Fort Pierce Inlet

Beginning in 1920, with the actual completion of the Fort Pierce Inlet, the port thrived, first as a hub for the coastwise shipping of Florida citrus and produce. The port was then converted into a U.S. Navy base in World War II before finally establishing itself as a shipping hub to the Bahamas and wider Caribbean Islands .

The Port of Fort Pierce has been unique among Florida ports in that its working waterfront, the Indian River Terminal and much of the rest of the port were held in private ownership. That changed in January 2018, when St. Lucie County acquired the terminal with a goal of transforming it from a dated cargo facility to a purposebuilt, Derecktor led, shipyard for the maintenance, refit and overhaul of mega-yachts.

The Port of Fort Pierce is in a state of dramatic transformation. The bold decision of the St. Lucie Board of County Commissioners to purchase the former Indian River Terminal, once a bustling cargo facility that had fallen into stagnation through shifting markets, and lack of resources for need improvements to infrastructure, is the catalyst. The purchase was made with the specific purpose of converting the land into a mega yacht maintenance, refit, and overhaul facility for very large (200 feet or longer) motor yachts and large sailing vessels. Derecktor Ft Pierce, LLC began operations on November 1, 2019. Within a year it erected one of the world’s largest mobile vessel hoist and largest on the East Coast of the US. After years of inertia, it is expected that this “new” facility will be the catalyst for development of the large tracts of waterfront property that remains undeveloped, as part of or complementing to this new market.

One of Florida’s last Treasures!

PORT OF FORT PIERCE LOOKING NORTH TOWARD FORT MARINA DEVELOPMENT