DOWNTOWN
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The Sunrise City Bakery Café on the west side of the Renaissance, right across from the county’s new courthouse
building and Art Mundo, is a popular place to sit inside or outside and eat.
“We see other businesses here that are related to health
and nutrition, the hospital (Lawnwood Regional Medical
Center & Heart Institute) is near here, and we all support
each other,” he says as he takes a break after registering a
new member.
“We are open 24/7 so people can come in here at all hours
of the day and night after work,” Ray says. “Every business
in the downtown here benefits from the traffic of every
other business. It’s a collaboration,
teamwork. We support them and
they support us. We’re absolutely
happy we’re here.”
Renaissance on the River, the
first condominium-retail shopoffice
complex downtown, opened
in April 2008, and is a vital piece
of downtown’s hopes and dreams.
“Retail sales have been excellent,”
says Steve Watters, the general
manager, between phone calls in a
sunny upstairs office.
The “front porch” on the
waterfront side of Renaissance
is home to Uncle Carlo’s Gelato,
where visitors congregate all day
long. Artist Gertrude Walker and
her Highwayman artist husband
Charles Walker just opened a gallery
there in November. Rumirs
Day Spa and a clothing store are
also on the waterfront.
On the street side, Sunrise
City Bakery opened with outdoor tables popular enough that
visitors sat there even during January’s cold snap.
“In our name, Renaissance on the River, what you are seeing
is a rebirth along the river,” Watters says. “The arts are a
big part of what bring people here downtown. You have the
Sunrise Theatre, the Backus Museum and Gallery, the sculpture,
all in keeping with the arts. There is great importance in
DevoteD to the relentless
Defense of YoUr rePUtation
anD YoUr freeDoM
772.464.1991
Renaissance Financial Center, Suite 302
Historic Downtown Fort Pierce
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