By: Debra Donatto
The River District is blossoming into one of the trendiest places in Southwest Florida. Located along the beautiful Caloosahatchee River, the downtown area is in the midst of a full revival, which is giving new life to the historic buildings from the 1920s building boom.
Soon, the ghosts of moguls Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck will be celebrating as Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida (SWFL) brings retail back to the iconic downtown Sears & Roebucks store. Sears was once the largest retailer in the United States.
“We are relocating our Goodwill boutique to the old Sears store, the other side of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, so we can be included in all of the downtown activities,” explains John Nadeau, Goodwill SWFL CEO & President. “The larger footprint will allow us to add an art gallery and a fun book department, which will be a nice addition to our current selection of apparel.”
Rebranded as “blue,” the Goodwill boutique is moving into the corner of the Bradford Block (previously Re/Max real estate), and set for a ribbon-cutting ceremony this July, with hopes that it can happen at 5pm on July 2nd during the next downtown “Art Walk”.
Thanks to a full schedule of events offered by the SBDAC and the River District Alliance, lots of culinary offerings and unique shopping opportunities, the new art gallery and book department will be an added value for visitors.
“Our boutique carries designer labels and better brands at discounted prices,” says Nadeau. “We look forward to expanding our offerings to shoppers with the new additions.”
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida is a nonprofit organization committed to serving people with disabilities and disadvantages by providing life-changing opportunities toward independence. For more information about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, visit www.goodwillswfl.org.
