PARKS
South Jetty Park
getting facelift
Jetty Park is a jewel within the city of Fort Pierce, beloved by residents and tourists alike for its fishing, swimming, sunbathing, kitesurfing, picnicking,
photography, strolling, and soaking in the sights, scenery, sounds and smells of the seaside. In June a new section will open adding green lawns, game
tables, a gazebo, benches, winding paths, and eventually, an observation tower along with a new parking lot.
Pack up a lunch, pick up a friend and head out to
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South Jetty Park in Fort Pierce. Most any day you
know you’ll find people sitting at picnic tables or
relaxing in camp chairs trying their luck with the
wily fish. It’s a favorite spot for residents, for workers trying
to shake off the stress of the day, and for visitors.
Everybody knows the parking lot isn’t huge, but if you go
around a couple of times, someone will pull out and you can
zip in and triumphantly grab their spot.
Linda Hudson, mayor of Fort Pierce, remembers when her
parents took her there for picnics when she was little.
“It’s a very special place,” she says. “If you want to, you
can walk all the way to the end of the jetty and it just takes
you away from the world and somehow your troubles just
melt away.”
And the experience is about to improve.
The days of trying to nab a picnic table before the fishermen
put their lures and bait on it, or get a bench before the
picnic crowd descends on it, looking for a place to eat, are
almost over.
The park is about to expand. The big grassy area on the
south side of the parking lot will become a landscaped haven.
A gazebo will shade benches from the hot sun. Game tables,
benches in sunny spots and pathways, both shaded and
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BY SUSAN BURGESS | PHOTOS BY ED DRONDOSKI