In September, the city and county of Georgetown, South Carolina, sought ULI’s advice on redeveloping 150 acres of industrial waterfront land that includes the recently shuttered ArcelorMittal steel mill and the Port of Georgetown. The second-largest seaport in the state, Georgetown is a city of 9,000 residents, located an hour south of Myrtle Beach and 60 minutes north of Charleston.

The panel was asked to assess the market conditions and redevelopment potential for the site with a focus on creating greater economic opportunities for Georgetown residents and transforming the area into a vibrant, multifaceted place for new residents, businesses, and visitors.

While the panel concluded that current market conditions are less than optimal for the site, the time to create a long-term vision and plan for attracting private investment to the site is now. The panel urged stakeholders to consider the site an incubator for entrepreneurs, businesses, and sectors that will help diversify the economy and forge a new economic destiny for Georgetown. The panel also recommended leveraging the site’s assets—its waterfront location and legacy industrial infrastructure—to attract investment.

ULI South Carolina District leadership will continue to work with city and county leaders in Georgetown on next steps. For updates on this important project please contact Amy Barrett, Executive Director, ULI South Carolina at [email protected].

To learn more about the panel’s assignment and recommendations, see the links below.

• Webpage
• Presentation