This image shows a perspective rendering of the Harbour Point waterfront, activated by a variety of public space and urban uses for the public to enjoy. Food and beverage and retail uses are evident in the right side of the image, with red and white / blue and white striped umbrellas providing shade for outdoor seating. Palm trees puncture the paving in the waterfront esplanade and various seating arrangements allow people to sit and observe the marina and water. A large open lawn in the middle of the rendering allows people to congregate for various activities. A food truck is set up adjacent to the lawn. Along the esplanade, lighting fixtures, seating and two entrances to the docks create an edge condition. Three paddleboarders are seen enjoying the water between the marina docks and waterfront edge. There is a small beach with seating steps for those interested in getting access to the water. In the back of the image, a mega-yacht is visible along with activity from the shipyard.

Perspective rendering - Artistic representation of proposed project features.

SUMMARY

This Master Plan for the Port of Fort Pierce establishes a roadmap to achieve a truly diverse working waterfront.  The Plan embraces new industries and opportunities aligned with the goals of expanding economic and social benefit to the citizens and businesses found in St. Lucie County and along the Treasure Coast.

The Port has been a fixture of the Fort Pierce community since the 1920s. Establishment of the Fort Pierce Inlet and a small but functional set of docks and transit sheds provided an important export point for Treasure Coast agricultural products. it also offered a source of employment for residents of the City of Fort Pierce. As the century marched forward, the work of the Port remained meaningful but modest when contrasted with the establishment and growth of other East Coast seaports.

In May 2020, St. Lucie County engaged the consulting team of Atkins and Moffatt & Nichol to explore how best the Port of Fort Pierce should author its next chapter as a unique economic and community asset in the region and the State of Florida.  Every five years, Florida seaports are required to update their long-range plan to identify and guide port investments to ensure alignment with local comprehensive planning and other regional initiatives. This update meets State requirements and builds on the previous work conducted in 2015.

Importantly, the Port heads into the next decade with the recent successful purchase of the 12-acre Indian River Terminal and selection of Derecktor Shipyards Inc. to invest in and operate a megayacht maintenance, refit, and overhaul facility. This Plan update looks to capitalize on this momentum, exploring ways in which this new anchor can be catalytic for other Port investment.

PLAN-MAKING

A common theme heard throughout the 2020 plan-making process was the Port and its lands, harbor, and channel are an untapped resource. Accompanying this sentiment, however, was often a similar caution that harnessing this resource should be done carefully and ensure protection of community quality of life and the ecology and recreational attributes of Fort Pierce Inlet. This Plan update seeks to strike this balance.

A variety of options for public and private land to evolve into a diverse working waterfront were explored. Options were prepared, refined and established through active dialouge with the County, City, property owners, agencies, and the public. While this was made more challenging due to to the COVID-19 Pandemic, conversations about the future of the Port were robust and substantive, utilizing all manner of virutal meetings, online surveys, conference calls, and (limited) in-person meetings.

This image shows a bird’s eye rendering of the entire Port of Fort Pierce study area, encompassing /- 255 acres. Adjacent context is grayed out and the site is demarcated by a red boundary line. The urban greenway system linking to proposed SUNTrail Greenway is shown as a light green line. The site shows how existing conditions have blended with proposed uses. The full extent of the shipyard and Derecktor operations is shown closest to the viewer. Harbour Point waterfront and its public amenities are displayed along the water’s edge. Taylor Creek Marina and Safe Harbortown are visible in the back side of the site.

Perspective rendering - Artistic representation of proposed project features.

THE 2020 PORT OF FORT PIERCE MASTER PLAN

The planning result is a multi-faceted vision for the Port that calls for:

  • Creation of the Treasure Coast's premier center for yacht, shipbuilding, and related marine repair, overhaul, and maintenance facilities;
  • Investment in County owned Harbour Pointe Park to emerge as a public marina, boat ramp, and upgraded park; and,
  • Advancement of a new wharf and surrounding uplands dedicated to the support of small import/export marine dependent businesses.

Implementation of the Master Plan will take 10- to 20-years. Success relies on favorable market conditions, incremental investment by the public and private sector, and sustained community alignment and goodwill. Achievement of the aims and projects contained in the Master Plan are worthwhile, and will result in an active, working waterfront that serves as another important engine driving economic and social progress for the County and region.

 

The illustrative master plan shows the full extent of the project study area ( /- 255 acres), denoted by a red boundary line around the site, which is included in the port planning area ( /1 1,545 acres). The master plan image is a rendering of the site, showing how existing conditions interplay with proposed site uses. The graphic displays surrounding context including connectivity to Lincoln Park Community Park. North Causeway Bridge anchors the northern extent of the site, while South Causeway Bridge anchors the southern portion. The site itself is a mix of uses, with the majority of the site devoted to shipbuilding and operational areas. The northern portion of the site is dedicated to some existing uses and also a variety of uses as part of Harbour Point Waterfront. To the right of the illustrative master plan, the Key Features Legend reads as follows: The Port Planning Area ( /- 1,545 acres) is denoted by a blue dashed line The Project Study Area ( /- 255 acres) is denoted by a solid red boundary Anticipated Storm Water Requirement Zones are indicated by a navy-blue solid boundary line with a diagonal hatch The Fisherman’s Wharf Redevelopment Zone is represented as an orange fill with an orange boundary The Fisherman’s Wharf Publicly Held Land is an orange fill, navy blue diagonal hatch, with an orange boundary The Fort Pierce Inlet Navigation Channel is a solid white line The Intracoastal Waterway is a dashed white line Existing 1. Safe Harbor Harbortown 2. Taylor Creek Marina 3. Cracker Boy Boat Works 4. Light Industrial Uses (Woods Properties and Inlet Fisheries) 5. Derecktor Shipyard 6. Fort Pierce Marine Terminal (Beyel Bros. Properties) 7. Lincoln Park Community Park Proposed 8. Harbour Pointe and Tenet Access Road 9. Dry Stack Boat Storage Development 10. Taylor Creek Public Boat Ramp and Parking 11. Harbour Pointe Public Marina 12. Harbour Pointe Waterfront 13. Reef Restoration Center and Floating Dock 14. East Wharf Development 15. Marine Industries Vessel Slip (Optional) 16. Yacht MRO and Shipbuilding Areas 17. Wet Slip Operational Area 18. Shiplift (Syncrolift) and Transfer System 19. Rail Spur and Related Operational Area 20. Urban Greenway System Linked to Proposed SUNTrail Greenway 21. Urban Greenway Pedestrian Overpass

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The following next steps are underway:

  • The Final Draft Plan is available for public review.  Your can access a PDF version from the downloads box below.  A version of the Plan is currently undergoing conversion to meet requirements to make it fully accessible to everyone. 
  • A special meeting of the St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners to consider the Plan will be held on November 12, 2020 to begin at 1:00 PM or soon thereafter within the Board of County Commissioners Chambers. Details to follow and will be emailed to all on the website’s subscriber list.  Press release and public notice will also be made.    

 

PLANNING PROCESS REWIND

If you were not able to participate, explore results of Public Engagement Session 1 and 2.   Each virtual meeting session was recorded and available for viewing at the links below.  The base content and presentation was the same for each meeting; audience comments varied.  An archive of all previous planning presentations, posters, survey results, and materials is also available below.

Public Engagement Session One (Virtual Meetings 1, 2 and 3 offer the same presentation):

Virtual Meeting 1 - July 1 at 3:00 PM - https://publicinput.com/A782

Virtual Meeting 2 - July 1 at 6:30 PM - https://publicinput.com/X623

Virtual Meeting 3 - July 2 at 9:00 AM - https://publicinput.com/J560

Public Engagement Session Two  (Virtual Meetings 4, 5 and 6 offer the same presentation)

Virtual Meeting 4 - July 29 at 3:00 PM - https://publicinput.com/P315

Virtual Meeting 5 - July 29 at 6:30 PM - https://publicinput.com/S370

Virtual Meeting 6 - July 31 at 9:00 AM - https://publicinput.com/P722

Have questions or comments you would like addressed by St. Lucie County?  Please contact Project Manager Kori Benton (bentonk@stlucieco.org) at any time.

AVAILABLE PRESENTATIONS AND DOWNLOADS

Please find below links to master plan posters, presentations, and survey results. We will continue to add to this archive as materials are prepared, refined, and released.  

OVERALL PLAN MAKING CALENDAR

This image indicates the overall timeline for the project schedule, as represented by a series of bars indicating time periods and a series of orange circles indicating when work sessions occur in the project schedule. The Port of Fort Pierce Master Plan and Reinvestment Strategy will begin in late April and end in late September. The project is broken down into 4 stages, as described below. Stage 1 is Project Kick-Off Work Session held on April 30 to May 1. Stage 1 will run from late April to early June. Stage 2 is Priorities, Program and Framework, and will run from early June to early July. Public Work Session One will consist of a public engagement period and survey running from June 24 to July 12. Live, virtual meetings will occur on July 1 and 2. Stage 3 is Initial Port and Waterfront Concepts and will run from early July to early August. Public Work Session Two will consist of a public engagement period and survey running from July 24 to August 16. Live, virtual meetings will occur on July 29 and 31. Refined Ideas and Concepts will occur during the beginning of August. Stage 4 is Master Plan and Reinvestment Strategy and will run from early August until late October. The special Meeting will begin at 1 P.M. on November 12, 2020.