Fort Pierce City Marina
The City of Fort Pierce was recently selected to receive grants totaling more than $380,000 from the Florida Infrastructure Grant program and the Florida Inland Navigation District to design and construct dinghy docks at the City Marina.
Transient vessels commonly anchor in front of the City Marina and along the Fort Pierce Inlet when they are in route to and from the Bahamas, Europe and during their travels up and down the Intracoastal Waterway.
Adding dinghy docks to the City Marina will afford transient boaters the opportunity to easily provision their vessels, take care of personal business and enjoy some of the area’s popular tourism venues.
“As with most small cities along the East Coast, tourism in Fort Pierce plays a major role in our economic viability, explained Mayor Linda Hudson. “Adding new dinghy docks to the City Marina will create new, easy access for occupants of transient non-trailerable vessels, which will significantly increase the popularity of Fort Pierce as a port-of-call for cruisers, and ultimately strengthen our economy.”
The site selected for the dinghy docks is the former King Power Plant intake structure. The renovated abandoned structure will ensure stability and protection for the docks and create a valuable asset for transient recreational boaters.
The City estimates an increase of 50% or more occupants of transient vessels will enjoy Fort Pierce within the first two years of the dinghy dock construction, which will significantly improve the sustainability of downtown businesses and promote the creation of new jobs and overall economic growth for the entire area.
“The City of Fort Pierce has the potential to be a unique and attractive location for transient boaters,” continued Hudson “These grant awards will provide the opportunity for the City to reach this potential by addressing our need for more transient infrastructure, as is often requested by local business owners, boaters and residents.”
The dinghy dock project is projected to be completed by the end of 2016.
