CAMDEN, S.C. — Broad Street in Camden might look a little different than it did several months ago, as several shops have closed, new businesses are opening and renovations are taking place to historic buildings.
Camden Main Street Manager Katharine Spadacenta says it's not easy to watch some small businesses go.
"It's always hard to see a business close, especially if it's a favorite in the community," Spadacenta said. "When more than one closes in a short time frame, it can be a little jarring because these small businesses are a vital part of the fabric that is our downtown commercial district."
Spadacenta said some of the shops closed as some made career changes and others had health issues to just name a few, but the city is hopeful for what's next.
"New businesses are coming online in the next few months, six months maybe even early spring of 2023, new restaurants, more retail, a lot of opportunities," Spadacenta said.
The building are also experiencing needed work. "We're seeing a lot of renovations, we are a historic downtown district so our buildings are in some cases over 100-years old and some of the property owners, are putting some care into restoring and renovating," Spadacenta said.
But most people are most likely noticing the changes due to it all happening at once. Spadacenta said it's nothing unusual.
"It's part of the life cycle of a downtown, we saw a boom in downtown Camden in the early 90s, and now we are seeing newer generations of business owners come through, and being a small businesses owner isn't easy it's a labor of love so we encourage those to go out and support their locally owned small businesses," Spadacenta said.