WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — One of West Palm Beach’s popular boat ramps is preparing to shut down for major renovations.
The boat launch area at Currie Park will close Tuesday as part of a broader $35.5 million redevelopment project that began earlier this year.
The closure starts just after Labor Day weekend, which brought a crowd of boaters to the site Saturday for one last launch before construction begins.
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“It’s a real popular place,” said boater Eddie Davila.
While the park’s overall redevelopment began in May, city officials kept the boat ramps open during the peak summer boating season. Starting next week, those ramps will be closed until spring of 2027.
Some locals who frequent the ramp are concerned about the extended closure.
“I don’t think it’s enough reason to close the ramp,” said dockhand Woodrow Pugh, who spends most of his days assisting boaters at the site.
Still, Pugh acknowledged the need for upgrades and hopes to see specific improvements made.
“I’d like to see them adding water, [fresh] water [so] when the boats come out you can rinse all the salt water and stuff like that,” he said.
Pugh also hopes the city considers extending the docks to make the space more functional, an idea Davila agrees with.
“So that way I’m coming in another boat can come in behind me, so we can maybe have two boats on the same dock instead of you got to sit out there and circle and wait for an opening and then come out,” Davila explained.
Floating docks, Davila added, could also make launching easier.
“When it’s high tide it goes up and down so it makes things so much easier to get the boat in and out of the water,” he said.
Officials said the project is funded through a variety of sources, including the 2020 Parks Bond, a $16.7 million grant from FloridaCommerce and additional support from grants provided by FDEP, FIND, FDOS, HUD, along with contributions from the CRA.
The city has encouraged residents to share feedback on what amenities they’d like to see included in the updated Currie Park. A community input survey is currently open and closes Sunday. Click here to access the survey.
In the meantime, boaters will have to go elsewhere to access the water.
“They rushed through all this the last time they did it so hopefully this time around they’ll take their time and improve on it,” Davila said.
During the closure, boaters may access the Lake Worth Lagoon/Intracoastal Waterway from nearby public ramps, including Jim Barry Light Harbor Park, Phil Foster Park and Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach.
Click here for additional information about the Currie Park Redevelopment Project.
