SALUDA COUNTY, S.C. — Saluda County leaders are laying out more details of a plan they hope will attract more business to its Commerce Park.
It’s a $2.5 million project called "Road to the Future" that they hope will attract those companies and create new jobs.
Jason Anderson, who serves District 3 in Saluda, said this project aims to keep people working locally.
“The majority of our residents that live in Saluda county have to go to Lexington, Greenwood or Newberry to work -- even in Edgefield," Anderson said. "The driving force for this is to keep our local people local.”
He added that keeping people in Saluda County means keeping money there, too.
"Whenever you keep local people local, they buy local, they shop local, you know, they are going to spend your local dollars locally,” he said.
The industrial park is largely empty, with two major companies in the middle. The goal is to expand the road running through the park up to the water tower and make other upgrades there.
Saluda County Council Chairman Jim Moore said the mission is to market the area to attract manufacturers and boost economic development.
“We want to extend this road back to the back of the property because this is the high point, and there is a water tower out there," he said. "We will run the roads and then put water lines and sewer lines that will come from the sides right here.”
Moore said drafts on developing that land had been in the works for two years before finally being approved during a meeting in August. Resident Jackie Sweat said the area has been empty for years but hopes this project is successful.
“I remember when they started building that, and it just kind of stopped, and it’s just been sitting there," Sweat said. "And I would love for them to do something with it because I would rather have something done than nothing; it’s taking up space, and this community needs more growth than anything.”
There is no timeline for when it will be completed however officials expect an economic boom once it’s done.
Officials said funding for the project includes grants from Dominion Energy and a rural infrastructure grant. They are hopeful the project will be completed by next fall.