibrant, thriving community for both current residents and future generations. I fully support this initiative and am excited to see our town grow and prosper.

Christine Pokorney

I am thrilled to see the community working together to revitalize  downtown Vero. It is a critical investment in Vero’s future - both for quality of life and a thriving local economy. Change and growth are inevitable. We need to focus on Downtown to mitigate the sprawl we see out west in town. Downtown should be inclusive for all ages and incomes. This does not happen by accident and must be planned and designed for. The stage has been set beautifully with DPZ CoDesign. Let’s do our part, work smart and vote yes to the downtown improvement referendum!

Conor O'Haire

A revitalized downtown is crucial for young people like me to not only come back to Vero, but to stay back! The next generation needs a place with activity, and this opportunity to create it downtown has the power to impact Vero Beach positively for generations to come, securing its future as an idyllic beach town where young families can feel comfortable and confident to grow. 

Cynthia Flaig

By approving this referendum, we have the opportunity to turn our downtown into a vibrant, walkable community where neighbors can easily connect, enjoy local businesses, and relax in beautiful green spaces. I’m eager to see these changes bring us closer together and enrich our daily lives. Let’s make it happen!

Debra Anne Atwell

Never before has Vero been this motivated or this well advised - now is Main Street’s  moment to shine.

Deb Kershaw

This is an exciting moment for our city. The prospect of a bustling, dynamic downtown welcoming a diverse community of residents and patrons to enjoy cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and culture will infuse our local economy with new energy.

Heather Wassell

I'm excited to support the referendums for Downtown Vero! Living, working, and raising my family here makes me excited for the changes ahead. It's all about making our great city even better and keeping Vero’s bright young minds local!

Jerusha Stewart

Let’s think differently about density—it’s not just a metric, it’s a vital tool that can bring our community’s vision of a vibrant, evolving downtown to life. By intentionally using density, we can enhance Vero’s special quality of life. Through thoughtful development, we can keep Vero “Vero” while fostering growth that aligns with our shared values and sense of place.

Rose Gallo

Vero Beach downtown is a gem. The ideas Andres Duany has brought to our town add to the sparkle.

Saskia and Skip Fuller

We are excited to witness and be a part of a once in a lifetime opportunity to help steer a vision for our small downtown that serves not only us, but all generations to come. We envision a cohesive yet innovative and creative plan for our downtown that embraces and protects its old historic buildings, charming neighborhoods and green spaces that invite locals and visitors alike to walk and bike through our mainstreet and surrounding areas. We hope that new energy will flow into our downtown - a true diamond in the rough - and build strong bonds in our community. 

Susan and Rick Gromis

Sue and I are honored and excited to be back at the helm of Main Street, especially at a time when a lot of great things are happening Downtown.

Sydney O'Haire

All Veroites deserve a better, more lively downtown. Now is our chance to bring back the energy that Downtown Vero used to have. We have the momentum, and it’s time to see this through!

Vicky Gould

Passing this referendum will transform our downtown into a walkable haven where residents can easily access shops, restaurants, and green spaces on foot, fostering a stronger sense of community and well-being. I’m excited to see these plans in action.

Bethany and Mike Fortunato

This is an exciting opportunity to continue the process of the revitalization of our downtown. We have business owners who have made huge investments in the downtown in the past year such as 21st Amendment Distillery, Curfew, and Tuohy’s. And there will be many more with the passing of this referendum in that it will entice developers to invest in the existing structures and available lots in the walkable core of the downtown district to build them out with smaller apartments that would be affordable for young adults who, as Andres Duany put it, are the “urban pioneers” who tend to drive the resurgences of cities’ downtown areas. More people living downtown will bring in more businesses downtown. It’s a win-win. It creates an affordable hip work/live environment, which will not only be a lifeline to our downtown but a new heartbeat. Let’s get it done!

Morgen Reynolds

Vero Beach, and Main Street especially, has so many incredible and hard-working business owners. They support our community with their talents and employment opportunities. Now is the time to shift our town from a retirement destination into a lively economy that embraces the next generation of business owners and their families. 

Vero deserves what's next.

Brooke Malone

Nearly every public service, from water to libraries to garbage collection, is far easier and cheaper to provide when people live closer together. Business with access to foot traffic help communities thrive, thriving communities equate to better community health. Upcoming generations want proximity without having to move to “classically” denser large scale metropolitans.  They want to create their own in a welcoming smaller community. We have this opportunity right in front of us, for them. 

Chris Foster

Life is always dropping hints that can potentially lead us to our greatest self.  I’ve learned to listen more and know that every idea that enters into my consciousness has purpose. This is very exciting to me as a business owner and entrepreneur.

Elliese Shaughnessy

As the founder of the Young Adults of Vero Beach nonprofit, I repeatedly hear the struggles of finding affordable places to live. Being able to increase density would increase supply and allow more efficient living spaces for our growing young population. 

I’m excited to see downtown transform into a space that all ages from young to old can enjoy. I’m grateful for the rallying community that has sought to include and inform everyone, especially the population has been underrepresented, in this process. We can all be a part of something that is going to change our city for the better. 

Christine Hughes

I have believed  for years in the future potential for Downtown, Vero Beach, &  totally support the plans to revitalize it to showcase its best assets & create a once again vibrant community! This will bring more jobs, businesses, activities  & culture to our beautiful Vero Beach. Here’s to the positive change!

Jason Ground

I’m voting yes because passage of this referendum will give the city the tools it needs to address an economic need, in the heart of downtown, without disturbing the small town character that we all know and love. Voting yes will improve the financial health of the city by expanding the tax base and increasing revenue without increasing taxes. This means improvements to our roads, parks, and marinas. Voting yes will dramatically improve the financial health of downtown businesses, both new and established, that often struggle in the off-season which means your family member, friend, and neighbor have a better economic environment to open the business they’ve always dreamed of and it means more jobs for the residents of Vero Beach. If you support local business, and want a thriving and vibrant local economy, you need to support the referendum and vote yes.

Joshua McMiller

My life's mission is to unite the community through the transformative power of art. Whether it's expressed through the culinary arts or the timeless beauty of painting, the same healing energy and deep love for humanity flow through every creation. Vero Beach is alive with creativity, and having a vibrant hub for this energy is essential for any city’s growth. The "Yes for Downtown Vero" initiative is not just important—it's crucial to keeping the inspiration and creativity that define this town alive and thriving.

Sophie Bentham-Wood

Voting YES on the November ballot will bring numerous benefits to the Vero Beach Downtown community. This exciting initiative aims to transform the area into a more vibrant and attractive destination for businesses, residents, and tourists alike, while preserving its cultural and historic charm. Help us to make this plan a reality and vote YES for Downtown.

Scott Johnson

Vero Beach deserves a vibrant and thriving downtown. This is a generational moment; one that our kids and grandkids will thank us for in the decades to come.

Chloe Rose Schwartz

Downtown Vero Beach is filled with rich history, but without intentional revitalization, that history will be left in the past. That is why I am thrilled to support the referendums that will breathe new life into this valuable part of our community. Downtown is the perfect center to bridge local business, residential opportunities, and walkable, green space. I am excited to see this project become a success! 

Ellen Contreras

It’s been a pleasure to attend the Let’s Talk Vero events because I love living in Vero Beach and want to know what is happening in our community. This organization is making great strides in laying the foundation for a vibrant future that is good for the people as well as the businesses.

Barry Shapiro

Vero Beach is growing and we have the unique opportunity to create the downtown we want for future generations. We can create a beautiful, thriving arts and business cultural center that can be a perfect compliment to the coming 3 Corners development and attract art lovers, restaurant patrons and people who just love to stroll in a beautiful and convenient downtown. We can bring back the charm of old Vero and blend that with a modern and well designed civic center. We can do all of this if we act now. Or we can do nothing and fail our city and our young people. It's our choice.

Philip Wolf and Farah Fourcand

We settled down in Vero Beach to start our lives together, plant solid roots, and do our part to grow the community. The diverse groups of people who are willing to take us under their wing, support our vision, and stand with us during our small and big wins and losses has exceeded our expectations. We are welcoming our first child into the world, and this is the kind of world we want to do it in. 

Lisa McNamee

Downtown Vero is an amazing first step to the revitalization of Vero in providing a thriving business and community district.

Richard Gould

Rochester, MN, Asheville, NC, Boulder, CO, Lancaster, PA, Grand Rapids, MI, Dubuque, IA, and Greenville, SC have all thrived by increasing their downtown residential and business density. These downtowns saw stronger business performance, higher pedestrian traffic, lower vacancy rates, and rising property values. Vero can achieve the same success!

Stuart Hirstein

I am excited to see a plan that includes housing opportunities for working professionals. We desperately need places to live for teachers, medical personnel, and others who provide needed services for our community.