Special Section:Downtown Development

Downtownsevolving as

•economicanchorsBy Reba Campbell, Depufy Executive Director, MunicipalAssociation of SC

Reprinted from the SC Chamber of Commerce'sNovember/December issue of "South Carolina Business"

Downtowns have long had a special place in American life ashubs of business and residential living. However, when the pace ofcommerce increased in the mid-1900s, many downtowns aroundthe country, especially in South Carolina, were shuttered when thegrowing interstate system circumvented city centers. At the sametime, residents were flocking to the suburbs and businesses weremoving to the bypass leaving many downtown centers struggling.

In the past 25 years, however, public and private sector leadershave led revitalization efforts in many South Carolina downtowns.Statewide, dozens of communities of all sizes have reinvented theircity centers to reflect todays demographic trends, mobile lifestylesand shifts in traffic patterns back toward downtown living andworking. No longer abandoned and neglected, South Carolinadowntowns are springing back to be population centers bustlingwith commerce, and residents are returning to downtown living.

But do not confuse downtown development with just rehab-. bing facades, bricking sidewalks and burying power lines. Whilethe secret formula for downtown revitalization will be differentfor every community, three themes frequently occur when look-ing at successful downtown development plans across the state.

Leadership and vision - Downtown revitalization does notjust happen. Public and private sector leadership and vision overmany years are keys to its success. Without that shared vision,diverse funding sources and a strong do-able plan, the process caneasily get off track.

Landmarks - Many successful downtown projects are builtaround a local landmark or grouping oflandmarks. Restored operahouses and theaters, city halls, courthouses, textile mills and federalbuildings all serve as anchors for successful redevelopment efforts.

Leveraging natural assets -Water is a natural asset many citieshave used as a draw for downtown development efforts. SouthCarolina's wealth of rivers and the commerce that has long beenassociated with waterways gives many cities and towns a naturalstarting place for downtown development planning.

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Leadership and visionGreenville

Greenville is one of the state's best known success stories forhaving a long-term vision for its downtown redevelopment.

In a decline typical of South Carolina cities in the late 1970s,Greenville lost many downtown businesses to the suburban shop-ping centers. Business and city leaders recognized that somethingneeded to be done.

The city's master plan from the 1980s focused on publicprivate partnerships that would encourage retail, residential living,arts and culture. The vision of that master plan stated by 2000"Greenville will have a thriving downtown, which is recognizednationally as an example of a 'state-of-the-art' community inwhich to live, work and play, and which serves in itself as anational attraction." Recent recognition by national publications

such as Southern Living and Regions Magazine reinforces thisvision has become a reality.

In the 1980s, the city jump-started the reinvention ofdowntown with a comprehensive streetscaping project that madeMain Street easier to navigate and encouraged pedestrian trafficwith parks and open spaces. The city also encouraged privateinvestment with its commitment to the Hyatt hotel and confer-ence center that has been an anchor for downtown developmentin the past 25 years.

Taking full advantage of its most valuable hidden asset in thelate 1990s, Greenville leaders set out a vision to incorporate theReedy River as the centerpiece of the city's downtown rede-velopment plans. Following a massive $70 million constructionproject to expose the river as an anchor for downtown economicgrowth, Falls Park and the Liberty Bridge that spans the riverhave become the focal point for downtown as a destination forvisitors and residents alike.

AikenLike Greenville.Aiken's downtown experienced a similar

decline by the 1980s. City leaders started a long-term masterplanning process in 1986 to bring back the character and person-ality of its original bustling downtown. Key to this planningprocess was strong private sector leadership working closely withcity council to ensure the rebirth of downtown would take placein a deliberate, long-term manner led by a strong downtowndevelopment organization.

By 1993, the city's master plan had developed into a long-rangestrategic vision that focused on four core areas - the Business City,the Family City, the Green City and the Historic City.This led to aprivate fundraising campaign,Aiken 20/20, that raised $3.5 millionin five years to provide private dollars that supplemented the publicinvestment in downtown.

A major challenge cities often face in redevelopment projectsis disruption to the existing downtown businesses. A uniqueaspect of Aiken's redevelopment plans was a process the citycalled "publicitization," says Roger LeDuc, Aiken's city manager.Publicitization means the city served as the general contractor formuch of the infrastructure work to better control the cost, paceand timing of the work.

LeDuc says publicitization allowed disruptive streetscapingwork to be done a half-block at a time on one side of the streetrather than tearing streets up all at once. This process minimizedthe impact on downtown businesses and saved the city almost 50percent. Additionally, no businesses closed during construction.

Another goal of Aiken's downtown planning was to increasehousing density. Through an incentive program, building ownersadded upper floor housing above downtown shops. They alsobegan rehabilitating neglected buildings downtown and createdincentives for private investors to do the same.

ColumbiaIn Columbia, the University of South Carolina is playing a

critical role in tying a long-range vision for the Vista area, the river,

Special Section:Downtown Development

the Main Street corridor and USe. The goal is to position thecapital city's downtown as a hub for high-tech jobs in the knowl- I

edge economy. City leaders recognized the knowledge economyworkers, entrepreneurs and investors would want pedestrianfriendly streets and access to downtown living.

According to Jim Gambrell, director of economic develop-ment for the City of Columbia, "Planning has paid offbig time fordowntown Columbia."

Gambrell said it all started with the Congaree Vista Plan in the1980s and continued with the City Center Master Plan in 1999.This plan called for the streetscape on Main Street and supportedthe idea that residential development was important to makedowntown a 24-hour environment rather than just a place wherepeople would come to work then leave for their suburban homes.

"This planning also encouraged us to think about a marketniche, and we focused on USC as a partner in developing technol-ogy oriented companies," said Gambrell. With USCs focus onits research campus, Innovista, the city and university partneredto create Columbia's Technology Plan and the USC ColumbiaTechnology Incubator, which has graduated 21 new companies.

LandmarksNewberry

Newberry experienced the typical decline resulting fromthe interstate system and the widening of other highways in the1970s. Businesses left the center city to be closer to the interstate.By the late 1980s, downtown was nearly a ghost town.

In 1992, a concerned group of residents convened to considerthe idea of reinventing the old opera house into a centerpiecethat would position downtown Newberry as a performing artsdestination. A successful public-private collaboration raised $6million to renovate the building and an adjacent city park andfund a streetscaping project.

The renovated Opera House opened in 1998 as the anchorfor the downtown re-development plan. With a unique nine-month season, the Opera House schedule features diverse nationalperformers ranging from opera and chamber music to countrymusic and acrobats in an intimate 462-seat facility .

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in 2006. Since its opening, more than 65,000 people have comethrough the Federal-style building tying directly to the increase ofretail and restaurant traffic downtown. The 300-seat GreenwoodCommunity Theater, built in 1934, is a city landmark with many ofits original architecture elements intact from its early days includingthe lobby Boor and many of the seats.

Recently, the courtyard between these two anchor buildingswas renovated to accommodate more events and downtowngatherings. The city received two grants to help with the work.

The Greenwood Museum, a former furniture store builtin 1940, underwent a $1 million restoration in 2008, the firstimprovements since it opened in 1982.

Special Section:Downtown Development

In 2002, Hampton Inn opened next to the opera house. Atthe time, it was the only Hampton Inn located in a downtownoutside of a major metropolitan area in the state. In 2007, the cityrestored the fire station next to the Opera House into a full-serviceconference center. The fire station further increases the value of theOpera House by generating overnight stays and using local restau-rants for on-site catering of receptions, meals and other events.

City leaders say this approach to make downtown Newberryan arts destination is working. Seventy percent of the visitors tothe opera house are from outside of Newberry, creating a sizeablecustomer base for downtown restaurants, hotels and retail outlets.Since the beginning of the Opera House project, downtownNewberry has seen 20 buildings renovated, 17 second Boor apart-ments constructed and six restaurants added.

The city's public investment of approximately $9 million overthe life of the project resulted in more than $14 million in privatesector investments in Newberry's downtown district and continuesto produce ongoing investment.

GreenwoodDowntown Greenwood had experienced minimal growth in

the past 20 years when city leaders began a master planning processin 2004 to spur economic development. Community leadersfocused on three key cultural landmarks within the downtown areacalled the Emerald Triangle. They saw these landmarks as anchorsfor redevelopment that could encourage a return to a thrivingdowntown economy driven by retail, restaurants and the arts.

The Greenwood Federal Building, the Greenwood Commu-nityTheatre and the Greenwood Museum - close to one anotheron Main Street - were primary players in the city's goal of encour-aging cultural, retail and restaurant development. All three buildingshave been renovated over the past several years thanks to a combi-nation of hospitality tax dollars, federal grants, the Emerald TriangleCapital Improvement Fund and the Self Family Foundation. Intotal, the community has invested close to $12 million in projectslocated in the Emerald Triangle since 2005.

The oldest of the three buildings, the former Federal building,was constructed in 1911 and became the Arts and Visitors Center

Downtown merchants sing the praises of this investment. Localbusinessman and international photographer Jon Holloway boughta 1901 auto parts store covered in a 70s-era facade and renovatedit into a hall for exhibits and exhibitions that compliment the city'sthree historical anchor buildings. He notes the streetscaping project,new lighting and underground wiring in the downtown area havemade a real difference.

"Anything we can do to make it an area that's more invitingand welcoming - that's a win-win for the community and the city,"Holloway said.

Natural assetsBeaufort

In Beaufort, a recent renovation of Henry C. ChambersWaterfront Park overlooking the Beaufort River has allowed everyresident to have a little piece of waterfront property. It draws visi-tors and residents to the downtown historic district for shopping,dining, lodging and leisure.

The park was first built in the 1970s and experienced a greatdeal of wear and tear as a popular spot for residents and visitors. Aplan was first developed in 2000 to restore the park. Over the nextseveral years, work was done to repair structural problems, landscap-ing and storm water and electrical systems.

Today, the park links residents, visitors and business owners inthe downtown area. The popular "In the Park" series brings music,

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lunchtime concerts and evening movies that add to the bustleof downtown activity generated by the waterfront park. LaNelleFabian, director of Main Street Beaufort says, "The park adds to themixed-use element of the downtown district by attracting peopleinterested in living and working downtown."

ConwayAs a gateway to the beach, Conway was often overlooked as

a destination for tourists and was challenged by having no centralgathering place for residents or tourists. In the 1980s, Conwayplanners focused on the abandoned Waccanlaw Riverfront withempty warehouses and an abandoned sawmill. They envisioned ascenic hub that could provide outdoor space for a variety of activi-ties and a connection to downtown businesses.

In 1988, the city held a two-day charette coordinating threegroups of residents and business leaders to develop concepts forthe riverfront redevelopment. By 1989, the Waccamaw RiverfrontDistrict Plan emerged, outlining a three-stage process. Phase onebrought the Riverwalk, new sidewalks and streetlights to thedistrict. During phase two, the city extended the Riverwalk andadded a riverfront park with a stage area and marina store. The finalphase, completed in 2009, provided landscaping and additionalfacilities. State grant and bonds helped pay for the project.

City officials brought local residents and business owners intothe process during numerous public workshops and committeemeetings. During these meetings, consultants, planners, environ-mentalists, architects and city staff discussed me project and askedresidents and business owners to share their concerns and opinionsand serve on the steering committee appointed by city council.

"The Riverwalk is more than just a project," says Mayor AlysLawson. "It's been numerous years in the making as a multiyear,multicouncil and multicommittee project for the city. It's a dreamwe've finally realized."

Main Street South Carolina helps down-towns develop

A common theme among many of South Carolina's successfuldowntown redevelopment projects is a formal city-supportedorganization to lead the efforts. Eleven South Carolina cities dothis through their participation in Main Street South Carolina, anationally recognized program that supports downtown revi-talization through the National Trust for Historic Preservation'sMain Street Center.

Special Section:Downtown Development

Main Street South Carolina members benefit from anational model that incorporates a four-point approach todowntown redevelopment - organization, design, promotionand economic restructuring, according to Beppie LeGrand,manager of South Carolina's Main Street program.

The organization committee provides structure to therevitalization effort. This committee establishes a board ofdirectors and the other standing committees and coordinatesvolunteers. The promotion committee ensures the organizationand merchants are part of a comprehensive marketing plan usingspecial events, retail advertising and marketing campaigns.

A primary goal of the Main Street program is to improveand maintain an attractive and enticing downtown commercialdistrict. A design committee, often in concert with a city'sdesign review board, works to improve the physical appearanceof the downtown. The committee addresses buildings, greenspace, pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns. The economicrestructuring committee supports existing business and identi-fies new businesses to recruit to create a business mix thatsupports itself.

The four points of the Main Street approach correspondwith the four forces of real estate value - social, political, physi-cal and economic.

Jonathan Irick, manager for Main Street Laurens, says, "Oneof the many values of the Main Street program is the associationwith a national organization that allows us access to informationand services that are not often found in small towns. The name'Main Street' has become associated with real preservation andeconomic development for downtown Laurens."

Main Street programs are funded locally with training andconsultation supplied from state and national Main Streetstaff and experts. Typically cities receive technical assistanceservices; program assessments; training for staff, board andcommittees; and design assistance as benefits of their MainStreet membership.

Cities apply to join the Main Street program through arolling application process. "We have found the applicationprocess helps us identify communities with the capacity tosupport a Main Street program," LeGrand said. "By selectingstrong communities with solid organizations we are able to giveeach one more personalized and targeted attention with theirtraining, planning and volunteer development." •

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