A. We're still studying the history of the riverside area west of Westmoreland Boulevard that includes the Botanical Gardens, the Anchorage and Ravello. Once a hunting ground for the Ais and other original inhabitants, its natural environment has been threatened by a number of factors, mostly man-made. Both government projects and private developers have encroached on the area.
A 10-acre site adjacent to this property is now being considered for public use, possibly including a history museum and other cultural and nature uses.
Before serious modern development began, a fishing camp occupied much of of the riverfront. A detailed and footnoted study of the Botanical Gardens property has recentlly been made available in the form of a series of researched reports by John Bolduc, Port St. Lucie's Police Chief, as part of a Public Planning and Growth Management Course he completed at Barry University.
-- PSL Historical Society volunt