The City of Fort Pierce, a waterfront community on Florida’s Treasure Coast, called on Inspire to develop a Strategic Downtown Master Plan that supports high‑quality redevelopment while celebrating the city’s rich history, coastal character, and exceptional quality of life. With several publicly owned waterfront properties and an increasingly active downtown as assets, Fort Pierce sought a clear, implementable framework to guide development, strengthen its mixed‑use core, and enhance access to the waterfront. The award-winning plan also included a transformative vision for Marina Square Park, reimagining an underutilized 5.9‑acre site as a signature public space with an event lawn, terrace and promenade, plus seamless connections to surrounding civic and cultural anchors including the Kilmer Library and City Hall.

Inspire led a highly interactive planning process anchored by robust community engagement. An immersive four‑day workshop — complete with open houses, presentations, and targeted stakeholder sessions — invited residents and community partners to help shape the plan’s direction. A dedicated project website provided continuous updates and served as a platform for public input throughout the process. Residents, businesses, and local institutions all played a key role in establishing priorities for redevelopment, mobility, and public realm improvements.

The Master Plan focused on implementation‑ready strategies that leverage city‑owned waterfront parcels to cultivate a vibrant, walkable mixed‑use district. Inspire developed a detailed 3D digital model covering multiple downtown blocks to visualize redevelopment concepts, test building forms, and illustrate design possibilities to decision-makers and to the public. A strategic phasing plan outlined steps for near‑, mid‑, and long‑term implementation of 28 project ideas. The Strategic Downtown Master Plan provides Fort Pierce with a clear, actionable roadmap to guide redevelopment, enhance the public realm, and strengthen downtown’s role as the cultural and economic heart of the city.