PALM BAY, Fla. — The fate of Palm Bay’s Compound remains up in the air after decades of turning into a vast wasteland, but a new project is being discussed that could utilize some of the land for BMX racing and become an economic driver along the way.

“This is a very popular sport and growing in terms of the number of tracks that are in the state of Florida,” said Palm Bay city manager Suzanne Sherman.

The sanctioned USA BMX bicycle race facility would be the first of its kind in Brevard County.

Bruno Vicentin, an avid BMX rider living in West Melbourne, is hoping his sport will one day come to the Space Coast.

He’s raced across the world, including his home country of Brazil, but currently uses a skate park to catch air these days.

Renderings of a proposed BMX park in Port St. Lucie would be used as a template for the Palm Bay facility, which Vicentin called “amazing.”

“It looks like it BMX racing track melded into a pump track. The pump track would be really good for people just starting,” he said. “My heart is beating fast. I’m stoked to see something so nice.”

Justin Travis, the director of new track development for USA BMX, says they are in early discussion stages with Palm Bay on making it a reality.

Three acres of city-owned land in The Compound would be used for the park, which would host lessons, safety seminars and races.

“You have an entire population of people that are already participating in this sport passively, and they don’t actually have a place to engage in it,” said Travis. “Then you have all the economic development in sports tourism.”

USA BMX has more than 300 facilities in the US and Canada, and sanctions some 14,000 local events a year.

The Palm Bay City Council will continue its discussions with the group to figure out potential next steps.