Downtown Florence: From Ghost Town To Boom Town

The streets of downtown Florence were empty in 2011, almost as empty as the buildings.

“It was actually a ghost town,” said Ella Frazier, a downtown retailer. “The only thing that was actually there was a barbershop, a beauty shop and Lady Kids, a retail shop down the street. That was it on Evans Street.”

Frazier has watched the growth over the past 12 years. Downtown has transformed from empty spaces and plenty of parking places to eight blocks of retailers, restaurants and bars, offices and pocket parks featuring sculptures and other public art installations.

“It’s been exciting to see the growth over these past years. I love to tell them it’s not over yet,” Frazier said.

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