Downtown Florence recently became a Nationally Accredited Main Street America program, the highest tier of recognition from the National Main Street Center. The accreditation requires rigorous performance standards of revitalization efforts, community partnerships, historic preservation and documentation of progress. Downtown Florence joins four other Main Street SC programs with that distinction: the Aiken Downtown Development Association, Main Street Hartsville, Main Street Laurens and Uptown Greenwood.
The SC Office of Resilience’s Disaster Recovery Office announced a total of $30.1 million in infrastructure mitigation grant funding for stormwater infrastructure and drainage improvements in March, as well as some funds for buyouts of repetitive-loss properties. Local governments receiving a portion of this funding include the City of Charleston, Town of Cheraw, City of Florence, City of Lake City, City of Manning and City of Sumter.
Southern Living magazine named the City of Greenville to its list of the “South’s Best Cities On the Rise 2021,” citing its walkable downtown, restaurants and arts scene, and the City of Folly Beach to its list of “Best Beach Towns 2021,” drawing special attention to its surf shops.
The City of Sumter has been named as one of 20 municipalities in the U.S. to be a finalist for the 2021 All-America City Awards.