"With the floating dock, every year storms and wave action damage the finger piers," Public Works Director Milton Leggett told the Stuart City Commission. "The fixed dock never had any damage, so we have decided to go with a fixed dock which has been more durable and will minimize long-term costs."
That decision closed downtown Stuart to tie-ups by boat for most of a year. Since Monday, July 6, 2026, nobody has been able to tie up at the city's courtesy docks on the St. Lucie River. The city expects the rebuild to take about 11 months, with the goal of finishing before the 2027 Fourth of July celebration. That puts the whole closure across the fall and winter calendar: craft festival weekends, Christmas on Main, and the Stuart Boat Show. Until next summer, getting downtown by boat takes two stops. You drop people off at Flagler Park, and the boat ties up somewhere else.
What's Happening at the Riverfront Right Now
If you've driven past Flagler Park lately, you've seen the barge. The city's August 21 update said crews were removing the old floating docks. That same week the contractor drove two temporary test piles to check soil conditions, bearing capacity, and required depth. The piles performed as expected, so the contractor went ahead and ordered 118 concrete piles, 14 by 14 inches, for phase one. Project Manager Marc Rogolino reported that the work was on schedule and within budget. That update is the latest one the city has published, so conditions on the water may have moved since then.
The new layout replaces one aging structure with three pieces:
- Old dock: a 5,533-square-foot floating dock and its pilings
- New fixed dock: 7,590 square feet
- New concrete floating dock: 1,400 square feet
- New floating vessel platform: 300 square feet
- Slip count: 44, which is 26 more than before
The project costs about $3 million. A $1,150,000 grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District covers part of it. Sources differ on where the rest comes from. The city's May newsletter named CRA funding, and July reports from WQCS and WPTV named transportation impact fees. Cummins Cederberg, Inc. is the engineer, and Custom Built Marine Construction, Inc. is building it.
The usage number helps explain the timing. The city counts about 1,450 boaters a year at the courtesy docks. The rebuild is meant to handle both motorized and non-motorized vessels and keep up with growing demand along the waterfront. Those boaters are using other docks this year.
The Gate Handles People
The city has kept one piece of access open. A gate at the end of the fixed dock is available for dropping off and picking up passengers. Boats still cannot tie up there.
That changes how a Sunday on the water works. Market on Main runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Flagler Park, and Rock'n Riverwalk follows from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Riverwalk Stage, 300 St. Lucie Ave. Your crew can still step off at the park. Whoever is at the helm then has to take the boat somewhere else, tie up, and walk back. You can also come back for everyone at a set time. The gate works best when you treat it like a curbside pickup spot.
Where the Boat Goes Instead
Here are the closest options to downtown, with what each source actually confirms:
Option | Address | What's confirmed | Before you go |
|---|---|---|---|
Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage | 615 SW Anchorage Way | 198 wet slips, 69 moorings, direct booking, about a five-minute walk to downtown | No transient rates are posted online. Call 772-283-9225 |
Sailor's Return | 625 SW Anchorage Way | 930 feet of courtesy docking right in front of the restaurant | No time limits or capacity rules are posted |
TideHouse Waterfront Restaurant | 915 NW Flagler Ave | Free boat docking, plus valet and self-parking | No docking limits are posted. Call ahead |
Manatee Pocket Mooring Field | 4358 SE Bayview St, Port Salerno | 36 moorings, dinghy dock, average depth of 5 to 7 feet, transient availability | Martin County lists $30 plus tax daily, $180 weekly, $400 monthly |
Anchorage Way is the closest fit for a downtown trip. Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage lists itself as about a five-minute walk from downtown. That makes it the most practical place to leave the boat on a market morning or a show night at the Lyric. Sailor's Return is next door, and its 930 feet of courtesy docking makes lunch on the river an easy first stop.
TideHouse is a newer reason to plan the day differently. New owners took over this summer, and WFLX reported in July that the restaurant has a refreshed space and a new menu. It's New American coastal food from a scratch kitchen, with fish sourced daily and the crab cakes the restaurant is known for. WFLX listed hours of 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and happy hour Tuesday through Saturday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Hours can change, so confirm before you head out.
Discover Martin's dock-and-dine guide also names Waterfront and Stuart Boathouse among Stuart's options. That guide dates to 2021 and itself advises calling restaurants to confirm their docking policies. Treat those two as leads to check by phone.
Manatee Pocket is a different kind of trip. It isn't a downtown landing, but it's useful if you want to keep a boat on a mooring for a week or a month at county rates. Close by, Dockside Deli & Coffee at Sailfish Marina has been under new ownership since June 2026. It added a coffee menu and a signature Cuban sandwich and kept regulars like the Reuben.
City parks that come up in conversation don't solve the tie-up problem. Shepard Park has a boat launch and fishing dock, but the city listing doesn't say boats can stay there as transient berths. The floating launch at Charlie Leighton Park is described for kayaks, paddleboards, rowing sculls, and other non-motorized craft.
Timing the Run Past the FEC Bridge
If you're coming downtown along the Okeechobee Waterway, the Florida East Coast railroad bridge sets your schedule. Under the federal rule in effect since November 17, 2025, the bridge stays open except for train movements and authorized work. From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., it also gives boats a fixed 10-minute opening at the top of every hour. The bridge is tended daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bridge tender monitors VHF channels 9 and 16 and gives estimated opening and closing times.
If you're dropping people off at the gate and then heading upriver to TideHouse, plan around that hourly opening. That way your passengers aren't left waiting on the dock.
Road traffic around the river will also get more complicated. TCPalm reported that rehabilitation of the Old Roosevelt Bridge is expected to start in 2027 and wrap up in early 2028, with delays for drivers. Downtown's $8.7 million undergrounding and streetscape project was still causing lane shifts in September. Crews were working around SW St. Lucie Avenue, SW Osceola Street, and S. Colorado Avenue. For some trips over the next few months, the boat may be the easier way in, even with the extra stop.
The Season That Falls Inside the Closure
Every major downtown waterfront event between now and spring is scheduled while the docks are closed to tie-ups:
- October: The city and Stuart Main Street commissioned "Heritage Vitalis," a new Flagler Park mural by Miami-based artist Samara Ash. Painting started in late September, and an unveiling is planned for sometime in October. "We really wanted it to tell the story, not just of Stuart, but of course being Flagler Park is on the water," Stuart Main Street Executive Director Candace Callahan told WQCS.
- October 10 and 11: The 27th Annual Downtown Stuart Fall Craft Festival.
- October 24: Hobgoblins on Main Street.
- November 27, 4 to 7 p.m.: Christmas on Main, the 27th annual tree lighting, with a 30-foot tree.
- January 15 to 17, 2027: The 53rd Annual Stuart Boat Show at 55 NW Dixie Highway. The city's agenda sets a temporary NW Dixie Highway closure from January 11 through January 18, pending FDOT approval.
On those weekends, demand for courtesy docking and slips along Anchorage Way will likely be heaviest, and the Flagler Park gate will be busiest. Calling Sunset Bay or the restaurant you're planning on before a festival Saturday will save you a loop on the river.
If you'd rather stay ashore and still be by the water, the city finished Oleander Mini Park at 499 NW North River Drive in July. The $80,000 project added shade trees, paths, riverfront benches, fencing, irrigation, and signage.
When the 44 Slips Come Back
The city's target is before the Fourth of July 2027. At that point, the courtesy dock goes from a single floating structure to a fixed dock, a concrete floating dock, and a vessel platform. It will have 44 slips, up from 18, and it's built to handle the storms that kept damaging the old finger piers. You can follow progress on the City of Stuart Capital Project Dashboard or in the city's weekly newsletter. Questions go to Marc Rogolino at (772) 221-4700.
At MOOREMAX Group, we keep track of this waterfront because so many of the homes we help people buy and sell come with a dock out back. If you're wondering how a home's distance to downtown by water fits your plans, or you just want to swap notes on the best way into town this season, let's start a conversation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
