FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – On Friday, leaders in Florence County and Florence will meet again to talk about the city’s U.S. 76 corridor. They want to get the area cleaned up and hopefully attract new business.
“The city actually in our comprehensive plan recommended corridor development as an economic tool,” said City Manager Drew Griffin.
In June, both the city and county put their heads together to form a joint committee to help correct the blighted gateway to the city for the sake of both visually and business interests.
“The concept is to fund a study,” Griffin stated.
For now, he sees the next logical step is to do a study, which would seek input from the community and stakeholders. The study would determine the best scenario to how to approach the project.
However, according to County Planner Jay Graham, the study would cost $160,000 to conduct. The county is still trying to figure out where the necessary money would come from.
“The city certainly supports the county’s effort in it,” Griffin mentioned.
Griffin also says he hopes the county jumps on board with the creation an overlay district for that area. The overlay district would basically be rules to prevent more blight from eventually sprouting up.
“It’s one of those odd things. Most people don’t like more regulation. It protects property values and protects investment over time,” he explained.
The plan is to essentially develop around the three main entities in this area, which are Francis Marion University, Florence Regional Airport and McLeod Hospital.
