Commerce, community on tap for downtown Fort Mill

Main Street has been around a while, and had all sorts of businesses come and go at the heart of Fort Mill.

But a brewery is something new. Something with potential to help redefine Main.

“I have always been a firm believer that no community can maximize its true economic potential without a strong central core,” said Wink Rea, co-chair of the Fort Mill Economic Council. “The heart of Fort Mill is our historic downtown area that is fortunately experiencing a rebirth.”

Recently, Kuester Commercial Real Estate announced more than 6,000 square feet of retail space on Main – most recently a knife shop, comic book store and photography studio – will be converted into two new spaces. Restaurant owner Will Bigham will open a new eatery in almost half the space. A to-be-determined tenant would use the rest, Kuester announced, with plans for a brewery.

The announcement came as renovations already are underway at the former theater site on Main, where Kuester will develop 13,000 square feet of office and retail space, set to open early next year.

Recently, Shaw Kuester said the plan for a restaurant and brewery is for “two businesses, but one name.”

Details are close, he said.

“Everybody’s going to be working together, and it’ll be two businesses even though it’ll be under the same name,” Kuester said. “We’re real close to announcing it. We’re trying to get the plan done for these guys.”

Construction should be underway soon.

“It’s going to be exciting with all this coming together,” Kuester said. “We’re very close. I’m hoping to get this wrapped up in the next week or two.”

The projects are part of a larger town emphasis to bring business, pedestrian traffic and a greater sense of community to Main. Late last month, Fort Mill finalized new historic district guidelines and business incentives aimed at bringing in new commerce. A state and local tax incentive was key to both Kuester projects, which the town is promoting in hopes other property owners will invest in their businesses.

Town Councilman Larry Huntley, amid several incentive and historic guideline votes last month, noted the difference policy changes are making.

“Our downtown is coming alive,” he said.

While a brewery along the town’s most identifiable street may have caused concern at various times in the town’s past, it doesn’t seem to be now. Tega Cay resident Jessica Kuk recently organized an interfaith coalition representing more than a dozen churches and public service agencies in and around Fort Mill. The group is geared toward community service but also tackles issues like substance abuse awareness.

They aren’t immune to current events, either, with plans later this month for a law enforcement appreciation gathering. But, Kuk said, church leaders haven’t brought up the brewery plans.

“No one has mentioned that at all at any of our meetings or discussions,” she said. “That’s not something that’s come up.”

Most people focus instead on the idea – both with the brewery and restaurant – of community.

“It is exciting for us to open in a spot that has history behind it,” Bigham said when the projects were announced.

“Our mission as a company is to intentionally spread our love and passion for what we do one meal, one laughter, one experience and one neighborhood at a time.”

Rea said economic leaders “could not be happier to see the unprecedented level of new investment” downtown. Already, he said, pedestrian traffic is up compared to years past with additions like apartments near the top of Main and restaurants opposite the incoming projects. Changes make for a better Fort Mill, he said, for both residents and visitors.

“Unquestionably, the dramatic increase in investment activity on Main Street Fort Mill has a tremendous effect on the overall vitality for all of our Main Street business owners and operators,” Rea said.

Beer Carolina, an online site “uncovering the Southeastern beer scene” at beercarolina.com, posts information on some economic impacts of local brew pubs. It focuses on the Greenville area, which has several breweries, and also Asheville, N.C. Greenville was homes to the state’s first microbrewery Blue Ridge Brewing Co., according to the site, on its Main Street.

The site also highlights potential economic impacts of the brewing industry beyond daily sales. Pub crawls, brew tours, tastings and beer festivals are opportunities for communities. Beer Carolina lists more than a dozen such events this year so far in it area.

One of the newest beer events in South Carolina also is one of the closest. Historic Rock Hill hosted what will be the first annual Tap the Rock festival in late September.

“What we’re trying to do here at Historic Rock Hill is broaden our audience,” said Cathy Floyd, executive director. “Doing something differ during the craft beer movement was just ideal.”

Even for a start-up event, Floyd could see potential in craft beer gatherings.

“We had a fabulous turnout,” she said. “We had nearly, if not more than, 40 craft beers represented. We sold more than 500 tickets. There were food trucks. We placed emphasis on the local breweries, first and foremost.”

The idea of brewing a sense of community doesn’t surprise Floyd, as her group researched and then put on its event.

“It’s a movement,” she said.

“The craft beer, there’s just such an interest out there. People follow these events, and they will spend a ton of money traveling to these festivals. They really focus on the beer. They’re high class and there’s a good selection.”

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Commerce, community on tap for downtown Fort Mill."