Heitman Building

As Fort Myers' first brick building, the Heitman Building was a successful, modern grocery store for more than three decades. The first floor was a general store, and the second floor had offices. After the grocer closed, it was used as telephone company headquarters, a Western Union office, a Sears & Roebuck store, and a ladies clothing shop. Today, it is inhabited by shops and offices. In addition, the historic photo on the right shows the river originally coming to Bay Street, with north/south streets extending into the river on piers. Today's environmentally-friendly detention basin at Hendry Street symbolically restores the river to its original shoreline.