PORT ST. LUCIE – Red, white and blue was on full display as a long-awaited park in Tradition opened amid speeches and a show of patriotism.
Stars and Stripes Park, located on SW Village Parkway, officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, June 4. Hundreds of residents attended the opening and spent hours enjoying the patriotic and celestial park.
Mayor Shannon Martin was among those in attendance. “Stars & Stripes Park was thoughtfully designed with purpose in every detail,” Martin said. “This 26.5-acre park was created to honor veterans and first responders – the men and women whose courage, sacrifice, and service protect our freedoms and help keep our community safe every day.”
According to a press release from the developer, Mattamy Homes, Stars & Stripes Park is dedicated to our nation’s heroes. The park features towering stars and solar system structures, Celestial Space, a layout inspired by the solar system, showing how the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars remain close to the center, and inspirational messages from veterans and first responders.
The family friendly park has a walking path that meanders around a lake, benches surrounding the star sculptures, a food court area for food trucks and lots of green space for residents and visitors to take advantage of.
Steven Garrett, Senior Planner at Lucido and Associates, has been working on the project since 2021. “The broad idea or concept was, given the size of the park, to create two unique spaces that were experiences. Once we knew we wanted to honor our first responders and veterans, we wanted to do it in a way that wasn’t a memorial, but a celebratory plaza, which is where the star sculptures are. At one time there was a planned school on the northern end of this park, which may now become a Boys & Girls Club, so we wanted to create a solar system, an outdoor classroom that would kind of dovetail to an educational level.”
Several dozen members of the Rolling Thunder, Florida Chapter 6, were on hand for the event. When asked about the organization’s purpose, President Robert J. Staneruck explained. “We are the voice for the veterans who have lost their voice, the POWs, the MIAs.”
Staneruck believes the park will eventually become a gathering place for veterans and veteran families.
Port St. Lucie City Councilman David Pickett, a veteran, was also in attendance. “This celestial star, with all the plates, reading some of those quotes, brings back some memories of my days in the military and helps me remember some things that I forgot about. And how, you know, we might be in different services, but the intent is always the same, to protect our country, the citizens of the United States and to protect our way of life.”
While designed and developed by Mattamy, the park will become the property of and be maintained by the City of Port St. Lucie. Construction of the park began on April 25, 2024.
Stars & Stripes Park is located at 12441 SW Village Parkway, in southwest Port St. Lucie. It will be open 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily.