Orangeburg to soon solicit developers for downtown revitalization project

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The city of Orangeburg will soon begin accepting proposals for a major downtown redevelopment project.

The 1.5-acre Railroad Corner project, aimed at revitalizing the city’s Russell Street commercial corridor, will include a mixed-use development of ground-floor retail and upper-story residential units. The redevelopment will also include streetscape improvements, enhanced safety measures at street and railroad crossings, the potential for an elevated pedestrian walkway spanning Magnolia and Boulevard streets and the preservation of the historic State Theater for a potential civil rights museum.

“We are very excited to move forward to the next phase of the Railroad Corner development,” Orangeburg City Administrator Sidney Evering said in a news release. “We are very cognizant of the importance of this project, its historical significance, and the transformative impact it will have on Orangeburg and the surrounding community.”

The city has conducted a pre-development feasibility analysis on the site for the past year in partnership with the Development Finance Initiative, a program of UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Government. Evering also noted the importance of input from federal and state representatives and officials, Orangeburg County, Claflin University, South Carolina State University, and the public.

“This has certainly been a community effort,” Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said. “We are excited to finally be able to show the residents of Orangeburg that these efforts are coming together and that we are moving forward. I, along with members of City Council, look forward to seeing the fruit of everyone’s hard work.”

The city plans to release a formal Solicitation for Development Partner Proposals on the City’s website at https://www.orangeburg.sc.us/railroadcorner. The solicitation process will include the formal negotiation of a public-private development partnership.

Developer solicitation will remain open for 90 days, with a selection made this summer.

For more information, contact Evering at sidney.evering@orangeburg.sc.us or Sonyia Turner at turner@sog.unc.edu.