Flower shop coming to downtown

LAKE WORTH — Awe Florist, a high-end flower shop, is scheduled to open in Lake Worth on New Year’s Day at 5 N. L St., where a hair salon stood.

“It’s a new retail concept for our downtown,” said Ariana Peters, a managing partner at Peters Development, the company that owns the site. “We believe (the shop) will draw a new clientele to downtown.”

The three-year deal was finalized Dec. 1 for the 600-square-foot space, which has been vacant for fewer than 60 days.

Attempts by The Palm Beach Post to reach the shop’s owners were unsuccessful.

Peters said a number of companies — a vintage clothing store, hair salon, noodle company, spice store and DNA testing firm — were interested in the space, right next door to Cafe Tecun, the recently opened Mexican/Guatemalan eatery.

The outside of the site doesn’t n e e d r e n ov a t i o n s , a s Pe t e r s Development recently painted and upgraded the electrical wiring while adding new sconces, address plaques and mailboxes. A high-definition security camera system will allow store operators to monitor the property from their smartphones.

The new tenant plans to make a few aesthetic updates inside, Peters said.

The developer owns more than 25 properties in Lake Worth. The company said it’s making a concerted effort to bring more retail stores to the area. It has a sneaker company in the works for 605 Lake Ave., with construction scheduled to start in July, Peters said.

“We want Lake Worth to be a marquee city with an array of retail concepts that both the locals and tourists can enjoy,” Peters said.

The company also recently moved its office from Boynton Beach to Lake Avenue.

“We have expanded our portfolio immensely in the area and we like to be close to our tenants ... become more involved in the city and getting to know the locals,” Peters said.