Springdale has high hopes for renovations of properties near I-26 and Airport Boulevard

Springdale, SC (Sydney Pendrick) - The Town of Springdale is looking forward with high expectations and hope since renovations have started on several hotels that in some ways have acted as the gateway to the small town. The properties that are being worked on are right at the off ramp of I-26 and Airport Boulevard. They are within a short distance of a sign that proclaims, “Welcome to Springdale.” In the past, those two properties were rundown, seedy motels that drew a clientele that often participated in everything from prostitution to drug use and/or trafficking. Now, Springdale is waiting with optimistic anticipation as major renovations are underway to those businesses.

Town leaders have known for years that these were hot-spots for crimes and problems of all shapes and sizes. These businesses have been tracked statistically, but it doesn’t really take a numbers person to known they were a problem for the town and its small police force. Often, individuals used them as their residence, and those people often had the wrong behavior on their minds. Police Chief Kevin Cornett knew that stepping up patrols alone wouldn’t make the difference needed in the area. He even once said while being interviewed on Good Morning Lexington County, “This is one problem we’ll never be able to arrest ourselves out of.” Springdale officials approached the business owners about partnering to improve the blighted area. Now, as renovations are finally underway, town officials know that working together with the business owners’ cooperation for the greater good can steer everyone towards a more successful future.

Chief Cornett says that with this work, there is hope that this will make the town of Springdale a better place overall. The goal with these changes is not just to slap on a fresh coat of paint and add some new curtains, it’s to take an area which has been full of crime and problems and turn it into a vibrant destination for weary travelers that will actually start bringing in profits for the businesses owners as well as income for Springdale. “It’s finally time for us to clear everything out and start fresh. We are hoping that with these renovations, it will be more of a hotel and not a residency like it has been,” says Chief Cornett about the businesses. The town’s mayor Michael Bishop has said in the past that he and the council felt they needed to set the example for homeowners and businesses when it came to appearances, behavior, and community pride. They worked hard to make the town look good, planting flowers, edging sidewalks, and having new signs designed that will soon be installed. The newly-renovated hotels will be a step in the right direction toward showing that the business community has bought into that concept also.

There is no exact completion date yet, but Chief Cornett says since the hotels’ owners have started construction, it has come a long way. “They are actually renovating and taking this very seriously. It won’t be too long until it’s open.” The town of Springdale is full of hope for a new and better future thanks to these renovations. In truth, they believe that this new look, and the pride that comes with it, will be contagious, and this is one bug they hope spreads!