MARK SCHUMANN

With the expected decommissioning of the City’s power plant, a task force of community leaders is now calling on the City Council to engage professionals with the Treasure Coast Planning Council to help create a long-range plan for redeveloping the City’s riverfront property located north and south of the Alma Lee Loy Bridge.

Addressing the City Council this week, Indian River County Chamber of Commerce president, Penny Chandler, reported on the result of five meetings held by a group calling itself the Indian River Boulevard & 17th Street Intersection Task Force. The group included representatives from nearby businesses and neighborhoods, as well as community leaders representing government, non-profits and professionals in the hospitality, real estate, development, finance and coastal engineering.

“The task force believes our community taxpayers and stakeholders should be included in a professionally led master planning process,” Chandler said, reading from a prepared statement.

Among its proposals, the task force advised that if it is determined the postal annex site cannot be developed in conjunction with the power plant site and waste water treatment site, it should be offered for sale or lease. The group also urged that the postal annex site, located on the southwest corner of 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard, not be developed as a filling station. Representatives of the Bridgewater office complex, which is located immediately south of the postal annex site, are also opposed to the City or FPL locating a electoral substation on the property.

Chandler said that while the intersection of 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard is considered by many as the “gateway” to the barrier island, it is also the “gateway” to the mainland. Chandler and other’s see the potential for redeveloping the centrally located riverfront land as a significant opportunity for the community.

Following is the full text of the prepared remarks Chandler presented to the City Council.  In a special call workshop scheduled for Jan. 26, the Council is to discuss the future of the power plan site. The Council will also “revisit” a visioning plan developed in 2004/2005. That plan, Chandler said, “has been long on the shelf.”