Business Owners Join to Improve Broad River Road

Business owners in St. Andrews are teaming up to improve the community. 

The Broad River Road Corridor Business Alliance is the latest step in the plan to revitalize Broad River Road and the Dutch Square area, said Tiaa Rutherford, neighborhood planner for Richland County. 

The alliance has elected officers, and plans to hold its first meeting at 9 a.m. July 14 at Remingtion College. 

Larry Norton, owner of Norton Stereo on Broad River Road, was elected president. It's the goal of the alliance to improve the community as a whole, he said.

"It's rundown basically. The infrastructure needs a facelift. A lot of the lots are empty," Norton said. "It's actually the goal of the business alliance to promote the businesses that are here and to try to bring more."

Richland County started the plans for the area in August 2009. The Broad River Corridor and Community Master Plan was completed in August 2010. 

The plan highlights four areas, or nodes: the Piney Grove Village Center, the St. Andrews Neighborhood Activity Center, the Dutch Square Mixed-Use Transit Node and the Greystone Boulevard Commercial District.

"The different nodes should act as a hub of activity -- living, eating, working, transportation," Rutherford said. 

Residents can also expect to see improved lighting along the corridor soon, Rutherford said. 

The Broad River Road and Dutch Square area wasn't always so dim. 

"When I first came here it was really a vibrant part of town," said Norton, whose business has been at the same location since 1987. 

Around 1992 the area started declining, Norton said. Businesses left. New ones moved in but didn't stay for long. The car lot next to Norton's business has had four or five owners in the past 10 years, he said. 

"We've survived because we've been here and I own the property," Norton said. "I'm more vested in the area." 

Rutherford said the closure of Service Merchandise 10 to 13 years ago was a sign of the area's decline. 

"As big-boxes move to more desirable areas, it just leaves blight in the area," Rutherford said. 

The old Service Merchandise is being renovated by Word of God Church. The church is also remodeling buildings close by to house offices, stores and activity centers.