Recently, an article about Bi-Lo’s upcoming departure from Lake City sparked a small online battle about whether President Barack Obama is ruining our country. Personally, it seems like a big leap to say Obama is failing because a grocery store is closing. Although the closing of a small-town supermarket might not necessarily represent much on a national scale, however, it will certainly represent a void for the small city that’s losing the store.
Lake City has taken some hits in the business community recently. Although the positive developments certainly shouldn’t be overlooked, the fact remains that the city lost its three new-car dealerships within a year. It should be pointed out, however, that one of them, Floyd Motor Co., remains open as a used-car dealership.
Lake City Ford was the first to go, and then Raceway stepped in to revive the vacant building on Ron McNair Boulevard. Since Raceway’s departure last year, Napa Auto Parts has relocated to fill a section of the former car dealership.
Napa’s move has done a great deal to help keep Lake City’s north side alive. Unfortunately, Bi-Lo’s announcement means there will be another empty storefront across the road.
As I’ve written at least a few times before in these pages, having a vibrant north side is crucial for Lake City to offer a good appearance. I’m not blaming anyone for businesses that have left or are leaving; the economy is awful everywhere, and that’s understood. But Lake City’s north is the first thing visitors from Florence see as they head into town via the major four-lane highway U.S. 52.
South Florence also has its share of empty storefronts, however, and that’s the first thing visitors from southern Florence County are likely to see as they travel north on that same highway.
One big development is on the horizon for Lake City’s north side, and that’s a Walmart Supercenter. That brings the potential for a huge shopping center on U.S. 52 near the U.S. 378 overpass. While Lake City’s Walmart is fairly easily accessible now, my hope is that what happened on the northern stretch of Ron McNair Boulevard doesn’t happen to Kelley Street. Lake City needs a solid tenant in what will be Walmart’s former spot. That way, the surrounding businesses who benefitted from Walmart’s traffic won’t suffer as much.
I also hope that our local merchants will have residents’ support and that they’ll continue to flourish, even if more competition comes to town. We’re a tight-knit community with many local businesses trying their best to stay alive. They’re part of what gives Lake City its character, and I’m sure countless people would hate to see our city lose that.
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