Jenny Peterson

Bebbie LeGrand, state coordinator for Main Street South Carolina and Randy Wilson, a contract architect with Main Street South Carolina will review Summerville’s downtown area and make recommendations.

Summerville’s downtown area will be under a microscope for the next two days as five downtown revitalization experts from Main Street South Carolina and the National Trust Main Street will survey the area to see what’s being done right and what could be done better.

According to Beppie LeGrand, state coordinator with Main Street South Carolina, the assessment group will also assess Summerville D.R.E.A.M. (Downtown Restoration, Enhancement and Management) agency.

Summerville D.R.E.A.M. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Summerville by enhancing the aesthetic, cultural, social and economic aspects of the downtown area while preserving its historic identity.

LeGrand said D.R.E.A.M.’s assessment will help determine if the group’s programs are successful and what could be done to improve them.

“What kind of resources can we promote to bring it to the next level?” LeGrand said. “It needs a new set of eyes.”

Main Street South Carolina offers design assistance, development programs and assessments of downtown areas that are members of the Main Street Program. There are 11 downtowns in South Carolina that participate in the program, and cities and towns must apply to become members. LeGrand said Summerville’s assessment is a routine stop.

“It’s regular maintenance. A check-in,” said Randy Wilson, an architect that contracts out with Main Street South Carolina and one of the team members assessing the area.

In order to complete the assessment of Summerville, representatives will take a tour of the area and speak with a cross-section of town and county officials, administrators, business owners and residents about the downtown area.

“We’re asking (people) how well they are using the historic preservation, design principles.”

Wilson added, “We’re not just talking to people who love D.R.E.A.M.; we’re talking to naysayers and people on the fence.”

People interviewed will include members of the town planning department, board of architectural review and council members.

“Historically, Summerville has had a strong program,” Wilson said. He has worked in Summerville before, helping design some of the building facades on Short Central Street downtown.

The review of Summerville and D.R.E.A.M. has been in the works for close to six months, Wilson said. The group just reviewed Beaufort’s downtown area and made recommendations.

“We like to leave practical, prioritized recommendations,” Wilson said.

Main Street South Carolina will present a list of recommendations in about a month. The entire assessment will cost about $7,000 and will be paid for by Main Street South Carolina.

Wilson said the goal is to assess Summerville’s downtown area using four benchmarks: Design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring.

At the very least, “The place has to look nice, promote historic assets, the right business mix,” Wilson said.

At first glance, Wilson said it looks as if Summerville’s downtown is progressing as it should.

“Downtown looks fantastic,” Wilson said. “Too bad all of Summerville doesn’t look like downtown.”

For more information about the Main Street South Carolina program, visit www.masc.org.

Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.

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