Business View Magazine | March 2019

174 South Carolina’s local governments also strive to make sure their operations don’t inter- fere with commerce. For example, the City of Greer recently launched a major downtown streetscaping project, which can be very dis- ruptive to the foot traffic that businesses need. Instead, the city government carefully communicated with business owners and the larger public. They proudly reported that three restaurants were able to open during construc- tion. REINVESTING IN HOUSING STOCK Our cities and towns also play a role in clos- ing market gaps, taking on the kind of projects that no one else would tackle. A good example is the City of Florence, which has become known for bringing its once-empty downtown district back to life in recent years, not unlike the revitalization that Greenville and others have achieved or are pursuing now. Florence MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA Florence Neighborhood Revitalization Plan Completed homes now stand in the City of Florence’s Vista Place catalytic project area. Wastewater treatment plant Credit – City of Woodruff - The City of Woodruff made a host of equipment and technology upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant in order to increase plant capacity, reliability, efficiency and worker safety. Photo: City of Woodruff.