Five upstate cities receiving Hometown Economic Development Grants

Belton, Landrum, Anderson, Pickens and Spartanburg are among ten cities and towns across the state that have received a Hometown Economic Development Grant from the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

“Shock This Block” is an initiative to use creative placemaking strategies to create a unified, site-specific development plan for downtown Anderson.

“Belton and Beyond” is a partnership between the city and the Belton Alliance that will develop an exercise area and trailhead near the downtown. This will provide a free, family-friendly environment for residents of all ages to gather together and get healthy. The trailhead will be the entry point to a walking trail connecting the downtown to the Belton Recreation Hub and Leda Poore Sports Complex.

The City of Landrum intends to acquire and develop an unused passenger rail car into a railroad and historical museum that will sit next to the restored historic Landrum Depot.

Building on the success of its Doodle Trail, the City of Pickens will create the Doodle Park Mural and also expand the Turtles on the Town campaign, which promotes Pickens and its small businesses.

In collaboration with several partners, the City of Spartanburg will implement a business development initiative that will specifically promote the development and support of African-American-owned businesses and businesses seeking to locate within African-American communities.

Cities ranging in population from 500 to 37,000 received grants. Anderson, Belton, Estill, Johnston, Lancaster, Landrum, McClellenville, Pickens, Spartanburg and West Columbia are this year’s grant recipients.

Each municipality will receive $25,000 to implement a project ranging from community master plans and retail recruitment to downtown revitalization and tourism development. The grants are to support economic development projects that will make a positive impact on the quality of life in their communities. The grant program also promotes and recognizes innovation in economic development practices.

The Municipal Association board of directors created this grant program two years ago to fund projects that will produce measurable results, can be maintained over time and illustrate best practices that can be replicated in other cities. Projects funded by the first round of grants awarded last year are already showing results.

Cities and towns receiving the grant must provide matching funds. Matching amounts, determined by a city’s population, will range from 5 percent to 15 percent of the grant award. Cities can use in-kind contributions or other grant funds as their match. Fifty-three municipalities applied for the grants.

An awards committee of former and current local government and state agency professionals evaluated the grant applications. Cities and towns receiving a grant must submit reports about the progress and successes of each grant-funded project and provide financial details of how the grant funds were used.

“These grants will help our cities and towns continue to strengthen their economic development efforts to attract and retain businesses in their downtowns and neighborhoods,” said Miriam Hair, executive director of the Municipal Association.

Get more information about all the grant recipients.