By Betsy Finklea
The groundbreaking for the Festival Marketplace was held on Monday afternoon at the lot behind the City of Dillon Visitor Center.
The lot was formerly occupied by the Bethea Warehouse which burned down many years ago.
Mayor Tally McColl said today was a proud day for the City of Dillon and for the entire community. This lot was purchased by the City of Dillon several years ago. McColl said the city had a vision of creating a pavilion—a place where they could have a makeshift Farmers Market, birthday parties, bands, etc. McColl said they wanted to make it a great place for the city and the community. This will be a great addition to the downtown improvements that have already taken place including the police department and the visitor center. He said this is a testament to the city’s commitment to downtown and how they like to involve the community in all of their projects. He commended all of the people who made this project possible.
Rep. Jackie Hayes said this a great day for the City of Dillon. He thanked Pat Laird and Johnnie Luehrs, who had this vision for a long time. He said he was thankful for the City of Dillon for having this vision also and for making the project come to fruition. He commended the City for all they were doing to bring the citizens together, and he looks forward to the opening.
Dillon County Councilwoman Detrice Dawkins said this festival marketplace is a symbol of growth, opportunity, and hope. She said it will be a new resource for the people who live here and was another reason to be proud to call Dillon County home.
Stephanie Mitchell, executive director of the Dillon Community Alliance, said they were proud to partner with the city on the project and fund a large portion of the project through the assistance of Rep. Hayes. This is an extension of the Main Street streetscape project. She said they look forward to additional projects with the city.
Pat Laird of the Dillon County Health Initiatives/Dillon County Farmers Market said this has been a decade in the making. She explained that the Dillon County Health Initiative is just not a farmers market. They have plant giveaways to provide healthy vegetables for our citizens. They partner with DSS on the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Last year, they gave out 500 vouchers to seniors in Dillon County. The last two years, the redemption rate for these vouchers has been 94 percent. This is one of the highest redemption rates in the State of South Carolina. Today is the fulfillment of a dream that she and Johnnie Luehrs have had for a long time to be able to put a roof over the head of the Farmers Market vendors. She thanked all who have supported them all these years.
Johnnie Luehrs recognized the Farmers Market board and others in attendance.
Dr. Phil Wallace said he was thankful to be a part of such a great team. He said they have great leadership. He said Former City Manager Glen Wagner did a great job of putting this together. He also thanked Rep. Jackie Hayes and others.
After the remarks, the ground was broken for the project. FBi is the contractor for the project.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon County News, LLC
