Ramon Trias, the city's development director, says he feels surethe commission will eventually pass the ordinance, with somechanges. "Requiring retail tenants on the first floor is a growingtrend in Florida cities with historic downtowns," Trias tellsGlobeSt.com. He says at least 22 cities in the state, includingWest Palm Beach and South Miami, have enacted similarordinances.

The reason for the ordinance, Trias says, is to try to level theplaying field for merchants in revitalized historic downtown areas.He says the area to be covered by the ordinance in Ft. Pierce is afour-block area on the waterfront that was built in the 1920s andconsists primarily of two-story buildings. The area was mostlyvacant until a couple of years ago, when a revitalization projectwas begun. But the city has found that retailers who move into thearea are at a disadvantage to those in shopping centers becausefirst-floor offices break up retail space and make it less invitingto pedestrian shoppers, especially in the evenings andweekends.

"It is important that retail is around other retail," Triassays, especially in older areas like this with low buildings. Hesaid newer downtown areas with taller buildings and higher densitydon't have the same problem.