By Dawn Krebs
dkrebs@hometownnewsol.com
FORT PIERCE - With the holiday season fast approaching, city residents are looking around for an inexpensive location to hold holiday events, membership meetings and more.
With the beautiful backdrop of the Indian River, the Riverwalk Center in Fort Pierce offers something for everyone.
Established in 1972, it was originally called the Fort Pierce Community Center. In the 1990s, it was used as a recreation center. Currently, the center is operated by the city of Fort Pierce.
"In December 2008 it was turned over from the county to be run by the city," said Steve Strong, Riverwalk program specialist.
At any given day, residents can find exercise classes such as yoga or jazzercise. If dancing is more their preference, line dancing, ballroom dancing and even belly dancing is offered.
Outside, shuffleboard is available for free, when tournaments aren't being played.
But it's not just the classes that attract residents. Three refurbished rooms at Riverwalk showcase the beautiful view of the river.
The first room is Pierce Hall, which can seat approximately 120 people.
The second room, the Sunrise Room, can seat approximately 40, and the Cobb Conference Room can also be used to hold area board meetings.
"We are constantly improving the building," Mr. Strong said. "We have installed new flooring in the Sunrise room and painted the facility inside and out. We also recently updated the air-conditioning system and improved the landscaping."
As more residents realize the value and quality of the center, holiday parties and events are filling up the Riverwalk schedule.
"We've been getting a lot of positive feedback about the facility," Mr. Strong said. "This place is really starting to take off."
As the center goes into next year, organizers are on the lookout for more programs to offer residents.
"We can always use more instructors to teach here," Mr. Strong said. "We would like to also offer more children's classes, like karate, tap and ballet."
The Riverwalk Center is located at 600 N. Indian River Drive in Fort Pierce. For more information on classes or rental rates, call (772) 489-6473.