Grants Awarded to Improve 21 South Carolina Communities
Staff Report From South Carolina CEO
Thursday, December 13th, 2018
More than 20 communities across South Carolina are slated to benefit from public improvement projects supported by more than $7.6 million in funds from the latest round of Community Development Block Grant funding. The S.C. Department of Commerce (S.C. Commerce) is awarding CDBG funds to these communities, representing more than 34,720 residents, for the following projects:
Town of Allendale – Razor Road Area Demolition $181,390
Allendale County – Village Inn Demolition $126,534
City of Bennettsville – Shady Rest Neighborhood Demolition $435,710
Town of Bluffton – Goethe/Shults Neighborhood Revitalization $500,000
Town of Cheraw – Front Street Neighborhood Clearance $155,000
Chester County – DSS/DHHS Building Renovation $500,000
City of Clemson – Littlejohn Community Center Renovation $500,000
Colleton County – High School Football Stadium Demolition $500,000
City of Dillon – Pine Street Neighborhood Revitalization $490,050
Town of Eastover – Eastover School Demolition $267,158
Town of Estill – Morrison Avenue Neighborhood Demolition $149,630
City of Greenwood – Community Center Demolition $249,404
Hampton County – Early Branch and Varnville Demolition $282,915
City of Hanahan – Charleston Farms Neighborhood Revitalization III $500,000
Jasper County – Marsh Cove Fire Substation $500,000
Lancaster County – Brooklyn Neighborhood Demolition $400,600
City of Lancaster – Neighborhood Demolition $500,000
City of Manning – Dickson/Durant Neighborhood Demolition $308,880
Town of Ridge Spring – Main Street/Town Square Improvements $500,000
Sumter County – Shannontown Demolition $283,983
Williamsburg County – Hospital Demolition $285,197
“In South Carolina, we work hard to ensure that economic development touches every corner of our state, and the CDBG program is an important tool in our arsenal for overall improvement,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “To further attract investments to our communities, we need to preserve the remarkable quality of life that exists throughout our state, and these public projects are critical to doing just that.”
S.C. Commerce awards CDBG funds in the fall and the spring of each year. Selected through a statewide competitive process, local governments receiving CDBG funds are required to provide at least a 10 percent match in funding to complete the projects. Grant funds are allocated on an annual basis to South Carolina from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and S.C. Commerce administers the CDBG program on the state’s behalf. CDBG assists communities in providing housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities.
All grants awarded through the CDBG program must meet at least one of three objectives:
- Benefit low-to moderate-income persons.
- Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blighting conditions.
- Meet other urgent community needs where existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to public health and welfare and where other financial resources are not readily available to meet such needs.