Port St. Lucie is once again going back to the well, hoping to receive a large grant to help build the long planned Riverwalk boardwalk between Westmoreland Park and Bridge Plaza just south of Port St. Lucie Boulevard.
The Port St. Lucie City Council recently approved its application to the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), which has previously helped fund more than $460,000 in improvements to the area.
Janet Zimmerman of FIND told St. Lucie Voice that the final decision on grant awards will be made by the end of September and agreements will be issued in October.
“This is just the first step of the process,” Zimmerman said of Port St. Lucie’s grant application submission.
If approved, FIND will help fund approximately 15 percent of the 2,900-linear-foot boardwalk along the North Fork. The total project has an estimated price tag of $2.6 million, according to city records.
“We all know it but we like to celebrate it,” Mayor Gregory Oravec said during the council’s discussion regarding the grant application. “We’re working on extending our existing boardwalk south, all the way to what we call the Westmoreland property – aka Riverwalk.
“Someday soon, not only will you be able to walk there and make a very nice loop, you’ll be able to dock your boat, go to a waterfront restaurant.”
When complete, the boardwalk will connect two areas of city-owned riverfront parks separated by Port St. Lucie Boulevard with boat ramps, picnic areas and fishing platforms.
The area south of the major road includes 43 acres of city-owned waterfront land that includes the 20-acre Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, the 10-acre future waterfront park known as the Westmoreland property, and a 13-acre passive recreation tract, which will have a hiking trail loop.
“I hope that you’ll always be able to enjoy – this is me editorializing – the ficus/banyan tree,” Oravec said.
“Editorializing or lobbying?” teased Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo.
The fate of the massive tree has been in question given its proximity to the river and the possibility that its location could impede construction of a future restaurant.
Caraballo said she was going to keep fingers crossed that FIND approves their grant request. “Thank you to the FIND for approving the last (grant),” she said. “I’ve got my fingers crossed, my legs crossed, that we get the next one, too.”
The boardwalk construction project will include lighting, a potable water line, and three fishing/public viewing platforms.
Once that phase of the overall project is done, the city plans to add eight more daytime-only boat docking slips, a pedestrian bridge under Port St. Lucie Boulevard to connect the north and south spans of boardwalk, as well as additional park improvements to enhance public access to the river.