A new skybridge now lets visitors walk through the 73-foot Heart in the Park sculpture in Port St. Lucie — adding an elevated, interactive layer to a landmark already drawing couples, families, and visitors from across the region.
On Saturday, May 9, visitors to Tradition's Heart in the Park got an entirely new way to experience what is already recognized as the world's tallest heart sculpture. A newly completed skybridge — stretching approximately 20 feet in length and suspended roughly 24 feet above the ground — now carries visitors directly through the gleaming metal form, offering panoramic views of the surrounding park and community below.
The addition transforms the sculpture from a landmark to be admired from a distance into one you can walk through. Dan Grosswald, Mattamy Homes' Southeast Florida Division President, says the skybridge deepens what Heart in the Park means for the region.
"The opening of the skybridge builds on Heart in the Park as a destination for the greater community and creates even more ways for people to experience the landmark as a symbol of unity, said Grosswald. “Whether it's a marriage proposal, exchanging wedding vows, taking anniversary photos or simply experiencing the sculpture from a new perspective, the skybridge adds another interactive element to the park as a unique place for celebration, connection and community in Tradition."
Skybridge at a Glance
- Opened: Saturday, May 9, 2026
- Length: Approximately 20 feet
- Height: Suspended approximately 24 feet above ground
- Access: Open the second Saturday of each month during designated operating hours and community events
- Location: Heart in the Park plaza, intersection of SW Village Parkway & Discovery Way, Tradition, Port St. Lucie
The artist behind the heart
The sculpture itself was designed by JEFRE, a Filipino-American artist with an international portfolio of large-scale public installations spanning London, Manila, Orlando, and beyond.
His work sits at the intersection of art, architecture, and placemaking — and his personal history is inseparable from the piece standing in Tradition.
In his thirties, JEFRE suffered a heart attack and underwent triple-bypass surgery. The experience upended his life. He left a stable desk career, redirected his focus, and committed himself to creating public art centered on human connection, emotion, and shared experience. The 73-foot sculpture in Port St. Lucie, he has said, is a physical embodiment of that second chance — not just his story, but a collective one about resilience, love, and healing.
That biography, and JEFRE's established reputation for monumental installations that resonate emotionally with the communities that receive them, made him the clear choice for a project Mattamy Homes envisioned as something more than a decorative landmark.
Why here, why this site
The location at the center of Tradition was deliberate. The intersection of Discovery Way and Village Parkway sits at the community's visual and pedestrian core — visible from Tradition's main entrance near I-95, connected to the T Trail, and adjacent to The Shoppes at the Heart, a 71,000-square-foot retail center that opened alongside the sculpture's grand opening in August 2025.
The goal, according to Mattamy Homes, was to create a landmark that reflects the spirit of Tradition — a master-planned community in Port St. Lucie built around the idea of connection — while giving residents and visitors a natural gathering place. Heart in the Park was fully funded and commissioned by Mattamy Homes, the developer of Tradition.
An immersive new layer
The skybridge was designed specifically to make the sculpture more than something you stand beneath and photograph. Visitors stepping onto it move through the artwork, taking in elevated views of the plaza, the Tradition Trail, and the surrounding neighborhood from a perspective unavailable anywhere else in the park.
Since the sculpture's grand opening last summer — an event that saw more than a dozen couples renew their wedding vows beneath it — Heart in the Park has already become a site for proposals, ceremonies, anniversary portraits, and community gatherings. The skybridge, open to the public on the second Saturday of each month and during special community events, extends that invitation further.
Access is available directly from the Heart in the Park plaza area.