‘Universal happiness’ in Society Hill as CareSouth office plan takes off
By Bobby Bryant, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Coming to Society Hill within the next few years: A CareSouth Carolina office building where at least 50 employees will work.
Society Hill’s reaction: “Universal happiness,” says Mayor Tommy Bradshaw. “It’s great, great news. … We’ll be much, much better off. It’s a great day.”
On March 12, the Darlington County school board quickly and without debate voted to cut the legal red tape that for many years has restricted how Society Hill, a town of 560 people, could use St. David’s Academy, a former school that was shut down in the 1980s.
That clears the way for Society Hill Town Council to convey the deed for the property to Hartsville-headquartered CareSouth, which wants to renovate the “eyesore” former school into an administrative office for at least 50 employees who will be relocated from other sites. The company and the town have been in talks about the project for about a year, Bradshaw said.
“They are looking at a minimum of $500,000 (for the renovation work),” Bradshaw said last week.
“Perhaps it could go much higher.”
When opened for business, Bradshaw said, the CareSouth office will be by far Society Hill’s biggest employer. The mayor also believes it will be an “economic catalyst” for the town, bringing in other businesses, such as restaurants hoping to cater to the CareSouth workers.
“This is great news for our little town,” Bradshaw said. “I’m just very, very pleased. It’s just a win-win. It just seems to be very positive all the way around. … It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I’ve been the mayor.”
The building, which Bradshaw has called an “eyesore” of broken windows that violates the town’s own property codes, is not historic, but the grounds are. The original St. David’s Academy was built in the 1700s. Different versions of it have been put up at the site for more than 200 years.
The Darlington County School District deeded the property to Society Hill in 2005, but the town did not have the power to sell the property. According to the school district, the original deed restricted the property to municipal services. And Society Hill had no use for the building.
At last week’s school board meeting, the board members voted without discussion to kill the restrictions on the deed. Society Hill Town Council was in session at the same time as the school board. After getting a phone call that the board had granted the town’s request, the Society Hill council members went into executive session, Bradshaw said.
While in closed session, the council members met with CareSouth representative John Douglas and with Darlington County economic-development director Frank Willis, the mayor said. After going back into open session, Bradshaw said, the Town Council quickly gave initial approval to an ordinance conveying the deed to CareSouth.
The ordinance needs one more vote to become final, and that is expected to come at next month’s Town Council session, the mayor said.
Under the plan, Bradshaw said, CareSouth agrees to let the town keep using the front grounds of the St. David’s Academy site in the town’s annual Catfish Festival. He said the town until 2029 would lease back from CareSouth a ballfield that’s part of the site; the cost will be a token $1.
Bradshaw said Society Hill is giving both the St. David’s building and grounds to CareSouth under the plan. “They’re interested in all the property as a campus for them.”
According to a CareSouth representative, the company also agrees not to disturb the historic marker on the site or the school sign near the highway. CareSouth is also giving the town $25,000 to compensate for funds the town has spent on the site over the years.
“We’re very excited about this opportunity,” said Joe Bittle, CareSouth’s chief of community health. “Society Hill is where CareSouth began. … We’re very happy we can help the growth of Society Hill.”
In other business at the school board’s March 12 meeting, after going into executive session, the board accepted a low bid from Edcon Inc. for construction of the new Hartsville elementary school and the new Lamar elementary school for $36.6 million, acknowledging $5.5 million from the general fund balance to cover additional costs from the original budget. The board accepted Duke Energy’s proposal to provide power for the Hartsville school.