CLOVER, S.C. — The town of Clover has a five-year plan to revitalize its Main Street area with new businesses, signage, and connectivity.
Clover’s downtown is filled with empty buildings after many small businesses were forced to shut down during the pandemic.
“A lot of things happened with the economy and places had to shut down," Clover’s Main Street Director Alicia Griffith said.
Now, the town is rebuilding for the future. Several vacant commercial spaces along Main Street have been bought by developers who plan to breathe new life into them.
Clover native Justin McFalls announced recently he bought four units in between The Clover Station and The Vault.
“It’s always been a dream for me to own this building,” McFalls told WCNC Charlotte.
More houses are being built and the small town is growing. McFalls wants to give people more places to go for a fun night out.
"We want them to stay downtown," he said. "On the weekends, Friday and Saturday nights, it’s like a ghost town."
McFalls' first tenant is a pizza restaurant called King of Fire. Plus, Griffith told WCNC Charlotte two coffee shops are opening in the area this year.
"A lot of the buildings have sat for so long," Griffith said. "So, there's a lot of work that needs to be done to bring them up to code and some other stuff. So, we're working on some business incentives to really try to offset some of that cost."
One incentive is a $3,000 grant for businesses to clean up their facades. Griffith said they're also working to establish historic overlays, which will not only protect the town's character but offer tax breaks for businesses.
Clover is working with Main Street America, a national program Monroe, Belmont, and Waxhaw have used to implement a five-year growth plan.
The goal is to boost economic development by recruiting restaurants and retail while keeping Clover’s small-town charm.
Griffith told WCNC Charlotte the town is also looking at properties to create more parking for the downtown area in the future.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.