The center will employ between 30 and 50 individuals, including people involved in sales, management, concessions and guest service positions. Some positions will be year-round and some will be seasonable.

The center plans to open this summer, although an exact date has not been set.

“All my best memories have been outside,” owner and President Alan Tavel said. “That’s why I’ve built an overnight outdoor center to make it easy for you to unplug from life and explore a sense of adventure with your family and friends.”

Tavel purchased the country club property for $575,000, according to county property records.

According to a press release, SOAC will provide a “unique combination of outdoor adventure activities and camping.”

About 90 acres have been dedicated to obstacle course runs and high-adventure activities similar to the popular Ninja Warrior Course, the release said.

The courses, which will be phased in over the next few months, will be available for weekend events and team-building opportunities.

About 25 acres of the property will be dedicated to overnight camping, including a “glamour” site featuring a yurt (round tent) that offers specially catered meals.

Central to it all, an area called the “Hub” will be a gathering space for both participants and spectators. Patrons will be able to gather with friends and family. There will be a food truck court, lawn games and other entertainment, including music.

Initially, the center will operate from Wednesday through Sunday with plans to eventually operate seven days a week, according to SOAC Business Manager Alicia Yancey.

According to the company’s website, the project will include four courses based on skill levels, including the most advanced ninja course, a wipeout course, a mud run course and a kid’s course.

The project will include hiking opportunities as well as a nine-hole disc golf course coming in the fall of 2017. A greenhouse will also be constructed by the spring of 2018, the website states.

The project will also have 20 RV sites which will include 30-50 amp power, water, fire pits, picnic tables, outdoor grills and parking.

Cabins accommodating groups as large as six will include climate -controlled units, fire pits, picnic tables, outdoor grill and parking. Tent sites will also be available.

The project is designed to draw individuals from across the entire Southeast.

“It is a great location,” Yancey said. “We knew it would be a destination area and can draw people from Charleston to Columbia.”

Yancey said individuals can now go online and sign up for the newsletter and will eventually be able to book for races and camping slots.

“We are excited to be coming to Bowman,” Yancey said. “We think it will be great.”

Tavel and his wife, Beth, owned Growing Places Garden Center in Mount Pleasant for about 15 years. The couple closed the store and is now developing a 30-home neighborhood on the site.

They also own a contracting company in the Charleston area.

Southeast Outdoor Adventure Center is being developed on the heels of an outdoor concert venue, Yonder Field, which is locating in the Bowman area on Log Cabin Road off of Homestead Road.

Yonder Field is planning its inaugural concert event on May 27 on the 228-acre site with a music festival named Bowman Bound. The developers plan to hold 10 to 15 concerts a year at the site, with crowds expected to number from 20,000 to 30,000 for each event.

For more information on Southeast Outdoor Adventure Center, visit www.mysoac.com. Also, contact info@mysoac.com or 803-829-6529

“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.

There are two aerospace suppliers in Orangeburg County, Newman said following the meeting. A lot of jobs in the aerospace industry start workers off at salaries ranging from $30,000 to $60,000, he said.

“What we’re trying to do is to address the needs of our county and community,” Newman said. The district is holding discussions with local manufacturers so it can provide students with the training they need to get good jobs when they leave school, he said.

“We are trying to find a way to build those skills for the students, embed the terminology for the aerospace manufacturing sector, embed soft skills and try to react to the needs that they’re asking for,” Newman said.

The district has gotten a commitment from the S.C. Department of Education to help fund a new aerospace content teacher, the superintendent said.

The magnet school will not only prepare students to go on to work in the aerospace field after high school, but it will also lay a foundation for students who want to go on to four-year colleges for a degree in areas like engineering.

The district will be working on budgets and the application process as well as going to other magnet schools across the state to see how they do things, Newman said.

Edisto High was selected to house the magnet school because of its proximity to the Cope Area Career Center, he said.

Newman said he hopes to bring the new curriculum back to the board for approval in time to get the magnet school off the ground by this fall.

In other business, trustees approved an out-of-state trip for the Lockett Elementary School Junior Beta Club. The students will be competing at the National Junior Beta Club Convention in Orlando in June. They qualified to participate in the event by winning the following awards at the state convention in January: first place in Advertising Design Division I, first place in Quiz Bowl Division I, second place in Science Division I and second place in Book Battle Division II.

Trustees also unanimously approved second and final reading of the 2017-18 school calendar. Classes will begin for students on Aug. 22, 2017. The final day of the school year will be June 9. Three makeup days for inclement weather were built into the calendar: Jan. 2, March 30 and June 11.

Newman recognized Bethany Jameson, an Edisto High School student, who won the district’s annual Christmas card contest.

He also recognized members of the Branchville High School Lady Jackets volleyball team who were recently named the S.C. High School League Class A champions.

Leaders say it is particularly inaccurate at the moment, pointing to a number of ongoing projects in the area such as a new grocery store, a new bank, a new discount store, a retail strip mall as well as land-clearing projects for future potential development.

“There is a lot going on,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said. “We are back with the commercial activity and the economy is responding well. It is an overall indication of better employment and opportunities from a manufacturing perspective and commercial follows suit.”

Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce President Melinda Jackson said the number of projects in and around Orangeburg are a positive for the area.

“Competition keeps us all on our feet and can be quite healthy,” she said. “The new bank will surely be a showpiece and the grocery store couldn’t be in a more prime location.”

“It’s a great time to live in a small town,” Jackson said. “Not only are we growing in new business developments, but we are also growing in collaborative efforts.”

Jackson cited a renewed understanding of the need to work together for the betterment of the county and its municipalities.

“One Orangeburg is growing stronger in numbers and our education entities are pulling together to share great successes and real solutions for progress,” she said. “It’s a great time to be in Orangeburg County and an even greater time to be a part of the chamber!”

North Road project

About 60 acres of land has been cleared for future development.

Fort Motte Partners, a partnership of Century 21 The Moore Group and C.F. Evans Construction, is working to develop the 62-acre tract adjacent to the North Road Walmart.

The development is expected to include restaurants, retail outlets, an entertainment complex with possible movie theater, as well as a hotel and residential areas.

Green space to include walking paths, ponds and open spaces is also planned.

“We have had a good bit of interest,” Century 21 The Moore Group President Marion Moore said. “We are so far behind because of weather getting the permitting done. We are looking at the end of April to get the final engineering permits in place. We were hoping to done by the end of January.”

Through the middle of February, Moore said work was being done on the road and additional shaping and land clearing is also in the works.

“We are going at it as hard as we can,” Moore said. “We are moving on it but it is a slow mover.”

Construction on the property was to begin around the middle of 2006 but because of the economic downturn, development plans were put on hold. The target date was pushed into 2009 or possibly 2010.

By September 2016, the property remained untouched. Then that all changed. Crews spent several weeks in October felling trees on the property.

In order to maintain the uniqueness of the property, the magnolia trees will be preserved. The name of the property, which was formerly owned by the Wannamaker family from which the magnolia tree had its origins, will most likely be Magnolia Village.

Currently, the work being done is focused on infrastructure such as roads, sewer, water, engineering and traffic.

Construction on retail will begin by early 2018.

The project will coincide and tie in with the city’s plans to build a recreational center behind Orangeburg Preparatory School.

Lidl

German discount grocery chain Lidl is constructing a new store on North Road next to Sonic.

The company, a division of German retailer Schwarz Group, is building an approximately 36,000-square-foot standalone store.

As of mid-February, Lidl has not announced the Orangeburg store’s opening date.

The company announced in May 2016 it plans to open stores in South Carolina, including Orangeburg, no later than 2018. It is the store’s first entry into the U.S. market.

The grocer chose the area due to its high traffic, dense population and established retail locations.

Lidl will sell products with its own store label and offer fresh breads, produce and meat. In addition to groceries, the chain offers discounts on household appliances, clothes and furniture.

A typical Lidl store has between 30 and 35 employees.

The arrival of Lidl comes on the heels of another German grocery store, Aldi, which opened on Orangeburg’s North Road in March 2015.

Some news reports have likened Lidl to a cross between Walmart and California-based Trader Joe’s.

The chain also has plans for two other stores in the Midlands — one in Columbia and the other in Lexington.

Kmart/Reid’s redevelopment

Plans are in place to redevelop the former Orangeburg Chestnut Street Kmart and Reid’s buildings and property for new retail and dining establishments.

Grand Oak Realty LLC is seeking to develop the 85,000-square-foot Kmart building by subdividing it into three units to include a big-box retailer and grocery stores. Each unit would be from 31,000 to 48,000 square feet.

There are also plans to develop two standalone parcels — about 4,800 square feet and 6,000 square feet — on the front portion of the property to include small retail and dining space.

Plans are to begin construction by the first quarter of 2017, with opening by the second quarter of next year.

Grand Oak Realty Principal Brandon Graham said the property has received two letters of intent from retailers and lease agreements have been worked on but he does not have “express consent or liberty to disclose who they are.”

The plans to develop the Reid’s property may prove more challenging as the lease on the building does not expire until 2024. The former 40,000-square-foot grocery store is under lease by Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, which purchased Reid’s in 2013. The Orangeburg Reid’s closed in 2014.

Through the middle of February, project developers and property owners were still working on possible arrangements to develop the property either through a sublease or property purchase.

The entire property is seen as ideal for a shopping center, theater or even a call center.

The city would be responsible for any connection fees and business licensing.

The two properties are owned by a Columbia-based trust DWB Orangeburg LLC Interprop Inc. and DWB Orangeburg-Reids LLC.

Graham said the development would be self-funded by the ownership entity.

The Kmart store at 1470 Chestnut St. closed in early August 2016. Kmart had a presence in Orangeburg since October 1972.

GrandSouth Bank

GrandSouth Bank is constructing a branch at 1055 St. Matthews Road next to Orangeburg Mall.

A temporary bank is located at the same site until the standalone bank opens. The land is the former site of United Hospice of the Midlands. The building was torn down earlier in 2016.

Through the middle of February, the building’s plumbing and electricity have been completed and the roof was being installed.

The 4,600-square-foot bank is expected to be open by late April or early May 2017.

Veteran Orangeburg bankers Allen Fairey and Michael Delaney, formerly of First Citizens Bank, both partnered in opening the bank.

Fairey serves as the bank’s senior vice president and relationship manager and Delaney serves as the bank’s senior vice president and market president.

When fully operational, GrandSouth will have 11 employees.

The bank will focus on the customer, customer service and taking care of the people when they walk in the door.

When completed, the bank building will have a three-bay drive-through. GrandSouth will not have an automatic teller machine, but customers can utilize other bank ATMs without paying a fee.

Greenville-based GrandSouth bank has branches in Greenville, Fountain Inn, Anderson and Greer. The bank is also in the process of opening a branch in Columbia.

The bank employs 136 people.

GrandSouth Bancorporation, the parent company, was founded in 1987.

St. Matthews Road strip mall

Heavy equipment was moving dirt on St. Matthews Road in preparation for the construction of a shopping strip mall, according to an Orangeburg building permit.

The land being cleared is at the corner of St. Matthews Road and Nelson Street next to the Walgreens and across the street from Grove Park shopping plaza.

The address of the vacant 15-acre property is 1580 St. Matthews Road.

The owner of the land is J&P Venture Group LLC with the registered agent named Man Suk Ha, according to South Carolina Secretary of State and county property records.

Attempts to reach the registered agent with the company were unsuccessful.

The building permit is from Dec. 16, 2016, to June 16, 2017. KG Contracting Company is the project contractor.

Sources close to the project say there are no specific retailers in place for the strip mall.

Dollar Tree opens

Dollar Tree opened its doors Feb. 9 at 1270 John C. Calhoun Drive.

The Dollar Tree is located at the former site of the Southland Restaurant across from Subway.

Dollar Tree carries items from housewares to party supplies. All items are $1 or less.

It will be the second Dollar Tree to open in Orangeburg. The other is on North Road near IHOP. There is also a Dollar Tree in Bamberg.

Virginia-based Dollar Tree, a Fortune 500 company, operates more than 14,000 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.

Former Prince of Orange Mall Sears

Work is underway at the former Sears in the Prince of Orange Mall.

The space is being prepared for potential tenants, though none has been announced.

The mall is owned by Hull Property Group, which was formerly Hull Storey Gibson.

Sears Holdings, which is also the parent company of Kmart, announced in 2012 that it was closing about 120 stores across the nation, including Orangeburg’s Sears. The local store closed in May 2013.