Summerville seeking to preserve history

Downtown revitalization experts will visit Summerville late this month and in early August to help merchants make the best uses of the historic downtown's assets.

Consultants from Main Street South Carolina and the National Trust Main Street Center will be in Summerville July 30 to Aug. 1 to assess downtown's greatest challenges and opportunities and recommend a course of action, Jami Sheppard, executive director of Summerville DREAM (Downtown Restoration, Enhancement and Management), said.

Main Street S.C. is a program of the Municipal Association of S.C. and has worked with various communities in all parts of the state. The National Trust Main Street Center is a program of the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation and has helped more than 1,900 communities throughout the U.S. revitalize their downtowns.

Communities participating in the Main Street program have generated more than $31.5 billion in new downtown investment, with a net gain of more than 331,417 new jobs and 72,387 new businesses, Sheppard said.

She said assessment team leaders Beppie LeGrand of Main Street and Nick Kalogeresis of National Trust will conduct two days of interviews, tours and meetings. After gathering data, they will meet with community leaders to present their observations and propose a course of action to strengthen the downtown revitalization efforts.

Kate McCaw, president of DREAM's board of directors, said the team will focus on the downtown's greatest needs and will give DREAM leaders an achievable list of activities aimed at strengthening downtown's economy and making the best uses of its historic and traditional commercial buildings.

She said the revitalization experts will "have a wealth of experience to share with us."

"We are hoping that the assessment will help us determine the strategies we should pursue and what specific actions we should take to revitalize the downtown area," she said.

DREAM is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life in Summerville. It is affiliated with Main Street S.C. and the National Main Street Association. For more information, call 843-821-7260 or visit www.summervilledream.org.

Reach Edward C. Fennell at efennell@postandcourier.com or 745-5865.