KABLAM!

It seems like things are happening rather fast with downtown Florence, but many of the folks associated with it assure me that it's only fast if you're just peeking in now.
Everything that's happening now has been brainstormed over and over for the past twenty years or so. Florence residents have dreamed of a return to the Magic City's glory days of the '60s and '70s when downtown was bustling with shops and restaurants.
Older residents I spoke to remembered the decline of downtown with the construction of the Florence Mall and, subsequently, Magnolia Mall.
It's a classic case. Malls drying up a downtown.
To bring life back into Florence's epicenter, what would be needed?

Sandy Sewell, who has lived in Florence all her life and now operates an antique shop in downtown Florence, remembers a different time in the downtown area.
"Shopping after 5. You could go down there on a date. The stores closed and you could window shop for rings and shoes. It was a relaxing not a fearful time," she said. "It's what we miss the most."
But Tuesday night with the gallery opening in the old Kimbrell's building, people walking back to their cars in groups around 9 or 10 at night. It's enough to make Sandy excited once again for the future of downtown.
"For the first time, it's getting better. It'll never be like it used to be, but I think it's getting great improvement."
What's the key though? What has to happen?
That really depends who you ask.

Currently, Florence County Council has the motion on the table to approve matching a $3.9 million grant from the state of South Carolina to renovate the old Kimbrell's building for the future home of the Florence Museum. If the Council approved and the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation also agreed to a $3.9 grant, this would mean, within 3-4 years, the Museum would be moved into the four-story downtown building.
Donald Hunter, CEO of Hunter Interests Incorporated (a Maryland company serving as a consultant for Florence's downtown revitalization - just a note of interest: they're the same folks who orchestrated the Greenville revitalization 20 years ago), is adamant about using an existing building rather than constructing an entirely new building, which he says is what the Florence County Council wants to do. He points to a feasibility study finished in June of this year, which states that a $10 million grant promised by Senator Hugh Leatherman (which, of course, depends on the matching grants mentioned above) would be more bang for the buck if it was used for renovating an existing building, rather than constructing something from the ground up.
What exactly is the difference?

According to the study, using the $10 million grant with a new construction would provide a building of 15,000 sq. feet, a renovation of the existing building would provide 50,000 sq. feet. The study said a space of 50,000 sq. feet would be needed to house the entirety of the Museum's acquisitions.
"The challenge is how to serve the Museum," he said. With the new construction, "you just get a lot less for the buck and the bucks are finite."
He listed the Museum as one of the "anchors" or attractions that will pull people into the downtown area. Other anchors include the Florence Little Theatre, Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library and Francis Marion Unviersity Performing Arts Center (set to groundbreak next year and reach completion in September 2010).
So, is Sandy's hope well-founded?

It doesn't reside entirely in the County Council's decision. Tuesday night at the old Kimbrell's building should have proven that. The Art in the Windows project, a project of Florence Downtown Development Corporation (FDDC), is designed to place local artists' work in vacant buildings in downtown. It's a cheap way to beautify downtown and encourage business owners in that area to take pride in their buildings and spruce them up, said FDDC and Art in the Windows committee member George Jebaily.
It's cheap. Actually, it's as close to free as you're gonna get.

So, yes, Sandy's hope is well-founded irregardless of the Council's decision. Things are going to happen either way.
However, many would take well to consider the advice of Hunter, whose company has received numerous awards for its downtown revitalizations in cities and small towns across the nation. He's not just shooting in the dark and when he says it might be a good idea to invest in a renovation as opposed to a new construction - it's a good bet to take him up on it.
If nothing else, take Sandy's advice. The building she rents for her antique shop is over 70 years old.
"The new buildings, they have an empty feeling," she said.
Maybe she's on to something.

Log In | Register as a new member