When at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again!

That was the mantra of town of Heath Springs officials when the municipality applied for a rural infrastructure grant last year that was denied.

However now, the town recently learned it has been awarded a $405,500 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the S.C. Department of Commerce […]

In the dictionary, the word Renaissance means re-birth and that’s exactly what a section of East Chester is undergoing this summer. Several area churches from Chester and in the county have banded together with other volunteers to carry out Phase II of the East Chester Village Renaissance Project, a series of structural improvements and façade […]

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is seeking comment from the public to amend the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) to add the FY 2015 Federal-Aid Funding Plan.

The proposed FY 2015 Federal-Aid Funding Plan in the STIP is consistent with the 2014 funding plan allotment of $765 million in contract authority, and state […]

The City of Union will use a state grant to upgrade sewer services to more than 200 residences and businesses in the May Street area.

Mayor Harold Thompson announced Wednesday that he’d received a letter from Gov. Nikki Haley informing him that the city “will receive a $343,490 Community Infrastructure Grant from the Community Development Block […]

Perusing the large Lancaster County map in front of him, Gregory Powell quickly found his Indian Land neighborhood, peeled off a small smiley face sticker and placed it over his home.

Within a few minutes he’d also placed a few red heart stickers as well, marking off places he likes to visit for fun, ranging from […]

The name of the much-touted “Project Summer” is Singapore-based Giti (pronounced “Geetee”) Tire. The unveiling (literally) of the company that is expected to create some 1,700 jobs and invest $560 million in Chester County was made at the press conference at the Gateway Conference Center in Richburg on Monday.
Giti Tire, the 10th largest tire company […]

Kingsley Village, a retail-restaurant complex similar to Fort Mill’s Baxter Village, will be constructed at the same time as two recently announced office projects, Clear Springs Development officials say.Clear Springs Development developed Baxter Village and owns the 626-acre site at S.C. 160 and Interstate 77 where the Lash Group and LPL Financial Carolinas both plan […]

Robert J. Brown Jr, with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC), gave an Air Quality update for the Catawba Region on June 12, 2014.  Click here to see the presentation.

The main attraction of the Landsford Canal Trail within Landsford Canal State Park is the largest known stand of rocky shoal spider lilies. The Landsford Canal State Park’s Canal Trail is 1.5 miles and the .5 mile “Nature Trail” is the portion designated as Carolina Thread Trail. It is a gravel trail which goes along the Catawba […]

The City of Tega Cay is updating its Comprehensive Plan and as a part of community outreach, electronic surveys are available for residents to complete.  The short survey gives participants an opportunity to share their ideas on Tega Cay’s challenges and its possibilities.

“We hope all Tega Cay residents, business leaders, youth, community partners and stakeholders […]

NOTICE OF FIFTEEN DAY (15) PUBLIC REVIEW AND INTENT TO SUBMIT TO SCDOT FOR THE CATAWBA REGION. THE CATAWBA REGION INCLUDES CHESTER, LANCASTER, UNION, AND YORK COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

Rural Planning Work Program (RPWP) – This document outlines the Catawba Regional Council of Governments’  proposed annual work program as well as priority work tasks and […]

Owning a small business is not a venture for the weak at heart. It takes daily commitment, long hours, a passion to succeed and a huge amount of sweat equity. Small businesses contribute to local economies by bringing growth and innovation to the community and government figures show that small businesses create 75 percent of […]

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute has their Regional Indicators website at a new home on their website.  You can find all the data that was on the previous site, but with improved functionality and a new look.

The new design is easier to use, offers more interactive features, and is visually more in line with other […]

The City of Union has allocated nearly $200,000 to serve as local matches for two grants sewer improvement projects in the May Street area of the city and in the Buffalo Mill Village.

Union City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve two resolutions allocating a total of $193,098 in local funds as cash matches for Community […]

Click here to view the schedule for the Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan 2014-2024 Community Meetings.  Contact Robby Moody at 803-327-9041 for questions.

Take the online survey by clicking here.

Fort Mill leaders expect the town could triple its population in the next 20 years.

Joe Cronin, Fort Mill’s planning director, estimated the town’s 2010 U.S. Census population of 10,800 will grow to 30,000 by 2030. That swell would impact engineering, utilities and public works, and fire service and police protection would need to keep up.

Town […]

The Catawba Regional Council of Governments and Catawba Regional Development Corporation 2013 Annual Reports were presented to the Boards of Directors on February 20, 2014.  To view these reports click on the links below:

Catawba Regional Council of Governments 2013 Annual Report
Catawba Regional Development Corporation 2013 Annual Report

Housing rehabilitation, upgraded water and sewer services and improved transportation corridors are just some of the top priorities county officials are considering for this year’s annual county needs list.

Lancaster County Council discussed the list Monday night, Feb. 10, during a needs assessment public hearing, part of a joint process between the county and the Catawba […]

If there were any questions whether the Chester office of SC Works was still open, Wednesday’s activities at the Wilson Street Ext. office answered them. The parking lot was full, as was the lobby, filled with eager job seekers who were there for dual job fairs, sponsored by Boral Stone Products and ADECCO, a staffing […]

NOTICE OF FIFTEEN DAY (15) PUBLIC REVIEW AND INTENT TO AMEND THE TIP AND SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS TO SCDOT FOR THE CATAWBA REGION. THE CATAWBA REGION INCLUDES CHESTER, LANCASTER, UNION, AND YORK COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

I. FY 2014-2019 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – An amendment to the Program which includes the […]

Attached for your use and information is the 2014 Training Calendar for Planning and Zoning Officials for the Catawba Region.  Catawba Regional Council of Governments is authorized by the SC State Advisory Committee to offer training for local planning officials and staff members pursuant to the Code of Laws of South Carolina, §6-29-1340. The mandatory […]

The first projects of a major facelift are underway at York Technical College.

After studying the school’s needs for a few years, President Greg Rutherford is overseeing the gradual implementation of a 20-year master plan that could call for up to a $100 million investment in infrastructure upgrades and new facilities.

The campus improvements range from the […]

The last five years has seen Union County develop a diversified industrial base that draws nearly 75 percent of its workforce from the local population, an achievement the Union County Development Board has supported and continues to support.

Executive Director Andrena Powell-Baker said that in the past five years Union County has seen the announcement of […]

As a new textile manufacturer gears up its plans for Lancaster County, one of the area’s largest utility companies is lending a helping hand in the form of more than $200,000 in tax credits.

Lancaster County Council voted 6-0 during a special meeting Tuesday, Dec. 17, to approve a resolution allowing Comporium to use tax credit […]

Rock Hill is one of six cities in the Charlotte region to participate this month in a fair housing forum designed to identify and work toward eliminating the barriers people face when renting homes and apartments or obtaining mortgages.

The forum is an opportunity, organizers say, for residents to learn more about their rights, for landlords […]

It’s time to make structural changes on city properties to accommodate all Lancaster residents, said Robert Moody, senior planner of the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG).

The COG provided technical assistance to the city’s Building and Zoning Department and presented a report at the Nov. 26 Lancaster City Council meeting.

The city’s Americans with Disabilities Act […]

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is seeking public comment for two projects in Greenwood and York counties recommended to receive Federal Aid Lands Access Program (FLAP) funding. Created under the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21), FLAP is a new program that provides funding for projects that are located […]

To help fill the orders of a new customer Haemonetics will hire up to 70 new employees and start another shift by the beginning of December.

Located at 155 Medical Sciences Drive in Union, Haemonetics produces sodium citrate anti-coagulant used for plasma collection. The facility currently employs a workforce of 118 employees.

That’s in the process of […]

The next meeting of the Catawba Regional Council of Governments will be held on Thursday December 5, 2013 at 4:00pm in the Council’s offices, Catawba Regional Center, 215 Hampton Street in Rock Hill.

This meeting will cover a wide range of topics, including:  Board consideration of transportation projects to be funded with guideshare funds, the addition […]

The Union County Career and Technology Center had its first advisory council meeting for the 2013-2014 year.

The main focus of the advisory meetings is to make a connection between the CATE Center and industry professionals in the community, as local industry professionals offer a wide variety of assistance in promoting vocational education. They contribute equipment, […]

When Timothy Elliott first used Google Earth to see images of the Rock Hill Finishing & Printing plant, all he saw were large, dark blobs.

When he zoomed in, he saw a site ravaged by fire.

He wondered whether his employer, Sora Development, should undertake the task of developing the site. Demolishing the buildings and carting off […]

Union City Council voted unanimously to award the bid for the Buffalo Mill Village Phase III project to Smith Backhoe & Construction for $585,225.75.

Utility Director Joe Nichols said the project will involve replacing the sewer lines that serve Pine, Kent, Buffalo, and Yank streets and Fire Lane. Nichols said the lines are more than a […]

Upstate officials met in Greenville Thursday to discuss tools and ideas for further economic development and investment in their respective communities.

Officials also received an update on the government shutdown.

An estimated 70 officials attended, representing cities such as Greer, Anderson, Simpsonville, Traveler’s Rest and Greenville, as well as school district representatives and several local business and […]

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is seeking comment from the public on the  proposed  2013 Act 98 Special Bridge Replacement Program.  In this regard, we are providing this information to you for your review and  consideration.

A copy of the press release and a link to the 2013 Act 98 Special Bridge Replacement Program […]

The next 40 years will see a 14-county region of the Carolinas experience enormous growth in population and jobs and Union County is positioned to benefit from that growth.

A group of approximately 30 Union County officeholders, development officials, business people, and members of the general public took part in Tuesday’s CONNECT Our Future community growth […]

3D Systems plans to expand its Rock Hill facilities, investing $10.9 million and creating 133 jobs, according to a request filed with York County.

Avi Reichental, 3D Systems’ president and CEO, recently said the company’s headquarters, research and production facilities at the Waterford Business Park in Rock Hill were at capacity and an expansion was needed.

According […]

In addition to providing medical and related services the health sector generates more than $60 million in economic activity in Union County, with most of it generated by the Union Hospital District.

A study conducted by the South Carolina Office of Rural Health of the health sector’s impact on Union County’s economy in 2012 found that […]

The long-awaited industrial project in Chester County doesn’t have to go by the name “Project 1233” anymore.

JN Fibers Inc., a manufacturer of recycled polyester staple fiber products, is establishing a new manufacturing facility here in Chester County. The $45 million investment is expected to generate 318 new jobs.

“We are pleased by the opportunity to establish […]

The York County Council on Tuesday voted to allow York County Access, a low-cost transportation program, to replace its aging fleet of buses using a combination of state money and separate funding.

York County Access, which is run by the York County Council on Aging, provides discounted rides for residents within county limits to workplaces, doctors […]

Local funds will be used to cover part of the cost of some preliminary work on the Ottaray Village Renaissance Project.

In a report to the Union County Council’s Committee on Administration and Finance, Supervisor Tommy Sinclair said that $25,000 in C-Funds had been allocated to cover some of the preliminary engineering but the actual cost […]

A surplus of cash from the Hwy. 21 bridge project from I-77 to Sutton Road is headed to Tega Cay, where it’ll cover a much more expensive Tega Cay/Gold Hill Connector than initially planned.

Last week, York County Council rerouted $4 million in surplus funds from the bridge project to the connector. Council also committed more […]

By general consent, the open house at The Gateway Conference Center and Olde English Visitors Center was more than anyone – directors and the public – could ever have imagined.

Visitors at the open house on Tuesday hailed from both Carolinas, from the tri-county region to Monroe, N.C. Chester County Economic Director Karlisa Parker said the […]

Silcotech North America Inc., a manufacturer of silicone components, is coming to the East York Industrial Park.

The company will invest $3.5 million in an injection molding plant that will employ as many as 50 people in three to five years.

“We are excited about locating our new facility in York County,” said Michael Maloney, president of […]

Online access to all of its property tax data could help make the county more attractive to business and industry according to Union County Assessor Susan Hanvey.

In a report to Union County Council earlier this week, Hanvey announced that, as of Tuesday, all the county’s property tax data in now accessible online through the Union […]

Main Street is buzzing with creativity and officials say it’s good for business.

When Olive’s Mud Puddle opens next month, it will be the fourth arts-oriented business doing businesses on Main Street, where just about every storefront will be filled. The opening dovetails with a reset Art On Main Festival that will be held Saturday, Oct. […]

The Chester Housing Authority is the beneficiary of a big grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

On Thursday, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan awarded public housing authorities in South Carolina $19,177,868 that will be used to make major large-scale improvements to their public housing units.

The grants are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, […]

The latest phase in the Town of Lockhart’s ongoing effort to upgrade its infrastructure had its formal conclusion Wednesday afternoon and the town is already looking at securing funding for the next phase.

The town held a public hearing Wednesday afternoon at the Lockhart Town Hall to review Lockhart’s most recent infrastructure improvement project. Since 2002, […]

Transformative and transformational — they’re the buzz words of choice these days for those who want to move and shake York County.

IRock, the Rock Hill school district’s digital learning initiative, is transformative. It will change how Rock Hill students learn, school officials say, giving them skills that will help them to compete for the rest […]

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Union County Council, members voted unanimously to pass an inducement resolution to recruit an investment in the county by a company identified to the county as “Project Modern.”

The resolution states it is anticipated that the project will represent an investment of approximately $25 million in new, taxable investment and the […]

Ann Taylor was recently recognized for her many years of service to Heath Springs.

Taylor, who’s been mayor of the county’s smallest municipality since 1990, received the Hettie Ricket Leadership Award last month in North Myrtle Beach.

The S.C. Community Development Association presented the award, which honors those who are community-development leaders. The group is affiliated with […]