PELION, S.C. — Big change is coming to Pelion and it could translate to better business for the area, potentially attracting new visitors too.
Driving past the center of Pelion, you'll come across a newly-revitalized train warehouse in town.
It'll now be used as an outdoor venue with a large deck for music in the park gatherings and other events.
That's because local leaders tell News 19 they received $25,000 in grant money from the SC Municipal Association in 2021 to improve the building.
The town then matched a portion of those funds, hired a contracting company to repair the roof and paint it.
"For other towns, it could be a park improvement on a major corridor or like you're looking at in Pelion, a former railroad warehousing project. Different projects vary that could revitalize a municipality," said Charlie Barrineau, field service manager with the SC Municipal Association.
The association's Hometown Economic Development Grant dishes out more than $300,000 each year to about 12 cities and towns in the state, helping to highlight what each local community has to offer, i.e. their "IT" factor, their town's historic significance.
Pelion residents and businesses add they're excited about how this money is being spent.
"We're right here up the street. We have an opportunity to not only cater, but to generate more traffic to our particular business because of this opportunity, so one of the things that we've been trying to focus on is spreading our reach outside of just the local Pelion area," said Matthew Fonseca, general manager of Sweet Magnolia's.
Applications for the 2023 grant money will open to South Carolina towns in two months, in July.
The town of Pelion tells News 19 that crews are strengthening the walls and rafters of the former train warehouse this week.