A handful of names continue to be bandied about for the city-owned waterfront site most commonly called Centennial Place, and the prime piece of real estate likely won’t receive a definitive designation until sometime later this year.

The steering committee designated to oversee planning for redevelopment of the site earlier this month refrained from naming the 38-acre property, which includes the former power plant, current wastewater treatment facility and former postal annex.

The city now plans to launch a naming survey on speakupverobeach.com – the official online forum for the redevelopment effort – after a redevelopment plan is decided on, said Jason Jeffries, planning and development director.

“We’re holding off because we don’t know what the selected design is and there is some thought that the name would reflect whatever is the selected scenario,” Jeffries said.

DPZ CoDesign co-founder Andrés Martin Duany disagrees. The city earlier this year hired the world-renowned urban planning firm to help guide the planning process and formulate a final design for the riverfront property, which flanks the 17th Street bridge on the mainland side, and Duany believes naming the site now will drive the planning process and reduce confusion.

“The statement, ‘It’s too early to tell’ is very disempowering to the public process,” Duany said. “There should be several proposals on the table so that people can respond to them.”

The five names floating around are: Centennial Place, selected in a contest a year ago; Three Corners, the name favored by Vero Beach oldtimers; Vero Landing, Vero Amore Landing and a variation of Big Blue Park or Big Blue Point.

A favorite name of Vice Mayor Laura Moss is one she created: Vero Amare Landing.

“Amare means love. People fall in love with Vero,” Moss said of the Latin word. “Old Vero residents, new Vero residents and tourists all tell me how much they truly love Vero.”

The planning process is anticipated to last six months and includes time to analyze the site, garner input online, formulate a public survey, hold a series of public meetings later this month and present a final report to the city council in May.

DPZ plans to create five redevelopment concepts for the riverfront site that the public can choose from, ranging from a mostly undeveloped site to a fully developed area that incorporates the wishes of site neighbors, the greater Vero Beach population and elected officials.

The council plans to present the public with a final plan or two and then put the issue on the ballot during the 2020 election so voters can choose what they want done with the site. The city charter prohibits a change in the use of the property unless voters approve it.