Open House Darlington to market local properties
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Next month, local vacant commercial properties will be put on display as Darlington holds its first ever city-wide open house. A member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce, Ronda Brown says she first warmed to this idea while scouring the Internet for stories of how other small towns remedied the problem of unoccupied downtown businesses.
“I ran across an article about this one little town in the midwest that had a lot of empty properties, and they decided to hold an open house for the whole town,” says Brown. “At the end of the article, it said that they had sold one property and had commitments on two others. That kind of stuck in my mind.”
She pitched the idea at the next meeting of the Chamber board, homing in on the potential for recruiting new businesses – and potential Chamber of Commerce members – for downtown Darlington. The board voted unanimously to support the effort, dubbed “Open House Darlington,” and Brown received further commitments for assistance and support from Darlington Downtown Revitalization Association and the City of Darlington.
Brown began scouting vacant commercial properties and working with realtors Burt Jordan and Stephanie Benjamin to compile a list of viable retail, restaurant, office, and warehouse options to market. The current list includes ten commercial properties for sale and one for lease, ranging in price from about $35,000 to $250,000.
Marketing materials and invitations went out not just throughout South Carolina, but all up and down the east coast. Brown hopes that somewhere out there, those invites will hit home with people looking to retire to a small town and open a shop or restaurant, or relocate their current business, or move their offices to a welcoming community with interesting and historical property options.
To play up the local history angle, Brown arranged a bus tour (with a bus donated from PDRTA) that will take guests on a trek through several locales of note. Darlington County Historical Commission director Brian Gandy was sadly unavailable to play emcee for the tour, but Darlington County Council member and noted history buff Bobby Kilgo agreed to pinch hit and play tour guide for guests.
Open House Darlington is scheduled for Thursday, May 10 from 1 until 6 p.m. The day will be capped off with a wine and cheese mixer at the Chamber, and the first Bringing Downtown Alive music concert at 7 p.m., featuring Johnny Glenn and The Chasers playing live on Liberty Lane.
For more information, or to inquire about including your properties in this event (free of charge), contact Harriet Hobbs or Elizabeth Gainey with the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce at 843-393-2641, or visit them at 38 Public Square.