One of Palm City's most-used boat ramps is going dark for a while. Martin County is putting $4.5 million into rebuilding the boat ramp and surrounding amenities at Charlie Leighton Park, and the work means a full park-and-ramp closure from September 2 through summer 2026.
The upgrade list is substantial. Plans call for more boat ramp and car parking spaces, reconfigured parking to smooth out traffic flow, additional dockage including a floating dock, new picnicking areas, and pedestrian access along the water with connectivity under the bridge. There's also an expanded crew and rowing building site, plus open green space and a gazebo.
The county is splitting it into two phases. Phase 1 handles demolition and replacement of the boat ramps, piers, docks and pedestrian ramps along with some upland work. Phase 2 covers the park itself: site reconfiguration, repaving and parking expansion, sidewalks, a pavilion, lighting and drainage.
Not everything shuts down. The Palm City Community Center, the Palm City Chamber of Commerce, the restrooms and the Treasure Coast Rowing Club stay open during construction, though with limited parking. So the building side of the park keeps humming even while the ramps are torn up.
If you launch out of Charlie Leighton, start planning your detour now. The county is pointing boaters to alternative ramps including Sandsprit Park, the Jensen Beach Boat Ramp, the Stuart Causeway and the Jensen Beach Causeway for the duration.
For the 772, this is the kind of unglamorous-but-important project that actually shapes daily life on the water. Charlie Leighton has needed a facelift for a while, as more than one local boater has noted, and a $4.5 million rebuild should leave Palm City with a far better launch on the other side of the closure.