Florence Developments

[Charles Pearson]

...beautiful old storefront/buildings with much potential. The right developer/architect could do wonders with these buildings and re-open downtown Florence into the hidden jewel it really is. The city of Florence has a good location and is surrounded by a large population, including Horry County, all the way up to Lumberton, NC...

I so love the "Palm" or is that a Palmetto tree? in one of the pics...IMO Florence has nowhere to go but to the cream of the top, and it will...

Edited September 12, 2006 by Zahc

[Spartan]

a palmetto is a type of palm tree.

Also, I hope that as new businesses start to open downtown, that Florentines will go there and buy their stuff. Downtowns don't just pop up. They need the support of the people. Florence has a few years yet to realize this, but once a few more of those big projects they ahve announced get completed (the cultural center), things will really start to turn around.

[flotown]

I'm hoping an upscale restaurant/bar will open up along Dargan street once the performing arts center opens. My concern is that the patrons will park close, see the event, and drive home. The historic part of downtown, with the cool older buildings, is still one block up, and the area is not considered a safe part of town.

There will need to be parking along the street with good lighting and good security, along with a reason to walk up the block. The only after-dark foot traffic in that area for the past 30 years has been winos, drug dealers, gangs and prostitutes. I don't know if there will ever be nightlife along that strip. As it is, nobody wants to go down there during the day, either. Perhaps a start would be a coffee shop or a decent place for lunch to get McLeod employees into the area.

Or maybe Donald Trump will build new casino tower on the corner of Dargan and Cheves:)

[Charles Pearson]

...an upscale restaurant would most definitely iniate (sp) change, but even a Walgreens or Starbucks would do the same...Along with enticing new downtown investment to revive those beautiful old buildings on Dargan Street as well as enticing working single-families to live downtown, Florence needs to increase foot traffic into making downtown a "destination" where people want to shop and play and even live...also, including cops-on-the-beat in downtown streets and having police interaction with citizens is always positive and should be a downtown priority...

...probably because I was born in Florence, my reasons are selfish because I love the place but I do wish the City of Florence downtown will become more attractive and worth visiting w/o having to be hassled by disgusting drug dealers and senseless petty criminals...I am hoping that an upward swing in Florence's future might encourage many Florentine baby boomers who left for higher paying jobs & a better quality of life elsewhere might seek to return home and enhance Florence's growth as the Great Pee Dee/Northeastern South Carolina leading city...

[jjoshjl]

Well, by adding the new FMU arts center, and by little theater apparantly moving downtown as well, this should give that significant boost. It wont fix everything, but it will be a big first step in the right direction.

Some areas that the arts centers will help at? simly because arts are ussually visited by the more afluent on a whole, security concerns will be addressed on the days of shows. This will help that aspect some. also, people love to sit and chat before and after these types of events. Restaurants will come. the key here is what is florence going to do with this boost.

like zach said, Foot Traffic is the key. no succesful city has a core without a large pedestrian city. we need to either clean up the buildings that are there, if if the city doesnt want to go that route, provide RFP's out the ying yang.

Cheers

[jjoshjl]

More Jobs coming to Florence

Auto products maker coming soon

FLORENCE

[Firefox]

Edited September 21, 2006 by Firefox

[Firefox]

[Charles Pearson]

Wow! This is Florence today! I must come home to see it soon. Thanks for sharing these...The McCloud (sp?)complex is imposing! beautiful! It looks 100% better than Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco...which IMO looks like a dump.

Also, I read that a thriller film, "Strangers", starring Liv Tyler and written and directed by Bryan Bertino, will begin production in Florence country in October for a Fall 2007 release date. Florence will be home to Rogue Pictures production team for three months of filming...

...Not much people on the streets of Florence, but there seems to be awful amount of cars...

Edited September 21, 2006 by Zahc

[vicupstate]

What is the building in the the 5th pic of the first post. {immediately after the McMillan Federal Building} I don't recognize it.

[krazeeboi]

Lots and lots of potential. And the pics show that Florence isn't exactly standing still.

[waccamatt]

What is the building in the the 5th pic of the first post. {immediately after the McMillan Federal Building} I don't recognize it.

I believe that is the Pee Dee area DHEC building. Firefox mentioned that one time.

[thebarb20]

dick's sporting goods announced today they are building at the mall. also barnes and noble is coming as well.

just wanted to tell everyone why i am not voting for the 1% sales tax. 1% will not significantly add jobs in my opinion. the tax burden is too great. the penny wont go away when the project is done. i feel politicans that support this and others will benefit financially from the public contribution. inn a way sort of like downtown redevelopment i guess although i dont have a problem w/ it too much. the state will increase the sales tax 1% next summer anyway . so florence would be charged 8% as of next year. will a few wider roads be nice? sure. but its not going to impact my daily life much and i live right off pineneedles rd. ok - fire away! haha

[flotown]

Well, everyone's entitled to an opinion. I hope yours is the minority, but I fear not.

Florence county is being given a chance for much of the funding to be "not" at the taxpayers expense. Do you think the need for these projects will just go away? They will have to get done and taxes will be raised somewhere to pay for them. The penny tax provides the least burden on the taxpayers in the long run.

The most important project, in my opinion, is the 301 bypass, which would connect Pamplico Hwy and south Florence to 327 and I-95. This would transform that entire side of town. New businesses would open up, providing more jobs and growing the tax base. Personally, the gas savings alone from the shorter route would save me more than the cost of the tax over the course of a year.

By voting against the penny tax, you will be in effect voting for a future, larger tax somewhere else. It will be unavoidable. The projects need to get done.

Edited October 20, 2006 by flotown

[flotown]

By the way, great pics Firefox.

The Florence board has been dead for awhile. Not unlike our downtown.

[vicupstate]

dick's sporting goods announced today they are building at the mall. also barnes and noble is coming as well.

just wanted to tell everyone why i am not voting for the 1% sales tax. 1% will not significantly add jobs in my opinion. the tax burden is too great. the penny wont go away when the project is done. i feel politicans that support this and others will benefit financially from the public contribution. inn a way sort of like downtown redevelopment i guess although i dont have a problem w/ it too much. the state will increase the sales tax 1% next summer anyway . so florence would be charged 8% as of next year. will a few wider roads be nice? sure. but its not going to impact my daily life much and i live right off pineneedles rd. ok - fire away! haha

I'm sure that Horry and Charleston Counties will be glad to hear that. One of them will receive the money that Florence will lose if the Tax does not pass. The State is matching the local money raised. And a good chunk of the local money raised will be from tourists from the interstates/Darlington race/Beach traffic as well as out-of-county (Darlington, Marion, et. al) visitors that shop in Florence. Florence will put something like 35 cents for every dollar spent on the work. No logically thinking person would turn down a return that good.

And YES, the tax will be gone in seven years or less, UNLESS it is extended by the VOTERS. That's how the law is written, and other counties have already passed it.

Empty anti-government rhethoric will simply allow Florence to fall even further behind the rest of the state and nation. Wellman Industries just announced they are reducing down to less than 200 workers. They use to provide 1,700 jobs, and were the largest employer in the county!! How many industries do you think Johnsonville is going to get to replace them, when they don't even have a f***king four lane road within miles of the place!!!

It was my original intention out of College to stay in Florence if I could. I could not. There were no good jobs there. That situation will continue unabated, if the residents of Florence don't wake up and get a clue.

I have watched local government/development/politics/progress throughout the Carolinas and beyond since my early teens, and without exception, the cities that have pulled themselves up to the next level were the ones that invested in their infrastructure and their business climate.

[flotown]

I couldn't have said it better Vic. I've lived here 30 years and the view of theBarb20 is common, especially in the poor and uneducated southern part of the county (sorry for the implication, Barb). They'll still buy their packs of Marlboro lights even if they raise the taxes by 50 cents, but damn if they'll pay that penny tax for the roads.

Without trying to sound like a progressive elitist (which I'm not), there's a reason the Pee Dee is the most undesireable part of the state. And generally it's the views of the majority of people who live here.

I'm hoping to be proved wrong on Election Day.

[jjoshjl]

I think its actaully really funny. Everyone wants to complain about 'how bad florence is' but offer somethign that can help and no one wants to go with it. Florence is a good place... Does it have shortfalls? A few.... BUT SO DO)ES EVERY OTHER CITY... if it isnt traffic problems, its amenities, if it isnt amenities its bad leader ship... if a tax is going to a very specified thing... AND IT WILL GO AWAY... as long as WE hold them accountable... you will see progress... dont complain about poor taxes in the past if you never followe dup on them and held the council accountable...

cheers

[vicupstate]

While it is true that the sales tax is going up by 1 cent statewide soon, that is only to replace the revenues lost by the REDUCTION of sales tax (to 3 cent) on food and the property TAX CUT for school operations. That's not the same as a pure sales tax increase of 1 cent.

[fupaladin]

OK. I just spent about two hours reading the Florence forum when I should have been working. Very interesting stuff.

I pretty much consider Florence as my home town since I lived there from the age of about 5 to 15 and then again from age 28 to 38 (yes, I came back.) Now I am in Silicon Valley, and love it here.

It is great to see folks so passionate about the development of Florence. I had a mild interest in Urban Planning when I was in college, and this topic was still interesting to me.

For years I kept a section from the Florence Morning News from the late seventies about all of the growth coming to Florence. That was about the time McLeod decided to move down the street and start their new campus. As has been pointed out on this forum the main hospital building on the "new" is a nice example of modern architecture with unique and innovative features. A pity, though, that the 6-7 story brick McLeod Infirmary couldn't be updated and maintained. Both of my younger brothers were born there. Does anyone remember the picture of Dr. McLeod in lobby? It was one of those portraits where the eyes followed you. It used to creep me out, in a fun way. I used to also be fascinated by the switchboard operator who sat in a raised platform overlooking the lobby. All those cords going in and out of the old switchboard. Girlfriend kept busy!

I could go on for hours about FloTown, but I had couple of questions:

1. I noticed recently that the McClenaghan property is for sale. What happened to the retirement home? Are there still residents? Any rumors about what may happen with it? What about the rest of the old Bruce Hospital campus on Dargan next to McClenaghan. Is that still in use?

2. Speaking of McClenaghan, I went to school there for a few months after Poynor was closed. I know it's a moot point now with funding and plans already completed, but I wondered if the discussions of moving the Little Theatre and building a performing arts facility downtown ever included using the auditoriums at McClenaghan and/or Poynor. I actually don't know if McClenaghan's survived the conversion to retirement home. I know that Poynor's is used some by the School District. It would be nice to see the McClenaghan and Poynor auditorium venues used to their maximum. Speaking of Poynor, thank God it was saved; a real credit to Florence after all of the destruction downtown in the name of urban development.

3. What is happening with the old McLeod House at the corner of Palmetto and Dargan? I know that McLeod hospital bought it, but have they done anything with it?

5. A comment about one of the earlier posting regarding the Post Office at the corner of Irby and Evans. I don't beleive this building was ever City Hall. It was the main post office until the one at Evans and Cashua was built. I think the Old City Hall had a clock tower and was in the 100 block of West Evans Street.

4. A comment. Florence is fortunate that it still has active downtown churches, First Baptist, Trinity Baptist, Central United Methodist, and St. John's Episcopal come to mind. have made many committments over the years to maintaining and expanding their downtown properties. I think I read that one of the historic Black churches (Cumberland) that was damaged a little while back is going to rebuild and the new facility will be a replica of the old. This is good news. The loss of St. Anthony's in the 1970's was tragic.

Anyway, this has gotten a little long. If anyone has any info/insight into my questions and comments, I would appreciate responses.

[krazeeboi]

Hey, welcome to the forum! It's interesting that you're the second Pee Dee native that chose to skip over the rest of the South entirely and relocate to the Left Coast.

As I'm not from the Florence area, I can't answer your questions, but I'm sure the Florence natives and those more familiar with the area can. We look forward to your contributions here.

[scoop]

I'm sure that Horry and Charleston Counties will be glad to hear that. One of them will receive the money that Florence will lose if the Tax does not pass. The State is matching the local money raised. And a good chunk of the local money raised will be from tourists from the interstates/Darlington race/Beach traffic as well as out-of-county (Darlington, Marion, et. al) visitors that shop in Florence. Florence will put something like 35 cents for every dollar spent on the work. No logically thinking person would turn down a return that good.

And YES, the tax will be gone in seven years or less, UNLESS it is extended by the VOTERS. That's how the law is written, and other counties have already passed it.

Empty anti-government rhethoric will simply allow Florence to fall even further behind the rest of the state and nation. Wellman Industries just announced they are reducing down to less than 200 workers. They use to provide 1,700 jobs, and were the largest employer in the county!! How many industries do you think Johnsonville is going to get to replace them, when they don't even have a f***king four lane road within miles of the place!!!

It was my original intention out of College to stay in Florence if I could. I could not. There were no good jobs there. That situation will continue unabated, if the residents of Florence don't wake up and get a clue.

I have watched local government/development/politics/progress throughout the Carolinas and beyond since my early teens, and without exception, the cities that have pulled themselves up to the next level were the ones that invested in their infrastructure and their business climate.

I was in Flo County this past weekend and a happy about the growth in Florence, but the rest of the county still remains ignored. The problem with the Florence region is that the only location that is viable is the City of Florence.

I've viewed the proposed documents (FLATS) that the penny tax is said to benefit and less than 10% of the money will be spent to improve the rest of the county. I don't blame those residents of the county for voting no on this tax.

J'ville is losing Wellman, Lake City has already lost many of it's previous industry jobs due to the lack of infrastructure. The county must get it's head out of the sandbox and look to address the needs of the entire county instead of just the county seat of government. What puzzles me even more is that Rusty Smith (of Lake City) is the County Commission Chairman.

What's he thinking about?

[vicupstate]

I was in Flo County this past weekend and a happy about the growth in Florence, but the rest of the county still remains ignored. The problem with the Florence region is that the only location that is viable is the City of Florence.

I've viewed the proposed documents (FLATS) that the penny tax is said to benefit and less than 10% of the money will be spent to improve the rest of the county. I don't blame those residents of the county for voting no on this tax.

J'ville is losing Wellman, Lake City has already lost many of it's previous industry jobs due to the lack of infrastructure. The county must get it's head out of the sandbox and look to address the needs of the entire county instead of just the county seat of government. What puzzles me even more is that Rusty Smith (of Lake City) is the County Commission Chairman.

What's he thinking about?

The widening of SC 51 (aka Pamplico Highway) would be many, many more miles than some of the other projects, such as widening Pine Needles Road for example. That project does not benefit Florence at all, but only benefits the lower part of the county. Where are you getting that 10% figure from? Is this based on MILES paved or NUMBER of projects? Either way, I strongly suspect it is flawed.

There is a list of the projects but I would have to dig for it. I THINK there is a project to widening 341 between Lake City and Johnsonville, but I'm not certain. [EDIT: perhaps it is 378, either way, the principal still applies] If so, that would be ANOTHER project that benefits the lower part of the county and is of very significant distance.

The lower part of the county isn't ignored, it lacks the infrastructure to attract industry. That is what this referendum is seeking to remedy !!!!!

Edited October 23, 2006 by vicupstate

[vicupstate]

OK. I just spent about two hours reading the Florence forum when I should have been working. Very interesting stuff.

I pretty much consider Florence as my home town since I lived there from the age of about 5 to 15 and then again from age 28 to 38 (yes, I came back.) Now I am in Silicon Valley, and love it here.

It is great to see folks so passionate about the development of Florence. I had a mild interest in Urban Planning when I was in college, and this topic was still interesting to me.

For years I kept a section from the Florence Morning News from the late seventies about all of the growth coming to Florence. That was about the time McLeod decided to move down the street and start their new campus. As has been pointed out on this forum the main hospital building on the "new" is a nice example of modern architecture with unique and innovative features. A pity, though, that the 6-7 story brick McLeod Infirmary couldn't be updated and maintained. Both of my younger brothers were born there. Does anyone remember the picture of Dr. McLeod in lobby? It was one of those portraits where the eyes followed you. It used to creep me out, in a fun way. I used to also be fascinated by the switchboard operator who sat in a raised platform overlooking the lobby. All those cords going in and out of the old switchboard. Girlfriend kept busy!

I could go on for hours about FloTown, but I had couple of questions:

1. I noticed recently that the McClenaghan property is for sale. What happened to the retirement home? Are there still residents? Any rumors about what may happen with it? What about the rest of the old Bruce Hospital campus on Dargan next to McClenaghan. Is that still in use?

2. Speaking of McClenaghan, I went to school there for a few months after Poynor was closed. I know it's a moot point now with funding and plans already completed, but I wondered if the discussions of moving the Little Theatre and building a performing arts facility downtown ever included using the auditoriums at McClenaghan and/or Poynor. I actually don't know if McClenaghan's survived the conversion to retirement home. I know that Poynor's is used some by the School District. It would be nice to see the McClenaghan and Poynor auditorium venues used to their maximum. Speaking of Poynor, thank God it was saved; a real credit to Florence after all of the destruction downtown in the name of urban development.

3. What is happening with the old McLeod House at the corner of Palmetto and Dargan? I know that McLeod hospital bought it, but have they done anything with it?

5. A comment about one of the earlier posting regarding the Post Office at the corner of Irby and Evans. I don't beleive this building was ever City Hall. It was the main post office until the one at Evans and Cashua was built. I think the Old City Hall had a clock tower and was in the 100 block of West Evans Street.

4. A comment. Florence is fortunate that it still has active downtown churches, First Baptist, Trinity Baptist, Central United Methodist, and St. John's Episcopal come to mind. have made many committments over the years to maintaining and expanding their downtown properties. I think I read that one of the historic Black churches (Cumberland) that was damaged a little while back is going to rebuild and the new facility will be a replica of the old. This is good news. The loss of St. Anthony's in the 1970's was tragic.

Anyway, this has gotten a little long. If anyone has any info/insight into my questions and comments, I would appreciate responses.

1. The old Bruce is part of Carolinas Hospital's holdings and I know of no plans to make any changes with that. I believe it is a specialized component of the hospital. I was not aware McClenaghan was for sale.

3. I know the building is being saved/renovated but I don't remember the particulars.

5. You are correct. There has been TALK of turning it into a City Hall, however. The City-County Complex would become only a County Admin. building under that proposal.

Welcome to the Forum, and remember time spent in U.P. is better spent than working any day. And I should know.

Edited October 23, 2006 by vicupstate

[scoop]

The widening of SC 51 (aka Pamplico Highway) would be many, many more miles than some of the other projects, such as widening Pine Needles Road for example. That project does not benefit Florence at all, but only benefits the lower part of the county. Where are you getting that 10% figure from? Is this based on MILES paved or NUMBER of projects? Either way, I strongly suspect it is flawed.

There is a list of the projects but I would have to dig for it. I THINK there is a project to widening 341 between Lake City and Johnsonville, but I'm not certain. [EDIT: perhaps it is 378, either way, the principal still applies] If so, that would be ANOTHER project that benefits the lower part of the county and is of very significant distance.

The lower part of the county isn't ignored, it lacks the infrastructure to attract industry. That is what this referendum is seeking to remedy !!!!!

You're right about the Pamplico project, but it is only now being addressed to accomodate the growth into Florence, don't be naive here.

SC 341 isn't in the plan for road widening, US 378 is, but it is just a continuation of the on-going widening from I-95 to the west. This is an evacuation route for the state. If I'm not mistaken the money for that project came from Congressman Clyburn.

My point is industry and infrastructure. The county has to do more in attracting jobs into these stagnant areas. Crime and poverty is a direct result of this lack of assistance from the county. I ride around in these areas when I visit from Atlanta and have seen first hand, the consequences of such.

The county has made some bonehead decisions over the years, such building the Civic Center away from the lower end of the county. This move offered no benefit to those outside of the City of Florence area. Although they paid money to have it built and maintained, they have little use of it because of it's location. A county civic center should benefit the entire community (county). If it were a city civic center, then there'd be no argument about it's location.

Many of the residents south of Florence are fed up with being treated like step children.

Here is a like to the FLATS document: http://www.florenceco.org/planning/FLATS_L...e_Plan_2030.pdf

Edited October 23, 2006 by scoop