Firm to create ‘map' for Rock Hill's ‘college town'

By Matt Garfield - mgarfield@heraldonline.com

Rock Hill and Winthrop University will partner to create what they call a “college town action plan” that identifies ways to enliven the areas surrounding campus.

Supporters pitch the plan as a guide outlining how Rock Hill can tap the potential of thousands of students and young professionals eager for places to eat, shop and congregate after classes or work.

City and school leaders lament many of the areas around Winthrop as a hodgepodge of poorly planned commercial strips, vacant textile mills, older neighborhoods and empty or underutilized buildings.

A divided City Council voted 4-3 to move forward Monday night with opponents questioning whether a consultant can reveal any shortcomings that aren't already known. John Gettys, Kevin Sutton and Jim Reno voted no.

National consulting firm Ayers Saint Gross and an affiliate firm, RCLCO, will write up the plan based on input from a 15-person committee of Winthrop officials, business owners, neighbors and others.

“The most important word here is ‘action,'” City Manager Carey Smith said, noting the city has a general vision for the area around Winthrop but not a specific strategy.

The city and Winthrop will split the $114,000 cost of hiring the consultant. Smith said the city will draw half its share from the Rock Hill Economic Development Corp.

Ayers Saint Gross has done similar work for dozens of colleges around the nation, including University of North Carolina campuses in Chapel Hill and Charlotte.

Where will it get us?

The idea grew out of discussions among Smith, Mayor Doug Echols and Winthrop President Anthony DiGiorgio, who long has pushed the need for a college town atmosphere around campus.

Echols said he hopes to come away with a menu of options, including possible streetscape upgrades.

“Will we be able to do everything that comes out of the plan? No,” he said. “But I think we can at least have a road map.”

Even if good ideas emerge, opponents wonder where the city will find money to pay for them. For instance, both sides recognize that the strip of Cherry Road near campus needs improvement.

“We can all identify projects we'd like to do,” Gettys said. “But that doesn't get us anywhere unless we can find a funding source.”

Councilman Kevin Sutton took a different angle. He noted the university wants to recruit what it calls a creative class of young professionals. He asked whether Winthrop leaders believe Rock Hill is good enough. Quoting from their arguments, Sutton said the answer appears to be no.

“You make it sound as if people aren't choosing to live in Rock Hill,” Sutton said. “Yet, we've had a population boom. Do those people not have the SAT scores, the status?”

He added: “Does Winthrop not think they're in a smart town now?”

The plan is about helping Rock Hill and Winthrop adapt to a new economy, replied Rebecca Masters, assistant to DiGiorgio.

“Please don't read anything there that is not explicitly stated,” Masters said. “It's all premised on the notion that we have a good community that wants to be progressive with the best communities. … If we want to keep up, we need to plan for the future.”

Reno suggested Winthrop put together a group of its own graduate students to interview other students and develop a list of ideas.

The idea didn't go anywhere, though Reno will get another chance when the City Council votes on a contract to pay for the plan. The Winthrop Board of Trustees also must give approval.