A. Early City records show that the land was part of the Pruitt Fish Camp. Then in 1981 the site was approved for residential development (Moonraker Bay PUD). That development program was for a 374 residential unit development. The only construction on the site was the installation of the roads and utility infrastructure. In 2002, the City of Port St. Lucie purchased the property under the Florida Communities Trust Land Conservation Program.
Once the City had purchased the property utilizing the grant it worked on several concepts to integrate the public recreation component that was required by the Florida Communities Trust. Concepts of parkland, marinas were considered and then finally a botanical garden idea was accepted. The area became part of the Community Redevelopment Area in 2006. The Botanical Gardens site plan was approved by the City Council on March 24, 2008, and opened on March 6, 2010.
-- Daniel Holbrook, AICP, Director of Planning and Zoning, City of Port St. Lucie, FL