Main Street South Carolina recently accepted the City of Inman and the City of Walterboro as Aspiring-level members of its network. They join three other Aspiring-level members, and are part of 32 total Main Street South Carolina members around the state.
Main Street SC serves as the state’s designated Main Street America coordinating partner, and has been a valuable resource supporting downtown revitalization since 1983. Using the Main Street Four-Point Approach, Main Street SC supports community-based revitalization initiatives with a practical framework that is adaptable to local conditions. Focusing on design, local markets, community branding and partnerships, the approach provides the foundation for a successful and continued revitalization process.
Each year, Main Street SC accepts applications to join the statewide network, which in 2023 led to acceptance as Aspiring communities for Inman, the Spartanburg County city of 3,665, and Walterboro, the Colleton County seat with 5,544 residents.
The state program offers membership levels ranging from a startup level known as the Friends of Main Street, where local programs can attend quarterly training sessions and receive some technical assistance, all the way to the Accredited Main Street programs, where members must meet national accreditation standards and undergo annual review.
At the Aspiring level, communities participate in a three-year technical assistance and community assessment plan during their formative years, building up their capacities as they model their efforts on the Main Street Approach. This comprehensive downtown revitalization program focuses on historic preservation, and is also a practical program that helps a community build on their district’s unique assets.
“Walterboro and Inman both have historic districts full of character and potential, and they have local leadership that’s incredibly enthusiastic about what they will be doing,” said Jenny Boulware, Main Street SC manager. “By launching this kind of intentional economic development focus, they are embracing a strategic, outcome-oriented approach to revitalization.”
Aspiring communities at this level must have a cohesive core of historic or older commercial and mixed-use buildings that represent the community’s architectural heritage and can also include infill properties built later, so long as it’s compatible with the historic storefronts. They must also have a sufficient mass of businesses, buildings and density to be effective, as well as be a compact and pedestrian-oriented district. The selection process includes a formal application that describes the downtown area, goals, readiness, support and funding commitments.
Three other communities are currently working through the Aspiring Main Street community program: Clover, Fountain Inn and Walhalla. The 32 total current Main Street SC communities range in population size from about 300 to 49,000. Some programs are structured as a department within a city or town government, some are separate nonprofit organizations, and some have a hybrid public/private structure.
Learn more about Main Street South Carolina.