Fort Pierce residents fight plan to replace Museum Pointe Park with mega-yacht marina

A proposal to transform Museum Pointe, a public waterfront park in Fort Pierce along the Indian River Lagoon, into a mega-yacht marina has drawn nearly 800 petition signatures from opponents. The Port of Fort Pierce's updated 2026 Master Plan calls for redeveloping the park, which currently features a history center, public waterfront access, fishing piers, and green space, into a facility with floating docks, a multi-story marina, an event center, a waterfront restaurant, and a clubhouse.

Terry Howard, a volunteer at the History Center at Museum Pointe Park, said development threatens one of the city's most treasured public spaces. The museum has preserved artifacts from Florida's Native American tribes, Spanish shipwrecks, and more for over 50 years. The master plan's renderings place the proposed marina clubhouse exactly where the museum stands today.

Howard said the concern extends beyond the museum's fate to the loss of public waterfront access. St. Lucie County spokesperson Erick Gill said the museum's future is not in jeopardy if the project moves forward, and that staff has been discussing better locations for the history center for years because it sits on a barrier island in a flood zone.

Gill said the museum and its collection would be preserved and relocated if the project proceeds. He added that the master plan is designed to expand economic development, create jobs, and generate county revenue. Fort Pierce City Commissioner Michael Broderick said the city will have the final say on whether the project moves forward, and that commissioners will have to weigh economic benefits against preserving waterfront access. Broderick said the city must be careful not to eliminate public access to the waterway.

St. Lucie County leaders are scheduled to discuss the proposal and its current status at a 9 a.m. meeting at the St. Lucie County Commission Chambers. Howard said the stakes go beyond the present. The museum has been at Museum Pointe since the 1970s, and once the area is developed, the public waterfront space will never be replaced.