JENSEN BEACH
“Quinn’s Market in the 1970s was where
Crawdaddy’s is now, right next to the
bank,” he said, adding that sausage from
Quinn’s was made by hand into patties for
the Lions Club’s annual pancake breakfast.
Long lines would form as the tantalizing
smell of pancakes and sausage wafted
over the hungry crowd.
“For myself, and my family, even though
Jensen Beach has grown and gotten more
congested, it still has the charm of a small
town,”Wilson said. “You go into Publix
after you’ve been away for a week and they
ask where you’ve been. That’s kind of nice.”
Jensen was home to about 11,100 people
in the 2000 census, up from almost 10,000
in 1993. New housing developments such
as Renar River Place have sprung up here
and there, along with some new strip
malls west of Savannah Road. A new high
school graces the western end of Jensen.
And Treasure Coast Square mall, along
with many big box stores such as BestBuy,
Petsmart, Barnes & Noble, and Rooms to
Go, populate U.S. 1.
Congested traffic, partly thanks to St.
Lucie County, is a key issue in Jensen
Beach’s march toward the future.
“What most inspired our changes in
Jensen Beach was the massive growth of
70
PHOTO BY SUSAN BURGESS
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Shakra’s Deli in the Wacha Building is a fixture in Jensen Beach and a favorite place for lunch.
PHOTO BY PORFIRIO SOLORZANO
Treasure Coast Square on U.S. 1 is the first regional mall serving Martin and St. Lucie counties.