CAMDEN, S.C. — The streets and sidewalks of downtown Camden are filled with orange cones, caution tape, and the constant presence of construction trucks.
“We have a lot of growth going on in our community and county, so it’s very important we find ways to get roads improved,” said Camden City Councilmember Jeffery Graham.
Graham said that upgrading the city's infrastructure has been a top priority.
“One of the things City Council took a long hard look at was, 'How do we improve our infrastructure?" and part of that is our road system. One of the things was we did do a tax increase, absolutely, this year, to help us pay for our infrastructure. You can see it going on Dekalb Street, Rutledge Street and Fair Street right now,” Graham said.
The city's vision extends beyond road enhancements. Currently, they're in the process of demolishing an old building on Rutledge Street to create more space for downtown visitors.
“We were able to take that property, the city purchased it to make it a parking lot to have additional parking for our future hotel down the street, but also for the businesses that are already in existence that don't have enough parking," Graham said. "It's very important you have parking in your downtown area.”
Graham is optimistic that these projects will have a positive impact on the downtown area.
“We know the economic impact of what we’re gonna do on this street is gonna affect every business in a positive way,” Graham said.
There is no date for when the new parking spots will be ready.
