Why Florence isn't growing as fast as other SC cities? (Columbia: crime, Home Depot)

[Chico020]

I live in Florence and I have a couple of solid reasons why Florence isn't growing as fast as other cities. The Pee Dee area where Florence is the main focal point isn't really a good urbanized area besides Florence. This area also relies on the old economics of South Carolina with the textile industry and other stuff. I believe the outline of this city would of been so different if I-20 was extended to Myrtle Beach rather then being stopped in Florence. If Florence would actually make more use of the advantages its location it has compared to other cities similar to it size and the tourist that past through it year in and year goin to the beach then this city would just be as big and populated such as Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, or Rock Hill. How many cities you know that will have 3 interstates in its vicinity (95,20,73).

[Akhenaton06]

Another thing that hurts Florence/the Pee Dee is the lack of a large research university. If Francis Marion University could somehow raise its research profile, that would help tremendously. But that takes money, and that's going to make it even harder for a second-tier public unversity in a relatively poor state.

[Palmetto Patriot]

Another thing that hurts the Pee Dee is the make-up of the population. This really applies to small surrounding towns but Florence also. There is an overwhelming thug/street culture that is embraced and saturates public life. If you go to the Magnolia Mall in Florence you can see what I mean and it will eventually kill business. There are thugs or wannabes everywhere and even forty-something adult males embrace this culture. What's worse is the women and girls seem to love it and are raising their children to emulate this culture. These people will never contribute to solving the problems in our area, only adding and magnifying them. This culture is spreading fast through small towns everywhere and ruining public life. There aren't enough people that try to make a difference left in this area. The wealthy have just given up and retreat to their gated communities and country clubs so they don't deal with it. That's why we home school our kids, do more extended family get-togethers and are looking to pool land together with family to create pockets of clean living. I'm sick of it.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by Palmetto Patriot

Another thing that hurts the Pee Dee is the make-up of the population. This really applies to small surrounding towns but Florence also. There is an overwhelming thug/street culture that is embraced and saturates public life. If you go to the Magnolia Mall in Florence you can see what I mean and it will eventually kill business. There are thugs or wannabes everywhere and even forty-something adult males embrace this culture. What's worse is the women and girls seem to love it and are raising their children to emulate this culture. These people will never contribute to solving the problems in our area, only adding and magnifying them. This culture is spreading fast through small towns everywhere and ruining public life. There aren't enough people that try to make a difference left in this area. The wealthy have just given up and retreat to their gated communities and country clubs so they don't deal with it. That's why we home school our kids, do more extended family get-togethers and are looking to pool land together with family to create pockets of clean living. I'm sick of it.

That isn't an excuse for Florence's relative lack of prosperity. You think the same thing isn't present in Atlanta, Charlotte, or even Charleston? And believe it or not, Florence is doing better than some towns that don't even have this to deal with. No city is perfect and all have certain obstacles to overcome, but great leadership can certainly help turn things around. That's one thing that Florence is lacking.

[Intergalactic]

Not to dog on Florence, but it appeared to me when I first drove through there to be very "gritty."

[SCGamecock]

The population of Florence isn't growing because city leaders do not seek to annex the surrounding areas. When a new subdivision is built near Florence, it is provided with city water and sewer connections but is not required to be zoned within the city limits. I believe the greater Florence area has grown in the past few years with the opening of Kohl's, The Home Depot, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Chili's, and four urgent care clinics. Monster and Heinz are also building facilities.

The things that limit Florence's potential are a public education system that is below the level of Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Rock Hill. Also, a good ol' boy political structure that embraces the status quo and rejects change and its location as the midpoint on the I-95 drug corridor between Miami and NYC.

[Palmetto Patriot]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

That isn't an excuse for Florence's relative lack of prosperity. You think the same thing isn't present in Atlanta, Charlotte, or even Charleston? And believe it or not, Florence is doing better than some towns that don't even have this to deal with. No city is perfect and all have certain obstacles to overcome, but great leadership can certainly help turn things around. That's one thing that Florence is lacking.

I agree that leadership is lacking but I stand by my observation of Florence and that culture in general. I'm not going to defend it or make an excuse for it for any reason because that's all we've done for years. It's time for the people to push for change. We need a public that is moral, educated and focused instead of "me" obsessed. People have to demand great leadership or either step up and become leaders. I would encourage people to go to council meetings and get involved and work to clean up their towns. I don't want to live in one ever expanding hood. I'm tired of seeing and hearing ignorance in neighborhoods where people complain about what's not being done for them but yet they are driving bling vehicles and living in a shack while prostituting the government dime. It's insane. There are too many excuses being made for trifling people and too many people not calling them out and enabling the behavior to flourish. No one is owed anything. All we should have is a fair chance to earn what we have and that means education and access to good jobs. Businesses don't want to locate here as much as other areas of the country because of our poorly educated population and our lack to desire to be educated. Maybe if we actually put our feet to motion from our words then businesses would take a chance on us. Businesses run on assessing risk and we are a high risk population plain and simple. There is no reason it has to stay that way. If our leaders are crooked or self-interested then vote them out of office and put people in who care about raising the bar and cleaning up their neighborhoods. Let's get real and stop making excuses for crime and immoral behavior. Expect more!

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by Palmetto Patriot

I agree that leadership is lacking but I stand by my observation of Florence and that culture in general. I'm not going to defend it or make an excuse for it for any reason because that's all we've done for years. It's time for the people to push for change. We need a public that is moral, educated and focused instead of "me" obsessed. People have to demand great leadership or either step up and become leaders. I would encourage people to go to council meetings and get involved and work to clean up their towns. I don't want to live in one ever expanding hood. I'm tired of seeing and hearing ignorance in neighborhoods where people complain about what's not being done for them but yet they are driving bling vehicles and living in a shack while prostituting the government dime. It's insane. There are too many excuses being made for trifling people and too many people not calling them out and enabling the behavior to flourish. No one is owed anything. All we should have is a fair chance to earn what we have and that means education and access to good jobs. Businesses don't want to locate here as much as other areas of the country because of our poorly educated population and our lack to desire to be educated. Maybe if we actually put our feet to motion from our words then businesses would take a chance on us. Businesses run on assessing risk and we are a high risk population plain and simple. There is no reason it has to stay that way. If our leaders are crooked or self-interested then vote them out of office and put people in who care about raising the bar and cleaning up their neighborhoods. Let's get real and stop making excuses for crime and immoral behavior. Expect more!

Understand, I'm not saying that your observations aren't correct, nor am I justifying the behavior you speak of. But one thing that has to be understood is that it, in part, is symptomatic of a larger problem in Florence and in the Pee Dee in general. When economic prosperity comes to an area, things like that don't disappear, but they are certainly held in check to a certain extent. City leadership needs to intensify its focus on what it CAN control, and poor individual decisions (as long as they don't break any laws) don't fall within that category.

[Palmetto Patriot]

Agreed. I'm glad that at least you acknowledge some truth in what I am saying and I don't think it will go away. I do think in my hometown which is not Florence but close by, the minority leadership (meaning the fewest) is facing opposition from an immoral majority. The majority leaders (meaning the most) that are supported by this immoral majority are self serving and only stoke hate for their personal gain without doing anything to unify the community and bring much needed change. Many are giving up and have been moving away to other locales. I am considering doing the same thing because I am tiring of the cycle. I am trying to provide my family with a clean town to live in. I get so tired of violence and intimidation is public schools (we home school now). I get tired of racially biased service in local businesses. I get tired tired of gross public profanity and yelling. I get tired of loud music that drums my neighborhood at night. I'm tired of this region and pessimistic about it's future. I'm planning to start fresh in an area I know fairly well and one that is headed in the right direction. When this immoral majority is blocking change then it's time to go. I know what you mean when you say change what you can but this town really is a microcosm of resistance and toxicity. It really needs to die out so it can be rebuilt from the ground up. I know we are talking about Florence and I hope that at some point Florence swallows up my town for it's own good. Florence remains the hub for the Northeast part of the state. I just hope people are noticing what I am seeing and try to create solutions that address the illness in response to these symptoms.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

Another thing that hurts Florence/the Pee Dee is the lack of a large research university. If Francis Marion University could somehow raise its research profile, that would help tremendously. But that takes money, and that's going to make it even harder for a second-tier public unversity in a relatively poor state.

AMEN... I attended good ole FMU and have been puzzled by its apparent attempt to remain an obscure University (which it became during my stint there) and remain on the student population level of a say Coker College. I think now they are beginning to beef up their nursing program..they have a solid school of business and they are even joint venturing on a Performing Arts Center that is under construction downtown... but schools like Winthorp and even Coastal that used to be considered peers are now running away from FMU by leaps and bounds... granted that both are in faster growing communities than Florence but I have always thought the school's distance from the City proper was more psycological than is was physical. Slowly though.. it appears things are changing.. but there is alot of ground that needs to be covered....