DOWNTOWN
have places like the new courthouse
While still battling Florida’s
recession, some small business
owners continue to have dreams
fulfilled while adapting to
the times.
“The downtown has had
hard times in the past, and it’s
held itself together,” says Main
Street Fort Pierce manager Doris
Tillman, looking back over 19
years as a Main Street employee.
Downtown Fort Pierce is a semifinalist
Main Street Awards competition.
“It has a lot to do with the city
and county offices and their 1,500
employees, the activities we have,
the proximity to North and South
beaches, the shows at the Sunrise
Theatre and our merchants.’’
A BETTER PLACE
Mayor Bob Benton, who has
a bird’s-eye view of the whole
city, sees its resilience, too. “I
grew up here, and I’ve seen a lot
of changes,” he says. “Like the
18
Mandy Green rearranges candles at Sentiment, the store she and her aunt, Dale van der Lugt, opened. They
make their own candles.
We live in the community
We work in the community
building and the Renaissance
that opened last spring.”
in the 2010 Great American
>>
Joey Miller, center, began St. Lucie Battery & Tire nearly 40 years ago as a side business
to his farm stand on Orange Avenue Extension in Fort Pierce. Folks could get tires and
batteries when they stopped for their eggs and milk. Today, with sons Doug, left, and
Mickey, right, Miller oversees six St. Lucie Battery and Tire stores on the Treasure
Coast, stretching from Vero Beach to Palm City. You might not be able to pick up eggs
and milk when you visit one of his stores today, but you’ll feel like family.
The Home of Honest,
Reliable Service.
317 Orange ave
FOrt Pierce, FL 34950
(772) 489-3977
6911 SOuth u.S. One
POrt Saint Lucie, FL 34952
(772) 466-1814
198 uS highway 98 n
OkeechObee, FL 34972
(863) 357-2431
3992 Sw bruner terrace
PaLm city, FL 34994
(772) 219-0100
1893 90th ave
verO beach, FL 32966
(772) 569-7629
5500 Orange ave
FOrt Pierce, FL 34947
(772) 461-1746
We support the community
Visit us online www.slbatterytire.com
6 Locations on the Treasure Coast
/www.slbatterytire.com