ON THE WATERFRONT
A conceptual plan for the park was drafted a year ago by a group of citizens with assistance from volunteer architects. It would feature historical buildings
moved to the park, possibly a Native American village, a restaurant, a replica of an old fishing camp, and spaces for artisans.
Park. Tentative plans call for extending the boardwalk, known
as the Riverwalk, under Port St. Lucie Boulevard, past the
botanical gardens to the banyan tree at the Westmoreland Park.
Among other things, a 1913 home built from heart of pine,
its garage and a 1956 cypress-wood hunting lodge may be
moved from the Peacock Ranch in western Port St. Lucie to
the property on Westmoreland Boulevard. The three buildings
CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE
PROVIDED BY MARY DODGE, PORT ST. LUCIE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The proposed park may include a replica of a popular fish camp.
Port St. Lucie Magazine 15
would become the heart of an historical village.
Bridget Kean, Community Redevelopment Agency director,
said the city applied to the state Division of Historical
Resources for a grant to move the buildings. “Our application
was ranked 25th out of 58 applications on the list of projects
recommended for grants,” she says. Funding depends on
how much money lawmakers allocate to such projects in the
current legislative session.
Kean hopes for an answer by June. “We’re in a holding pattern
to see if we get the grant,” she said. That it is ranked in
the top half of the applications seems promising.
VILLAGE PLANS
The historical village is just part of the concept for the park
developed in a public workshop last year. It also includes a
Native American village, space for artisans, a playground,
restaurant, canoe launch and open pavilions.
Richard McAfoos, president of the Port St. Lucie Historical
Society, and Carol Herzog of the Conservation Alliance of St.
Lucie County suggested replicating the Pruitt Fishing Camp.
It existed on the river shore in the 1940s, before Port St. Lucie
became a city and long before Pruitt Road was renamed Port
St. Lucie Boulevard.
A year ago, 100 citizens from a variety of backgrounds were
invited to brainstorm ideas with volunteers from the Treasure
Coast chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The
park concept, drawn up by the architects, was presented to
the city council in October.
Council members approved the plan, but not without voicing
some opinions.
“I want to make sure that, while the conceptual plan shows >>