Small Business Lifestyle

WELL, ANDERSON COUNTY LEADERS ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THE COUNTYS MOST SIGNIFICANT BLIGHT AREAS AND THATS OLD MILLS. OUR MAYA PAYTON IS TAKING US TO ONE OF THE MOST BLIGHTED AREAS AS DEFINED BY COUNTY LEADERS, AS THE CHALLENGES TO REVITALIZATION ARE UNCOVERED. IM TOLD THAT THIS PROPERTY USED TO PUMP LIFE INTO THE CITY, PROVIDING MANY FAMILIES WITH INCOME. BUT NOW ALL YOU HAVE HERE IS SOME BRICK, SOME CONCRETE TRASH AND WOOD CREATING A BARRIER. AND THIS IS JUST A SMALL SECTION. IM GOING TO SHOW YOU MUCH MORE OF IT. A LITTLE LATER, BUT COUNTY LEADERS SAY THAT THERES NO CLEAR PATH THROUGH HERE. THERES NOT ONE FOR THEM EITHER. WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT REVITALIZING THE AREA AND CLEANING ALL THIS UP. EQUINOX MILL SITE SITS LIFELESS ON JACKSON STREET. ITS JUST ONE OF MORE THAN FOUR MILLS LOCATED AROUND ANDERSON CITY LIMITS THAT HAVE BLIGHT CONDITIONS. WHO USED TO LIVE IN THIS VILLAGE? WHO USED TO WORK IN THIS FACTORY? ANDERSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR STEVE NEWTON SAYS AFTER TEXTILE MILLS BEGAN CLOSING THE BUILDINGS CHANGED HANDS MANY TIMES. SOME EXPERIENCED FIRE OR COLLAPSED AND OWNERS JUST WALKED AWAY. THEY LEAVE THIS BEHIND AFTER THEYVE SUCKED EVERY BIT OF LIFE OUT OF THESE BUILDINGS. THEY LEAVE THIS BEHIND FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HERE TO ENDURE THE EQUINOX MILL CREATED AN ECHO EFFECT AND CAUSED OTHER BLIGHTED CONDITIONS IN NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS, SAYS NEWTON. YET THERE HAS BEEN REINVESTMENT IN SOME HOMES, DESPITE THE RUBBLE THAT SITS IN FRONT OF IT. PERHAPS MORE COULD BE IN STORE FOR THE PROPERTY AS WELL, WHICH WE ARE WORKING TOWARD WITH A GROUP CALLED THE M PETERS GROUP. THEY PLAN ON BUILDING 120 HOUSING UNITS ON THIS SITE. THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING TO GET TAX CREDIT FINANCING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. HOLDING OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE ISNT EASY, NEWTON POINTS OUT. MANY ARE OUT OF STATE AND SHELL BE LIMITED. LIABILITY COMPANIES. THE STATE DOES NOT GIVE US VERY MUCH ENFORCEMENT POWER. UM, WE COULD SEND THEM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEND THEM A SUMMONS. WE CAN ENFORCE IT. WE COULD ISSUE A FINE. THEYRE OUT OF STATE. WE REALLY HAVE NO WAY OF, YOU KNOW, AND THE AMOUNTS THAT WE CAN CHARGE FOR FINES ARENT VERY SIGNIFICANT AT ALL. AND FOR THE COUNTY, IT CAN BE AN OVERWHELMING TASK. NEWTON SAYS AN ANALYSIS IS REQUIRED BEFORE A CREW CAN CLEAN THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS ABOUT $500,000, AND THEN TO DO THE WORK IT WOULD EASILY APPROACH $1 MILLION IN ANDERSO