Florence officials see potential, challenges in downtown

Planning officials hope to reveal the potential of downtown Florence this year, while Mayor Stephen J. Wukela aims to overcome the public safety and financial challenges to unlock that potential.

“You walk down Evans Street and you see all the potential there — how much our downtown could be,” Wukela said. “And it’s frustrating to the people of the city to see that potential squandered.

“But in order to see that potential, it’s going to take a lot of hard work, it’s going to take getting public safety under control, it’s going to take serious investment of public funds to bring in the private development that we need to make downtown what it can be.”

Phillip Lookadoo, the city’s urban planning and development director, said downtown redevelopment “bridges between the arts and business.”

Features such as the new Florence Little Theatre and Francis Marion University’s upcoming Performing Arts Center should help restore downtown as a destination, he said.

“Those are two of the ‘anchor store’ or major attractions, destinations, for downtown that would go to support the business types of uses,” he said.

Plans in the works include a new Florence museum downtown and the redevelopment of the former Bush recycling site in north Florence.

“I think people have seen the potential, and they are positioning themselves to take advantage of that potential,” Lookadoo said.

In addition, the 60-unit Coit Village Apartments has received a certificate of occupancy from Florence County building inspectors, Lookadoo said. Although residents of that apartment would have to meet certain income requirements, the city hopes to eventually add market-rate loft apartments over downtown businesses, he said.

Part of the redevelopment challenge, Lookadoo said, is changing the perception about downtown public safety issues.

City council will hold a workshop Jan. 8 to discuss options for cleaning and demolishing abandoned properties, Wukela said.

In addition, he said, council must give the police have adequate manpower to keep the city safe.

Lookadoo said city officials also are considering a police substation downtown.

In addition to public safety, Wukela said, downtown faces a challenge because of the city’s reliance on raising funding largely through sales tax revenues, which are dropping.

He also said the city needs its “fair share” of any stimulus money that might come from Washington.

Gov. Mark Sanford, head of the Republican Governors Association, is opposing such a bailout “on the luxury of his principles,” Wukela said.

“Unfortunately, at least in the city of Florence, that’s a luxury we can’t afford,” the mayor said.

What’s next

Florence’s planning director said he sees a potential for arts centers to serve as major attractions that will support retail, dining and other types of businesses in a revitalized downtown.

Meanwhile, city council will consider the challenges of public safety and financing that Mayor Stephen J. Wukela said must be overcome for downtown to flourish.