DOWNTOWN
New Fort Pierce City Marina docks will be built in this area of the Indian River Lagoon to replace those torn out by Hurricanes Frances and Jean in 2004.
But first a chain of small islands, off-limits to people but providing habitat for birds and marine creatures, will rise in a semi-circle in the river to protect
the waterfront between the library and the Fort Pierce community center.
44
ISLANDS IN
THE STREAM
ED DRONDOSKI
A group of islands near downtown will soon
provide a buffer for the Fort Pierce Marina
and a magnet for ecotourism
BY SUSAN BURGESS
Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton has been waiting for
this moment for seven long years.
A chain of small islands will soon rise from the
Indian River Lagoon, wrapping the downtown
waterfront in a half-circle to protect the city marina
and waterfront parks from destructive hurricanes like the
two that took out about 135 boat slips in September of 2004.
When the islands are finished, the marina will replace
about 137 docks at a cost of around $11 million, signaling a
return to normal business.
“This will do so much for us, making us a destination
for fishing tournaments, for tourists who are interested in
the ‘real Florida,’ for boaters, and for the environment,”
Benton says.
“I’ve been in touch with the Southern Kingfish Association,”
he says, “and I’m hoping they’ll return here for their
national championships. They come with 350-400 teams, and
they eat in our restaurants and shop in our stores. They also
>>