Responding to a need and to the market, the Housing Development Corporation of Rock Hill recently signed off on construction of three new units of affordable housing in the Arcade Mill Village.
The new energy-efficient homes, which will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms each, will be located on Wright St. and Arcade St.
They represent the […]
With all the regulatory hoops jumped through, construction will start soon on two utility projects linking Kershaw’s water system to Haile Gold Mine.
Those projects – running a 12-inch water line along Church Street to the mine property and building a 250,000-gallon water tank on the outskirts of town – should begin this fall. Once the […]
Catawba Regional Council of Governments has released its annual Employment and Industry Reports for the counties of Chester, Lancaster, Union, and York, SC. These reports contain detailed data pertaining to growth and/or decline in industry clusters for each respective county. Industry cluster data is delineated by either “Local Clusters” (those industries whose products and services […]
Union County’s investment in its newest spec building began to pay off this week when Union County Council voted to sell it to a firm that specializes in industrial development in rural communities for just over $1.5 million.
During its August meeting this past Tuesday, council voted unanimously to approve first reading of an ordinance selling […]
For years, cities like Rock Hill, Gastonia, N.C., and Concord, N.C., have marketed themselves as cities near Charlotte in order to attract businesses.
Now, local officials are seeking to change the narrative.
The Rock Hill Economic Development Corp. is hoping to unveil a new job portal website this fall that will try to attract high-tech businesses to […]
Red Ventures plans to hire another 1,500 employees, increasing its workforce to 3,750 at its Indian Land campus after it completes an expansion that will double its size there next year.
Red Ventures CFO Mark Brodsky drew a full house to the Indian Land Action Council meeting Thursday, July 21, where he spoke about the company’s […]
Sewer upgrades continue to be a big priority for the city of Lancaster, with several projects moving forward.
On June 12, Lancaster City Council unanimously approved a $395,202 contract with Fla.-based VacVision Environmental, pending state approval, to reline sewer mains for the first phase of the Midway Neighborhood Revitalization Project.
The money comes from a half-million dollar […]
Tega Cay is getting its Game On.
City leaders gave initial approval Monday night for a sports and entertainment proposal from Game On Development, one the Mooresville, N.C., company believes will change the sports landscape of the city and beyond.
“Our goal is to create a lifestyle for the Carolinas,” said Brad Ceraolo with Game On. “We […]
The bypass is open.
Barrels and barricades came off the pavement Thursday, as Fort Mill Parkway opened from Spratt Street to Springfield Parkway. Town and county officials gathered for a ribbon cutting at its intersection with S.C. 160.
“It’s a happy day,” Mayor Guynn Savage said.
In recent months Savage and others were tempered in their enthusiasm at […]
A number of low- and moderate-income households are in the process of getting new sewer systems and sidewalks thanks to a nearly $500,000 project undertaken by the City of Union.
Workers with Smith Backhoe and Grading have been busy at the corner of Lybrand and Blassingame streets and surrounding streets working on the projects which got […]
Twenty-seven derelict properties in the Lancaster city limits have been identified for inclusion in the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG) $5.6 million program to get rid of uninhabitable homes.
The city is working with COG to acquire, demolish and landscape blighted vacant residential properties through a Neighborhood Initiative Program (NIP).
In April 2015, COG was awarded […]
Kershaw will get funding for one of the eight road improvement projects awarded to Lancaster County last week by the Council Of Governments (COG), according the Lancaster County Administrator Steve Willis.
Repairs will be made to the intersection of Marion and Minor Streets for an estimated cost of $112,500.
“This was the number one project in the […]
The SC Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) will now be assisting qualified water, sewer and storm water infrastructure projects statewide, including areas that were not previously eligible. To learn more, plan to attend the RIA’s grant application workshop being held on July 19, 2016 in Columbia. Representatives of local governments, special purpose districts, public service districts, […]
Union County’s ability to successfully attract new industry and to retain and assist in the expansion of existing industries just got a tremendous boost.
In a letter dated May 24, Cheryl M. Stanton, Executive Director of the SC Department of Employment and Workforce, informed Kathy Jo Lancaster, Site Coordinator for the Union Campus of Spartanburg Community […]
A proposed long-range York County plan that calls for extending development east along the Dave Lyle Boulevard corridor has some County Council members voicing doubts.
The proposed York County comprehensive plan, updated every 10 years and developed over the last 18 months with input from citizens, was unanimously approved on an initial council vote Monday, though […]
The S.C. House voted Tuesday to override Gov. Nikki Haley’s veto of $40 million in state aid to farmers whose crops were damaged in October’s historic rainfall and flooding.
After several speeches from the House podium pledging to help farmers – many looking on from the House balcony – representatives voted 112-2 to override the governor’s […]
Gov. Nikki Haley lauded Fort Mill and York County for “rolling out the red carpet” to business Monday during a ribbon-cutting for Lash Group’s new headquarters.
Haley and local leaders attended an opening ceremony for the five-story, 250,000-square-foot Kingsley Park building, where company officials said they plan to double the 1,200-person work force by 2020.
The patient […]
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is seeking public comment on the Fiscal Year 2017 State Program. The State Program provides statewide budget information including a distribution of resources among state funded maintenance programs.
The 2017 State Plan was prepared as required by Act 114 and contains objectives and performance measures for the preservation and […]
The city of Lancaster will create an economic development incentive fund to help promote and recruit local commercial businesses within its borders.
City council unanimously voted Tuesday night to use the $25,000 it had originally budgeted for its 2015-16 Lancaster County Economic Development Corp. membership/participation dues as a start.
City officials severed ties with the in-limbo LCEDC […]
For the second time in just more than a year, an automotive supplier has announced plans for a multi-million expansion that is expected to create more than 100 new jobs in York County.
Schaeffler Group said Monday it would create 105 new jobs with a $36.5 million expansion at its Fort Mill campus on Springhill Farm […]
Hensley Road in Fort Mill will be closed to through traffic beginning Monday, April 11, 2016 as part of the Fort Mill Southern Bypass construction project. This work is being performed by Triangle Grading and Paving, Inc. under a contract with York County Pennies for Progress Program. Hensley Road will be closed 0.06 miles east […]
Riverside on the Catawba River, a $70 million mixed-used development that could bring hundreds of residents and jobs to Rock Hill, is being considered by city planners.
The developer, Premiere Design Solutions, is asking the city to rezone the property to master plan commercial to allow the variety of uses. The property is in York County […]
A partnership between Standard Textile and Marriott International will create a total of 65 new jobs in Union County.
The new jobs were announced during a Thursday afternoon press conference at the Standard Textile plant at 100 Highpoint Drive attended by Marriott International Executive Chairman J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Standard Textile President and CEO Gary Heiman, South […]
Union County, in cooperation with the City of Union and the towns of Carlisle, Jonesville, and Lockhart, received South Carolina State Mass Transit Funds from the South Carolina Department of Transportation to conduct a Transit Feasibility Study. The outcomes of the study will show public need and benefit, likely users, analysis of possible alternatives, and […]
Catawba Regional Council of Governments Director Cole McKinney told a group of Chester County’s government leaders development in the area between I-77 Exit 62 and Exit 65 is “a catalyst for Chester County’s future.”
McKinney is the Regional Initiatives and Technology Director for the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG), which serves Chester, Lancaster, Union and […]
Rock Hill is taking another step toward developing its $200 million Knowledge Park business community with the tentative approval of a master plan.
That plan sets general guidelines for redeveloping the former Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Co. plant.
Last week, Rock Hill City Council gave first reading to zoning changes and set those broad development guidelines […]
Springs water tower goes back on line. Now town officials are looking for a new funding source for the next round of much-needed water and sewer infrastructure improvements.
Heath Springs Town Administrator Tony Starnes said he has already contacted Grazier Rhea, community development director for the Catawba Regional Council of Governments, to inquire about grants that […]
Let me first take this opportunity to say thank you to the citizens of this great city for giving me the opportunity to serve you. This is a responsibility I do not take lightly. And I truly believe that the quality of a community comes about from the people that are a part of it.
I […]
Pennies for Progress lost a little momentum to end 2015, but planners expect solid progress in the new year.
It begins with a new director in Patrick Hamilton, who starts in January. Also in 2016, the Fort Mill Southern Bypass should be complete and a new list of road projects will take shape for the next […]
By numbers alone, 2015 was a less-than-average year for economic development regionally.
The efforts of Chester, Lancaster and York counties yielded a combined investment of about $3.8 million and the promise of 3,600 new jobs.
Impressive numbers? Yes, but not when compared to 2014 when three projects alone represented an $800 million investment and the promise of […]
The idea of buying and developing the old Springs Mills property as a small industrial park is no longer feasible for the town of Kershaw.
But that doesn’t mean its leaders aren’t exploring other options to attract jobs to the southern part of Lancaster County.
Last month, town council heard a presentation from Columbia-based Carlisle and Associates […]
A new tourism bond approved by the Rock Hill City Council on Monday will raise $8.1 million to spend on new tourism draws or pay for improvements at existing ones – in hopes additional activity will attract new visitors and spending.
The largest project the city paid for with the bond revenue is construction of a […]
The latest development along the Catawba River isn’t new homes, but rather a trail to allow more public access between Fort Mill and Rock Hill.
Carolina Thread Trail leaders awarded $150,000 to Nation Ford Land Trust to build about two miles of natural surface trail along the Catawba River. The path will provide access to Thread […]
Boise Cascade, the parent company of Chester Wood Products in Chester, has announced a $23.5 million expansion expected to create 52 new jobs in Chester County.
Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is one of the largest producers of plywood and engineered wood products in North America and a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products.
Boise Cascade […]
Phase V, the last stage of water-line upgrades for the town of Heath Springs, has been completed.
Now, it’s just a matter of getting the water flowing.
In the next few days or weeks, problems with low water pressure and discolored water should be resolved.
Heath Springs Town Administrator Tony Starnes updated town council on Phase V at […]
Two grants totaling more than $800,000 will be used to help finance a streetscape project in the downtown area and a project involving the Union County Carnegie Library.
Mayor Harold Thompson announced this week that two Community Development Block Grants have been awarded for local projects through the State of South Carolina’s Community Enrichment Program. Thompson […]
Development of two Rock Hill-area business parks could help York County overcome a shortage of buildings for economic development.
Scannell Properties of Indianapolis announced Friday plans to develop 100 acres between Paddock Parkway and East Springdale Road, south of the Ross Stores Distribution Center. As many as five buildings – about 400,000 square feet of space […]
Fort Mill Schools continue to see an uptick in enrollment, even more than first predicted. The latest projections have the district approaching 18,000 by 2020.
“We just moved here last summer,” said Stephanie Sidarweck, a Fort Mill parent.
Sidarweck is one of a growing number who moved to Fort Mill for the school district.
Projections by the Catawba […]
Twenty years after it first began operations in Union County Haemonetics is investing approximately $20 million to expand its facility on Medical Sciences Drive in the City of Union to quadruple production and create 40 new jobs.
During its regular monthly meeting Tuesday afternoon, Union County Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution and first reading […]
When Giti Tire announced that it was bringing 1,700 jobs and more than half-a-billion dollars in investment last summer, it seemed as though Chester County was feasting on one of the biggest economic development projects in state history. As it turns out, that may have just been an appetizer.
Chester County Council has already passed third […]
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is providing public notification that public comment is being sought for:
-The Recommended Transit Funding Plan for Statewide Vehicle Replacement and Facilities Improvement Program
-Three Projects Selected for Eastern Federal Lands Access Funding in Clarendon, McCormick, and Richland Counties
-For Revised Priority Lists for Interstate Reconstruction and Preservation Projects
-To Include Two […]
Though the idea to connect York and Lancaster counties via an extension of Dave Lyle Boulevard has long been tossed around, Lancaster County officials are hoping to breathe new life into the proposed project.
During Lancaster County Council’s Sept. 28 meeting, Council chairman Bob Bundy discussed the possibility of partnering with York County to investigate how […]
The City of Union is looking to undertake a total of more than a million dollars worth of infrastructure projects including streetscape improvements within the city itself and sewer system improvements in the Buffalo Mill Village.
Streetscape Improvements
During its September meeting Tuesday evening, Union City Council voted unanimously to approve a recommendation that the city provide […]
County officials formally accepted a grant last week that could stem the tide of shrinking volunteer firefighter numbers in Lancaster County.
On Aug. 24, Lancaster County Council unanimously accepted a $1 million-plus federal grant to help recruit and retain local volunteer firefighters.
The grant acceptance comes about a month after members of Lancaster County Fire Rescue learned […]
The name ‘Sunfiber’ may not be familiar to everyone, but around Chester County, it’s another word for “success.” The plant located outside of Richburg continues to expand their building spaces and continues to expand their number of employees.
Sun Fiber produces PET (a plastic material in the polyester family) stable fiber. The fiber is used in […]
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is providing public notification of projects identified for the 2016 Federal Aid Pavement Improvement Program prior to inclusion in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
The projects listed in the program have been allotted $190,104,000.00 and will include the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a total of 489.72 miles of […]
The Main Street Junction/Junction Park project involving the renovation of the old Super 10 building and the construction of new facility on the old Teritex site could cost the City of Union just under $1.2 million.
Union City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday with councilmen Ricky Harris and Yates Giles opposed to authorize Mayor Harold Thompson to […]
Local residents, public officials and service agencies will all have the chance to weigh in on local housing needs at an upcoming public forum about a federal housing grant program.
Representatives from the Lancaster County HOME Consortium will hold several public meetings across a four-county area, including one at 2 p.m. Aug. 18 in Lancaster City […]
Grading on schedule. An air quality and construction permit on the verge of being approved. An announcement of an earlier start to production than was anticipated. A subcontractor outreach event. All the elements of a continued successful project seem to be coming together for the Richburg Giti Tire plant facility, Chester County Economic Development Director […]
The 2015 South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards were presented by Lt. Governor Henry McMaster on June 5 at the State House. Among this year’s honorees were: Dr. J. Edward Lee, mayor of York, who received the Elected Official Award.
Born in Chester, Lee is the author or co-author of 15 books, including the award-winning “Yorkville to […]
