GOVERNMENT
PORT PUZZLER
RESOLVED
Council establishes new district along the
river that puts ‘port in Port St. Lucie’
“Where’s the ‘port’ in Port St. Lucie?” puzzled
newcomers have asked since Port St. Lucie
emerged from its status as a developer’s dream
and crystallized into a city in 1961.
Truth be known, they probably wondered even before it
was a city, when the Mackle Brothers were building what became
Port St. Lucie. The Mackles’ successor, General Development
Corp., had a penchant for starting developments all
over the state with port in the name — never mind that they
might be miles and miles from the nearest ocean.
The answer to the puzzled people was, of course, “There
isn’t any port.” It was a marketing gimmick aimed at northerners
who were so eager to buy a piece of Florida for $10
down and $10 a month that they just plunked their money
down and ignored the misnomer that caught their eye in the
first place. >>
16 Port St. Lucie Magazine
ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
A new floating dock and boardwalk along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River enhance the idea of waterfront recreation and entertainment in The Port District.
BY SUSAN BURGESS