Naysayers, take note: The Port District is happening, and it's going to be good | Opinion

I try not to pay much attention to internet snark. If I did, I imagine I would spend a good portion of every workday crying in a corner somewhere.

However, even before I typed the first word of this column about Port St. Lucie's plans to develop The Port District, I knew what to expect.

After this column is published, there will be at least one commenter, somewhere in the vast internet universe, who's going to laugh the whole thing off. I'm probably going to get a lecture about how Port St. Lucie officials have been talking for years about creating the district, but it's never happened.

Well, as they say in the investments game, past performance is not indicative of future results.

The Port District is happening. City officials held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to officially kick off construction on a project that's been years in the making.

We live in a country where people are free to be as jaded and cynical as they like. But if you seriously believe the Port District plans aren't going to happen by this point, you simply haven't been paying attention.

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As they're prone to do, city leaders conducted an elaborate planning process to get citizen input about the amenities local residents would like to see for the 1.5-mile area along the St. Lucie River near the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.

The results are pretty impressive.

Once this project is complete, the site will feature the Pioneer Park playground, improved park infrastructure, parking, restrooms, an event lawn, overwater stage and boardwalk connections, a canoe/kayak launch, upland trails, as well as a site for a waterfront restaurant.

Still not impressed? There's more.

The plans also include restoration of the Peacock Lodge and Peacock House, historic buildings that predate Port St. Lucie's incorporation as a city.

The Peacock family was involved in citrus farming and cattle ranching in the area long before General Development Corp. set its sights on building a massive residential community in the late 1950s. That community was incorporated as Port St. Lucie in 1961.

The city doesn't actually have its own port, although real estate gurus selling the homes there thought including the word "port" would make the development more marketable.

Jennifer Davis, project manager of the city's Community Redevelopment Area, said the Peacock family used the lodge, located east of Glades Cutoff Road, as a hunting outpost.

The Peacock House was originally built west of Fort Pierce in 1917, then later moved to the lodge site.

In 2018, both buildings were moved to their current location, just southwest of the intersection of Port St. Lucie and Westmoreland boulevards.

New World Builders, a DeLand-based company that specializes in work on historic buildings, is overseeing what amounts to a complete restoration of the lodge.

"Every inch of this building is being touched," Davis said on a recent site visit.

Work at the Peacock Lodge began several weeks before the groundbreaking. When finished, part of the building will serve as offices for the Port St. Lucie Historical Society, which currently doesn't have a home base.

The lodge also will have a small gift shop and meeting space for special events.

Davis said there are no firm plans for how the Peacock House will be used after it undergoes restoration work, although it may be a static historical display.

"Port St. Lucie isn't that old, so we take every opportunity to embrace the area's history," Davis said. "Between the two of these (buildings), we've got a unique opportunity to tell the story of the history of the region."

If you're not a history buff, that's OK.

The Port District will offer a little something for everyone. Even the playground is going to be far more elaborate than your standard neighborhood jungle gym, including a water play area with a river schooner and a 43-foot-long faux alligator.

And, hopefully sooner rather than later, there will be a restaurant or even several restaurants, offering waterfront dining in the city.

If you look at an aerial view of Port St. Lucie, the river is one of the most dramatic and beautiful features. However, most of the riverfront land within the city limits is either privately owned or set aside as conservation property.

The Port District will change that by making the river more accessible to all residents.

Port St. Lucie officials are proud of this project — as they should be.

"The Port District will provide a world-class cultural destination where our citizens and visitors can connect to the environment, local history, and enjoy recreation and entertainment all in one location," said Port St. Lucie City Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo, whose district includes the area. "Every element has been designed with the vision to provide the 'WOW' factor for this extraordinary public space."

So go ahead, keep laughing and calling it a boondoggle if you must. But the Port District is happening.

And Port St. Lucie, a huge city with relatively few public gathering places, will be better for it.

Someday soon, I expect to be making a toast to the project's naysayers at that restaurant-to-be-named-later.

This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at blake.fontenay@tcpalm.com or at 772-232-5424.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Port District project will put the 'port' in Port St. Lucie | Opinion