Improvement plans project bright future

The months ahead — January, February and March — are what we usually call peak season on the Treasure Coast as tourists and part-time residents flock to our sunny climes. But because of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions placed on travel — both governmental and self-imposed — this season will be remarkably different. The latest figures for the last quarter of 2020 weren’t available as we went to press, but Visit Florida statistics from the third quarter showed that tourism was down 32 percent from the same time the previous year.

So, as with the rest of the past nine months, we are in for a bumpy ride the final three months as we approach the one-year milestone of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Some things may be out of our control and may dampen the collective spirit at a time usually observed as celebratory. But there are things we can prepare for and we can imagine ways to improve Port St. Lucie for the future.

The efforts to create a defined downtown [Page 8] are a cause for celebration. Though Port St. Lucie was developed as a residential bedroom community, there’s no reason the city shouldn’t have a defined downtown. One of the prime spots would be the area around the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center.

Another effort at improvement that will have long-range consequences for Port St. Lucie’s livability is the city council’s recent action [Page 16] to create a riverfront entertainment and recreation district along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. As Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo told our writer Susan Burgess, “With the Port District we’re putting the Port in Port St. Lucie.’’

The promise of a bright future can get us through the hard times, and fortunately for Port St. Lucie we have these two colossal endeavors to look forward to.

See the original article in the print publication