Riverwalk Commons

Melissa Barton opened Riverwalk Commons in St. Marys in the Fall of 2022. Taking a heritage building, full of charm and historic significance, Melissa dreamed of creating a multi-purpose event space that the community could utilize for small-medium sized events, workshops, and trainings. Following a year of renovations, Riverwalk Commons was able to open its doors to the community in the late Fall of 2022.

Renovating a heritage building proved to be a costly task, and Melissa knew she required additional funding to make her dreams a reality. Traditional lenders were not interested in funding her business due to the lack of incoming revenue and recommended she return once she had at least 2 years of financial statements to be considered for a loan. Feeling as though

this was not an option, Melissa reached out to Perth CFDC to assess her options.

Melissa was impressed with the expediency of Perth Community Futures, and noted that beyond financing, Perth CFDC provided guidance, advice and support to continue the final stages of their renovation. Without this support, Melissa and her team would have had to pause their renovation plans and work to generate funding through various personal financial

endeavours.

With the support of Perth Community Futures, Riverwalk Commons has been able to ensure the highest quality of craftsmanship to respect and honour the original features of the heritage building.