County pursuing theaters, retail

“Long-time residents can feel it, they just can’t identify it because it has been too long in coming,” Etters said. “We are seeing a new day dawn on Orangeburg.”

Etters spoke at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College on Monday evening to a gathering of “The 1,000.” The grassroots team meets as part of initiative, which has the goal of making the county an even better place to live, work and play.

Etters said the commercial, retail and housing task force has discovered many retailers have an inaccurate understanding of Orangeburg’s potential based on incorrect data.

“We are working on a promotional package that will give a more comprehensive picture to the existing data that, in our opinion, does not tell the whole story,” Etters said.

For example, Etters said some data shows 5,000 cars a day travel the U.S. Highway 601 corridor.

“For any of you that have been on that road at 8 o’clock in the morning, there are 5,000 cars then,” he said. “We have pulled in new data and we have given it to these folks and the results have been pretty staggering.”

Etters said discussions have been held with three movie theater chains; an entertainment complex similar to a Frankie’s Fun Park; two grocery stores; 13 mostly sit-down restaurants; one upscale hotel with its own sit-down restaurant; and 10 non-food retailers.

Etters said a memorandum of understanding and a letter of intent has been signed in connection with the hotel, which would most likely be located on U.S. 601.

With regards to the movie theater, Etters said the county is “in negotiations.”

“One chain in particular we are working with pretty aggressively,” Etters said.

Etters said the entertainment complex is in the discussion phase.

The same is true of the two grocery stores, he said. “One of them is very interested. It is not one that is currently in Orangeburg.”

Only discussions have been held with retailers such as Ross Stores, Marshalls and Stein Mart, to name a few.

Etters said there are a lot of naysayers in Orangeburg who believe Orangeburg cannot have what other communities have.

“Our committee refuses to accept that,” Etters said.

In addition to focusing on enhancing retail, housing and commercial development, the initiative is also focused on improving gateways into the county; improving marketing and branding efforts; and improving education.

Those at the meeting received an update on the work going on at the Interstate 26 and U.S. 601 interchange.

The work is a part of a project designed to enhance the entry points into Orangeburg. The gateway improvement project will include the planting of trees and the creation of island medians and sidewalks.

“County Council and our gateway are actively pursuing the monument signs,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said.

He said the contractor, Eagle Construction, is ahead of schedule.