
Equalizing funding for our downtown and community development
It is most important to Councilwoman Myers Ervin to make sure funding for development is not only equal between downtown and community development, but also all sides of the city are being equally developed. Florence very well cannot have a beautiful downtown but travel through underdeveloped areas to get there. Not only do the city’s citizens want it to be equal, but those who we are wanting to call Florence home cannot very well have this as their welcome greeting. With equity of funding for inclusive directional development, a hotbed for economic diversity is created. She is dedicated to making real the utopian city she knows Florence can be. Remember, all residents want that problem of what side of town should they live, which means Florence is a beautiful, vibrant city through and through.
What does this look like immediately?
For Downtown, exercise the use of TIFF District Funds to:
- Design a package for micro-businesses – These businesses generate $250k or less in revenue and still contribute to our growing economy that still needs to be stabilized due to COVID.Though we have lost businesses, some have retooled and need this help to either sustain them or even get them started.
- Step down Incubator – Shared business and workspace space for service and retail for those micro-businesses that are working out of their homes or online and may need professional space, as well as have a marketplace for those who sell goods and may not have a permanent location.For example, a seller may have a kiosk reserved with a shorter lease to sell their goods. With this we can possibly bring in companies like Regus, who is world-wide and knows about managing co-working spaces, while creating jobs they may bring to the area.
For community, matching those TIFF District Funds dollar-for-dollar for community development:
- Complete Pine Street Community Development - While as community development chair, Councilwoman Myers Ervin facilitated the start of the Pine Street redevelopment project, she wants to see it fully completed.This really is the start of revitalizing East Florence.She wants to develop a Hero Packages that facilitates sales in that East Florence area.Thinking about medical professionals who will have the ability to walk to work, as well as rebuild the neighborhood(s).
- Aesthetics Project for East Florence - With East Florence, Councilwoman Myers Ervin will put relationships to work in conjunction with the county and the state by looking at working with the right of ways. She would like the city to work on aesthetics first to put effort forward in getting the East Palmetto corridor to where citizens and she wants it to be.This would also allow her to identify private investors and developers who would like to work with the city to continue moving this area forward.It also displays to the county and the state that the city of Florence is serious about moving forward with tangible works.