Florence Developments

[thebarb20]

First Reliance HQ property has already been secured to the best of my knowledge, the reasoning behind locating there is probably personal preference by their decision makers and it being closer to where they live. these guys all used to work in Timmonsville way back when for Pee Dee State Bank. I'll ask my friend later who knows whats going on about the downtown 4-story again and see what the progress is on that.

another friend of mine sold 1 acre on s. irby for an o'reilly auto parts, just case in you are interested

[jjoshjl]

Are the FR owners the sam as the old Pee Dee state bank owners????

[thebarb20]

I believe the Pee Dee State Bank was owned by someone named Scarborough or something like that. FR is run by the Saunders and another guy from Pee Dee that left there when they were sold to Centura. For those interested First Reliance trades under FSRL

[flotown]

PDSB was owned by Banks and Rod Scarborough, father and son, I believe.

Here's an article about a brew pub possibly opening in downtown in the old Carolina Theatre:

http://www.morningnewsonline.com/midatlant...01-08-0006.html

I love the idea. I just hope it doesn't happen too soon, fail, then discourage others from opening something similar. Comments I heard today about it centered on the crime in the area and the lack of parking. However, the thought of a brew-pub in downtown is pretty cool, nonetheless. If only there were a ballpark downtown, the pub would do bang-up business and would jumpstart downtown redevelopment.

I know Florence...I've lived here 25 years, and I don't know if the population is eclectic enough to support a downtown brew pub right now. Plus, Francis Marion housing is all the way out in Mars Bluff, Legion Field is way past the airport, the civic center is out by I-20, and nobody who is going to shell out money for brew pub beer likely lives in the area. Also, the theatre and performing arts center crowds are not your target brew pub market. Then there's the lack of parking and no mass transit. And the fact that Florence, which has 2 major intersections on I-95, still has not voted to abolish the silly Sunday alcohol blue laws only hurts the prospects for a downtown brew pub.

But I hope I'm wrong. If it opens up, I'll be there on the first day.

[krazeeboi]

Florence has a Carolina Theatre too? Gosh, so far that makes Florence, Spartanburg, Charlotte, Hickory, Winston-Salem, Durham, and Greensboro as having "Carolina Theatres."

[jjoshjl]

My thought is that it will always be a risk for the first pioneers back into downtown. sorta the nature of the beast. The first of any DT project will be extremly risky simply because often there isnt anything to support it. however, doesnt change the extremely good news that someone is taking a chance. maybe other good news will follow that will help move not jsut ther brewery along, but DT as well....

everyone ehre better go support it though when it opens

cheers

[vicupstate]

I was surprised to see this article as well. I guess someone has to be the pioneer. I just hope 1) they have enough capital to do a good job 2) enough capital to ride out a few lean years 3) get a great price on the property (they deserve it) 4) have a well-thought out business plan and 5) can run the place with a low overhead.

Best of luck to them, they will need it.

[thebarb20]

this sounds like a great idea. hopefully florence will consider a new ballpark one of these days to replace legion field. anyway, this will be a good way to get more college people into downtown.

[Spartan]

PDSB was owned by Banks and Rod Scarborough, father and son, I believe.

Here's an article about a brew pub possibly opening in downtown in the old Carolina Theatre:

http://www.morningnewsonline.com/midatlant...01-08-0006.html

I love the idea. I just hope it doesn't happen too soon, fail, then discourage others from opening something similar. Comments I heard today about it centered on the crime in the area and the lack of parking. However, the thought of a brew-pub in downtown is pretty cool, nonetheless. If only there were a ballpark downtown, the pub would do bang-up business and would jumpstart downtown redevelopment.

I know Florence...I've lived here 25 years, and I don't know if the population is eclectic enough to support a downtown brew pub right now. Plus, Francis Marion housing is all the way out in Mars Bluff, Legion Field is way past the airport, the civic center is out by I-20, and nobody who is going to shell out money for brew pub beer likely lives in the area. Also, the theatre and performing arts center crowds are not your target brew pub market. Then there's the lack of parking and no mass transit. And the fact that Florence, which has 2 major intersections on I-95, still has not voted to abolish the silly Sunday alcohol blue laws only hurts the prospects for a downtown brew pub.

But I hope I'm wrong. If it opens up, I'll be there on the first day.

Thats an awesome idea. back before Spartaburg's downtown was seeing any success, we had a "brew-pub" type of place called RJ Rockers... they had a micro-brewery (which they still have) and a good restaurant, which was quite popular. You have to have something to get things started, and IMO this sounds like a great idea. It sounds like a quality idea and investment. I wish Spartanburg had a place like this in our Carolina theatre.............

[jjoshjl]

i was driving behind the Civic Center today and i noticed a sign for ArborOne Center... Anyone familiar whats going up? Only thing i could tell was that ArborOne is the former PeeDee farm credit union (or soemthing)...

Anyway... Anyone heard anything

[flotown]

They're finally tearing these eyesore buildings on the corner of Palmetto and Church down. I took this picture about 3 weeks ago, but all work has stopped due to DHEC environmental concerns involving lead paint.

The new 301 Drive In.

Below are some more neglected storefronts in the downtown area that the city leaders will hopefully address in the coming year.

This home burned down via arson last spring and still sits vacant near the Palmetto Street underpass. I've read that there are so many burned and abandoned houses that the city either can't locate the owners or can't afford to tear them all down. So they just sit there.

These once nice houses are all abandoned, and all sit on the same corner of East Pine and Galliard, and have for years. Where is the outcry from the neighbors, the local councilman, the mayor? Unbelievable.

[flotown]

On a brighter note, here's the area by the 1-95/1-20 interchange that's growing quick. There's Home Depot, Kohls, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and an 8 story Hilton so far. I haven't heard about ArborOne; these pictures are about 3 weeks old. The area from Florence Mall down David McLeod Blvd to I-95 has become Florence's true "center" in the absence of any downtown commerce or culture (hopefully that will change).

[g-man430]

Great pics, flotown. I have some friends down in Florence, so I get down there quite often and it's nice to see new development and revitalization going on.

[g-man430]

Here is the site plan for the Plaza at Magnolia being built in Florence: http://www.preit.com/pages/leasing/listofp...lia_plans06.pdf

[GamecockEngineer]

I was in Florence for Christmas, and the Home Depot Complex is going to be traffic disaster. They should have required the developer to inprove Radio road to 4 lanes with an additional stoplight. I understand that Florence isn't really in the position to have strict zoning codes (the development would just go elsewhere), but I can't help but feel that poor zoning will continue to hinder Florence.

[flotown]

There was a post lamenting that the civic center was located out by I-20, and that Florence will never learn. The same can be said for Francis Marion University, although when it was originally built, the downtown decline had not begun. If the college had located in the city limits, Florence would be a totally different place, as would the university. But they didn't, and Florence and FMU are the worse off for it, in my opinion. The spacious land out in Mars Bluff did allow for expansion, but just think if all the campus buildings would have been built in the city, downtown Florence might look something like this.......

Or this...........

Or this.............

Forgive me, I'm just a dreamer, and envious of other city's cool downtowns. FYI, the photos above are of downtown Greenville, borrowed from the their photo thread (thanks to Skyliner and darw10).

Edited January 21, 2007 by flotown

[flotown]

I was in Florence for Christmas, and the Home Depot Complex is going to be traffic disaster. They should have required the developer to inprove Radio road to 4 lanes with an additional stoplight. I understand that Florence isn't really in the position to have strict zoning codes (the development would just go elsewhere), but I can't help but feel that poor zoning will continue to hinder Florence.

I agree, traffic will be a nightmare once Kohls opens up. It should have been widened to 4 lanes before construction even began on the Home Depot. Having the frontage road feeding into Radio Road only exacerbates the mess.

[krazeeboi]

Wow, those photos at the top of abandoned storefronts remind me more of a Rustbelt city (e.g., Detroit) than a Sunbelt city.

There was a post lamenting that the civic center was located out by I-20, and that Florence will never learn. The same can be said for Francis Marion University, although when it was originally built, the downtown decline had not begun. If the college had located in the city limits, Florence would be a totally different place, as would the university. But they didn't, and Florence and FMU are the worse off for it, in my opinion. The spacious land out in Mars Bluff did allow for expansion, but just think if all the campus buildings would have been built in the city, downtown Florence might look something like this.......

Greenville indeed has a vibrant downtown, but they don't have a university or college located downtown. So there's hope yet for Florence.

[g-man430]

Florence can turn into what Greenville is today. They just need to have a plan like how we had vision 2005 and now have vision 2025 and then implement it in phases throughout those years when the vision is valid. Greenville's downtown is still a work in progress and has been since the early 1980's and that will never end, which is actually a good thing. Any city can do what we did. They just have to work hard at it and get their citizens involved. If Florence would do something like the TRAC plan, which Greenville County just passed they could become a tourist destination too like Charleston or Asheville.

P.S. here is the TRAC plan: http://greenvilleforward.com/TRAC%20PLAN/T...resentation.ppt and here is the tourism plan that goes with it: http://www.greenvilleforward.com/TRAC%20PL...rism%20Plan.ppt Also, here is vision 2025's website: http://www.greenvilleforward.com/

Edited January 26, 2007 by g-man430

[flotown]

g-man, thanks for the links. Greenville is one SC success story that gives us some hope for Florence, despite the fact that the upstate is a bit more progressive than the Pee Dee. When I'm an old man, I hope to move back to a totally different Florence. It is possible...we'll see.

[GamecockEngineer]

Wow, those photos at the top of abandoned storefronts remind me more of a Rustbelt city (e.g., Detroit) than a Sunbelt city.

But at the same time, I see such potential in the area. Look at the building and imagine what could be in them. I think DT Florence has great potential that just needs to be utilized.

[krazeeboi]

But at the same time, I see such potential in the area. Look at the building and imagine what could be in them. I think DT Florence has great potential that just needs to be utilized.

This is true, but "potential" can be the biggest compliment and the biggest criticism simultaneously. At present, it appears that Florence's identity is becoming more suburban-based and less urban-based, which is a tragedy. Hopefully that will turn around soon enough.

[Spartan]

Plans are great things to have, but they are useless if the city leaders don't act on them. I think Florence is moving in the right direction with its new cultural center and library. Putting government money into downtown makes a strong statement and more importantly brings people to downtown. Its just a start, but a good one, IMO. Greenville is a great example of good leadership in this state. They had a vision 25 years ago, and they made the right steps to make it happen. But remember that what we all know and love about Greenville today took 20 years to solidify.

[SimCity]

Those are some very nice pictures of Florence and bring to mind the memories I have of downtown Florence. Unfortunely the downtown looks more depressing in the pictures than I remember. It's unreal that Florence has so many abandoned buildings downtown. A comprehensive plan is needed to revatlize downtown to include: govermental assistance through grants or otherwise to tenants both commercial and residental in nature for reduced rents and low cost redevelopment loans to landlords. This would go a long way to restoring the former hustle and bustle of downtown Florence.

[Charleston native]

This is true, but "potential" can be the biggest compliment and the biggest criticism simultaneously. At present, it appears that Florence's identity is becoming more suburban-based and less urban-based, which is a tragedy. Hopefully that will turn around soon enough.

The city of Florence is almost becoming famous, or even infamous, for the word "potential". I hope and pray it will grab this potential and use it fully!