PARKS
beneath the boulevard, allowing walkers to avoid the hightraffic
street with its six lanes of whizzing cars.
It will also provide dock space for boats so that people can
arrive by boat and then walk to the park or to the adjacent
Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens. There are a lot of boats in
the city — most are just hidden in canals that wind among
houses in various developments.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Plans for the 22.7-acre park on Westmoreland Boulevard
include 9.7 acres with a play area for children, a canoe and
kayak launch, an historical area featuring two buildings
moved from the old Peacock Ranch, possibly three restaurants,
an open-air amphitheater by the water with seating
(think of Stuart’s Riverwalk), floating docks and two docks
that can be used by the disabled. The design leaves plenty of
open grassy space and retains the existing large banyan tree
— a star attraction.
Thirteen adjacent acres form a conservation preserve with
simple trails for those who want to explore, look for wildlife,
and take pictures.
“It fulfills a longstanding community desire for a gathering
place,” Mayor Greg Orevac said. “It creates a recreational
and cultural destination on our unique natural resource (the
river).” The waterfront location “puts the port into Port St.
Lucie,” he added.
The new park is different from any other park in the city,
Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo said. “It’s unique among
what we have. It will be a cultural destination because of its
historical components. It will have a natural (style) play area
based on the environment it’s in. It will have chickees (raised- >>
48 Port St. Lucie Magazine
JOHN BIONDO
The project’s design leaves plenty of open grassy space and retains the
existing large banyan tree, which is a star attraction for residents.
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