LINCOLN PARK
Center Stage
The restoration of the Lincoln Theater is the centerpiece
of redevelopment on Avenue D
From its construction in 1946 to its closing in the 1970s, the Lincoln Theater was the heart of entertainment in Fort Pierce’s Avenue D business
district. Besides a theater, the building also housed a pharmacy.
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CITY OF FORT PIERCE PHOTO
BY CAMILLE S. YATES
Renea Thomas and her husband,
Stanley McKenzie, have so much faith
in the future of Avenue D that they’ve
bet their retirement savings on it.
They’ve spent $75,000 to refurbish a
building at 2011 Avenue D that they plan to open
this spring as R and L Ribs, Chicken and Seafood.
“I have that much faith in life,’’ says
Thomas, a deputy with the St. Lucie County
Sheriff’s Department who was born and reared in
Fort Pierce. “I don’t run from my neighborhood.
People speak negatively of Avenue D. I want to
let people know that Avenue D is like anything
else — U.S. 1, Orange Avenue or Port St. Lucie.’
Thomas’ efforts are just one of many sparking
redevelopment along Avenue D, Fort Pierce’s
predominantly black business district. The
biggest is the recent opening of a $4.6 million,
13,700-square-foot gymnasium on Avenue D and
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CITY OF FORT PIERCE PHOTO
It’s estimated that it will cost $1.8-$2 million to restore the Lincoln Theater.