What is holding Sumter back? (Columbia, Parker: Home Depot, to buy, school)

[Rophlmao]

Sumter has potential, but is developed in a manner that leaves behind dated areas to deteriorate as new housing is built. There is not the money to demolish the old housing stock so it fills with crackheads and trash.

"Someone last week mentioned a conference center that doubled as an arena. That would be amazing. I mentioned yesterday that a center with a Whole Foods, book store & Apple would bring in a decent crowd (heck, a book store alone would lift my spirits)."

Gather some investors and build what you want to see.

Do not forget the effect of sprawl on "book stores" etc. Anyone who is literate will have a computer (and, thus, not need an Apple store because they can order online) and can also order books online at much cheaper prices than retail. Walden Books does a decent job for its size, but if you want an urban ambiance move to New York. Sumter is suited to people who like the country, not to those who want to bring the city into the country. Sprawl ensures downtown will be outcompeted by malls (the streets and parking arrangement doom it), and the neighborhoods near downtown are not the best.

[107main]

I took a recent tour of the old Telephone factory in Sumter, now the "James F. Clyburn Intermodal Transportation Center". It is a texbook example of Govco waste at it's best! There has been well over $10 million dollars sunk into this monument to one of the most liberal politicians in Washington DC! At that amount of taxpayer money, it ought to be nice!
I saw more employees of the SWRTA in the building than people in the waiting roon who were riding the buses!
This building was built and equipped to make telephones in 1899 for $30,000, not one dime of taxpayer money and it employeed hundreds of people over the time the factory made telephones, again, at no cost to the taxpayer. Cong, Clyburn was asked, along with the bus officials to name this building after Chare Thomas Mason who started the Telephone mfg business, but that was axed immediately. It is ashamed that the real workers and contributors to America dont get honored while those politicians who vote to take our dollars at gunpoint from us and then send it back in pork barrel projects and get their names plastered all over the buildings after, when you look at it, really did nothing at all. Next time you are in Columbia, ride out from town on 277 and see the James (Gold plated) Clyburn 4 million dollar plus pedestrian overpass that goes unused as the locals on both sides of the road dont bother to climb it, rather they still do what the always did, cut the fence and run across the 4 lanes of road between the low rent apartments. Next will be the James Clyburn bridge to nowhere if he gets his way! And, you aint seen nothing yet if his buddy Nobama get elected, God forbid!

Originally Posted by Woodlands

For those of you who have not had a chance to visit the Thompson Headquarters at the intersection of Hampton and Main Streets or the new James Clyburn Intermodal Transportation Center both in downtown Sumter, it may be well worth a visit. I had a chance to drop in at both facilities and found their staff and mgt. willing to give tours of these two excellent examples of historic adaptive reuse. Both building hopefully represent the future of downtown Sumter which is coming along by most accounts.

The Clyburn Center is funded mostly with federal dollars.. houses the RTA Offices, confernece and training spaces, police annex, and the Greyhound Bus Station (probably the nicest one in the state). There is retail/office space available for lease and the facility is currently hosting a variety of meetings. The interior is very modern compared to the historic facade.. they used alot of glass and slate to give it a cool feel... which makes you think you are in a facility in Charleston or even ATL. The pine floors have been fully refurbished in addition to the interior/exterior brick walls and skylights. The large interior "warehouse" windows were also restored. There is even an old vault that once stored the valuables for the old Telephone Manufacturing Plant that occupied the site has been rehabbed to its orginal splendor and will be used for storage. The building is definately something that Sumter should be proud of and one of few in the state.

Thompson Industries has their new headquarters in the former "Uptown Center" is also a wonderful example of historic preservation rehab with a twist. the building has a nice roof top deck and a gourmet kitchen that one would think would be in a major city, but is right in Sumter.

Unfortunately, I did not take any photos, but I do plan to return to take some if none else in Sumter visits and post them... but I would strongly recommend a visit for those interested in these types of projects.

[Woodlands]

I understand your argument, but I am curious.. was it a waste to build the Transportation Center... or is it more the issue of whose name is on it? The later is of course politics that exist in every community whether we like it or not... there are buildings named after people all of the Country..some may deserve it some may not... I think the purpose behind the transportation center is sound particuliarly if you reflect on the fact that the building certainly is better that what was there before( I doubt seriously anyone else would have undertaken the redevelopment of this building) and if it certainly allows the opportunity to improve transitoptions for people in a $3 gallon world; and the opportunity for additional office/retail space space for a small business that may be considering locating in the downtown area....and provide/retain jobs, that may also be a benefit. Also, Central Carolina is investing millions of dollars (both state and federal) to rehab the old Western Auto for their Allied Health program which will hopefully lead to training more nurses to could work at Tuomey and who potentially stay/live in Sumter... and the transportation center gives lower income or budget conscious students another option to travel to and from Sumter to get to this the new CCTC building once it opens. By placing the two facilities on the south end of downtown which is probably the harderst or slowest sections of the city to develop it will certainly enhance and encourage investment in the the surrounding blocks and could ultimately contribute to the improvement of Sumter as a whole?

[sahmusaf]

Sure you can order books online, but it's totally not the tangible experience of being in a bookstore. Having a place to go for book clubs and lectures, storytime for little ones, a great cafe. It's a total intellectual and social experience that you can't get online.

[Rophlmao]

"Sure you can order books online, but it's totally not the tangible experience of being in a bookstore. Having a place to go for book clubs and lectures, storytime for little ones, a great cafe. It's a total intellectual and social experience that you can't get online."

You need to live in a modern Liberal, Northern or Western college city and stay there. You will never be happy anywhere else, and Sumter is clearly not for you. Not your fault, but some people have very specialized wants and are not adaptable. There is no reason to even attempt that sort of lifestyle in Sumter.

[sahmusaf]

Yeah...taking my daughter to Barnes & Noble for storytime and grabbing a cup of coffee while I'm there makes me liberal and difficult to please. Maybe you should try picking up a book once in a while and expanding your mind. And for the record, I live in Utah right now, one of the most conservative and Republican states in the nation and guess what...THEY HAVE BOOKSTORES! BTW, it's not my choice to move to Sumter, the AF is sending us there. That's life.

[Ceezer]

Originally Posted by Rophlmao

You need to live in a modern Liberal, Northern or Western college city and stay there.

Why would you say that? My first experience with a bookstore was when they built one outside of Camp LeJeune back in 98. Jacksonville is a very conservative city and the bookstore was a hit. I used to spend hours there. To this day I still spend hours at BAM/B&N and wish I didn't have to drive all the way to Columbia to get to one. Having one in Sumter would be a nice, welcome addition. It's not something that would transform Sumter into San Fran overnight, so quit getting your undies all wadded up in every thread.

[Rophlmao]

"Having one in Sumter would be a nice, welcome addition."

Then start one yourself and test that theory.
If someone genuinely believes a business would be viable, why not have at it and make money?

There is plenty of available retail space, and Waldenbooks couldn't compete because its physical limitations exclude doing anything much different with their store at the mall. Throw in wireless broadband access, and student discounts to entice the college crowd (who don't have much discretionary income but do have an incentive to read). Make used or discount textbooks easily available so students will seek your store out. A book shop isn't always about books, and I can understand why some folks want a certain ambiance and will pay for it. Be that as it may, anyone starting an "advanced" book store in Sumter needs an almost-ideal location (sprawl ensures it won't be ideal for everyone) plenty of space, attractive furnishings, a policy to exclude unwelcome loiterers, and ways to ensure enough cash flow to pay off their initial startup loan. They would be facing a stagnant economy, punitive gas prices, and a small audience.

"Yeah...taking my daughter to Barnes & Noble for storytime and grabbing a cup of coffee while I'm there makes me liberal and difficult to please."

No, but excessive attachment to those little things DOES make you hard to please. If lack of a Barnes and Noble is a dealbreaker for a place to live, then choose accordingly.

Shaw has a daycare center and ample places to obtain coffee, though they are not in the same spot. Their new library will have many more books than most bookstores, so one may read there and order online to get the best of both worlds.

"Maybe you should try picking up a book once in a while and expanding your mind."

I'm well read, and don't require a book store or library to maintain an interest in reading. I can view user reviews of books online, read portions of those that interest me, and order them by credit card for less than brick and mortar vendors charge. BTW I grew up long before personal computers were available, and am delighted to abandon the old ways of seeking out reading material! Downloading books and films from the Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg are other excellent free options.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Originally Posted by Rophlmao

You need to live in a modern Liberal, Northern or Western college city and stay there. You will never be happy anywhere else, and Sumter is clearly not for you. Not your fault, but some people have very specialized wants and are not adaptable. There is no reason to even attempt that sort of lifestyle in Sumter.

Out of curiosity, did you grow up in Sumter?

[107main]

Yes it was a serious waste of taxpayer money to renovate the old telephone factory. I wanted to see it saved, but they could have built a small more basic building/center elsewhere for millions less. The current building is a upkeep maintenance nightmare since due to historical building rules they were prevented by stupid rules (Govco) from putting in maintenance free windows that looked just like the wood ones. They will require painting annually. That is just one example. Where it is located requires constant security, I would not be there at night for fear of getting mugged. They installed a security system that I think rivals the White House security system!
I did not want the historical building to go, but at the cost, tooooo much!
I am famaliar with the history of the building and what was built there up to 1920 from 1899 when it was built. It will be a maintenance drain on the bus folks budget from now on! As for the bus systems, most that I see travel with just a few passengers on them. Private systems fail, they cant increase rates to make money. Govco owned systems are on the brink of failure and they keep looking for ways to make citizens pay for it through taxes of many kinds. We who do not ride the buses need our money to get around! They should raise the fare rates to make it at least break, not soak the taxpayer! I know that in Columbia when the power company was rquired to have the bus system, the city/County fought them everytime the tried to raise the rates/cut routes to break even. When Fed Govco made a law that power companies could no longer own a bus system, SCE&G was happy to give it up and they did to Govco in Columbia, plus SCE&G gave millions more to seed the operation. Time the SWRTA like agency took over in Columbia, they raised fares, cut routes and over time spent all the seed money SCE&G gave them and then they trimmed routes and are still looking for ways to tax and make everybody pay for others to ride these buses. They should raise the fares to make it at least break even. This is not yet the USSA (United Socialist States of America)! I fear it may become that from recent political events and the upcoming election. God help us if BO gets in office, he loves the above kind of stuff!
Check the salaries of the bloated staffs sitting in the buildings not even driving the buses. Typical Govco operation! Bloated!

Originally Posted by Woodlands

I understand your argument, but I am curious.. was it a waste to build the Transportation Center... or is it more the issue of whose name is on it? The later is of course politics that exist in every community whether we like it or not... there are buildings named after people all of the Country..some may deserve it some may not... I think the purpose behind the transportation center is sound particuliarly if you reflect on the fact that the building certainly is better that what was there before( I doubt seriously anyone else would have undertaken the redevelopment of this building) and if it certainly allows the opportunity to improve transitoptions for people in a $3 gallon world; and the opportunity for additional office/retail space space for a small business that may be considering locating in the downtown area....and provide/retain jobs, that may also be a benefit. Also, Central Carolina is investing millions of dollars (both state and federal) to rehab the old Western Auto for their Allied Health program which will hopefully lead to training more nurses to could work at Tuomey and who potentially stay/live in Sumter... and the transportation center gives lower income or budget conscious students another option to travel to and from Sumter to get to this the new CCTC building once it opens. By placing the two facilities on the south end of downtown which is probably the harderst or slowest sections of the city to develop it will certainly enhance and encourage investment in the the surrounding blocks and could ultimately contribute to the improvement of Sumter as a whole?