'College-town' development

By Staff Reports

Developing the strip of Cherry Road near Winthrop University to appeal more to students will be a challenge. Nonetheless, we think city and Winthrop officials and prospective developers will miss a unique opportunity if they don't focus on the whole block rather than just individual businesses.

While some businesses along this block thrive, it has been a black hole for others. Two businesses have failed to make a go of it in the building that once housed Church's Chicken. And the Cupps' coffeehouse closed its doors earlier this month.

Business owners note that while the city invested heavily in beautifying a large portion of the northern section of Cherry Road, southern Cherry Road has been neglected. No new construction has occurred on that part of the road in several years.

Winthrop President Anthony DiGiorgio has long championed the "college-town" concept, in which more of the area around Winthrop would be developed to serve the needs and desires of students. DiGiorgio has toured other college towns across the nation and has worked closely with city officials to coordinate campus developments with efforts to increase the college-town atmosphere in areas around the campus.

Coordination is the key to developing the entire Textile Corridor, the city's central historic district. Winthrop would play a crucial role in plans to build condominiums for retirees, shops, restaurants, office space, indoor and outdoor performance areas, and other public spaces on the site of the former Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Co., commonly known as the Bleachery.

Access to Winthrop courses and campus activities are expected to be a big attraction for residents. Likewise, shops, restaurants and other venues would be a draw for students.

The section of Cherry Road across from Winthrop should be viewed with the same long-term vision. Development should be coordinated to ensure that this area is part of the whole master plan.

Granted, there are some roadblocks to that approach. The fact that many of the individual property owners are not eager to sell is a big one. And the city has not committed to any beautification efforts on that section of the road.

We are encouraged, however, that McDonald's will take a major step toward making its restaurant more pedestrian friendly. Its current building will be completely demolished and replaced with one that offers outdoor seating, more landscaping and a smoother traffic pattern. Also, the towering McDonald's sign will be replaced with a ground-level version.

An Earth Fare grocery store will open soon in the building once occupied by Harris Teeter near the campus. And plans are moving forward to open a sushi restaurant at the site of the old Time Out building.

We hope the right mix of businesses will emerge to lift all ships along this swath of Cherry Road. That might even serve to kick-start development of the Bleachery property.

IN SUMMARY

Planners must keep needs of Winthrop students in mind in developing Textile Corridor.

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