Page 30 - Classically Carolina 2017

MAIN STREET SC

returns to Camden

A

After an approximately 25-year hiatus, Main
Street SC has returned to Camden.
Its newly hired program manager, Katharine
Spadacenta, who fell under the city’s spell and
moved here with her family from Connecticut in
August 2016, said she is excited to be a part of
building Camden’s future.
In South Carolina, the Main Street program is
managed by the Municipal Association of South
Carolina (MASC). It is designed to “empower
residents with the knowledge, skills, tools and
organizational structure necessary to revitalize
their downtowns, neighborhood commercial
districts and cities/towns into vibrant centers of
commerce and community.” In 2014, the program’s
30th anniversary in South Carolina, the MASC
announced it was restructuring it so that “more
experienced members” have the flexibility to
custom design the programs and services they
received from Main Street SC.
Camden is now one of 17 South Carolina
communities to join or rejoin Main Street SC.
Clinton also became a member in 2016. The Community meetings took place in April.
other 15 cities are Aiken, Beaufort, Bennettsville, “We’ve already taken steps toward the next level
Gaffney, Georgetown, Hartsville, Lancaster, of engagement,” she said. “The downtown district
Laurens, Manning, Moncks Corner, Orangeburg, is a small community of business owners and
Pickens, Summerville, Sumter and Williamston. stakeholders and it (Main Street) only works when
In Camden, Main Street SC is still in the everyone works collaboratively.”
organization phase. Now that Spadacenta is on Since Camden does not have an actual Main
board, the next big step is getting public input. Street, the program itself will be known publicly

By Martin L. Cahn

54 / Camden ~ Classically Carolina