DCG 2010 Fall Newsletter

1. Merchants’ Messenger
December 2, 2010 Volume 1, Issue 1
Holiday Shopping Season Kickoff
Inside this issue:
use a festival as a chance to distribute dis-
count opportunities that will potentially bring
Holiday Countdown 1
shoppers back over the course of the entire
Begins holiday shopping season.
Your Vote, Your Voice 1 Overall, the Trick-or-Treat brought nearly
5,000 adults and children to downtown Cam-
2 den.
Spooktacular Sights
Similar events are planned in the future for
downtown, including the Downtown Divas Go
Green is Good 2 Red American Heart Association Benefit.
Now is the time to start thinking of ways you
Put your road on a 3 The countdown to Christmas started right after the
can increase your exposure and customer
Broad Street Trick-or-Treat for most merchants.
Diet base. To that end the DCG is requesting that
local merchants interested in being a part of
Light the Holidays 3 It seems the holiday shopping season opens the Downtown Diva event contact Jennifer
earlier and earlier each year. This year mer- Shaw, Committee Chair, at
4 chants downtown are faced with a host of jshaw@FirstCommunitySC.com.
A Silk Tradition
issues from a down economy to construction of
the Camden Town Green. It is always good to use these opportunities to
capitalize on the crowds that are there in
In light of the fact that Halloween seems to be hopes that it will drive repeat visits for upcom-
the beginning of the holiday shopping season, ing shopping seasons, like Valentine’s Day and
Special points of inter- merchants may want to take advantage of Mother’s Day.
est: such events, like the KershawHealth Broad
Street Trick-or-Treat to issue bounceback cou-
Bounceback your customers
pons to potential customers. Edward Hinson
Town Green moving along Bounceback coupons are a technique used in DCG President
as scheduled many communities whereby a merchant will
Trick-or-Treat: We want
your feedback
Call for Nominations
The DCG is looking for a few future of downtown. Get camden.com. Nominations for
good merchants to join the involved and let your opinion these positions will be ac-
nominating committee as we be heard! The DCG works cepted throughout the month
elect leadership positions for hard to better position you of December with an election
the 2011—2012 calendar and your business for success to follow at the annual mem-
year. There are two seats in a down economy. For more bership meeting on January
available on the executive information please contact 18, 2010 at 5:30 pm in the
board. Participation at this Betsy Greenway, DCG Vice Community Room of First
level is a way to shape the President at bgreenway@ci- Community Bank.

2. Merchants’ Messenger Fall 2011
Images from the KershawHealth Broad Street Trick-or-Treat
The event was fun
The ladies at Camden for children and
Jewelers took more of adults—remember
a princess approach to to use bounceback
this spooktacular event! coupons as a way
The DCG would like to to capitalize on
thank all merchants these marketing
who participated in the opportunities. It is
KershawHealth Broad not often that
Street Trick-or-Treat. 4,000 people are
on Broad Street.
Upcoming Christmas Festivities
Join us to celebrate the kickoff of the holiday season on Thuirsday
followed by a performance of the Nutcracker at Wood Audito-
rium on the FAC Campus.
Donations will be accepted on behalf of Food
for the Soul of Kershaw County.
2

3. Merchants’ Messenger Fall 2011
Camden Town Green : Brand New Venue, Classic Camden Feel
All of you should be receiving the weekly
Camden Town Green Update Newsletters. If
you would like to receive the updtes email
wluther@camdensc.org.
The project is currently on schedule and under
budget. Contractors began moving above
ground shortly before the Thanksgiving holi-
days. From this point forward, the real
changes will be seen. Photos at the top of the page show the granite curbing being put into place.
This curbing combined with the other materials in the green, including tumbled
This project was made possible in large part
brick and Philadelphia blue stone, will give the green a 100-year old feel.
due to the City of Camden’s Hospitality Tax
Funding.
It will be a centerpiece for downtown and a
great way for all to capitalize on not only the
beautification of having a park in the center
of town, but also increased parking and a
festival venue that will increase the number of
events that can occur downtown and prevent
the inconvenience of having to shut down
Broad Street for special events. Photos of the Old Armory Steakhouse show the before and after pictures of
stormwater system improvements along Rutledge Street. These improve-
Currently the Camden Town Green is sched- ments will reduce the impact of stormwater runoff along Rutledge Street. In
uled to be completed in late March 2011. the coming weeks pay close attention to activity near the western side of the
Merchants have been inconvenienced, but the Old Armory, as patrons will be in for a big surprise when the green is com-
end results will be well worth it! pleted!
City is Awarded Grant for Broad Street Road Diet
The DPZ Vision Plan has been the focus of many of the
changes taking place downtown. The plan was done for the
public by the public. One element of that plan is a step
closer to taking shape.
The City of Camden was awarded a $456,000 grant from
the Federal Highway Administration for funding the planning
and design of improvements to Broad Street.
This plan is called the Broad Street Road Diet and proposed
to reduce the number of lanes on the roadway from four to
two, while adding additional angled parking for merchants.
The plan is dependent upon several factors, including the
removal of truck traffic from US 521, using an official bypass
route. If constructed, the end result could have Broad Street
resembling something similar to Main Street in Greenville.
3

4. For a Membership Packet please contact Wade Lu-
D ow nt ow n Ca m d en G ui l d
ther, Downtown Manager at wluther@camdensc.org or
1000 Lyttleton St.
(803) 432-2421.
P. O. Box 7002
Camden, SC 29021-7002
Membership dues are $10 per year and include ac-
Phone: 803-432-2421
cess to our newsletter, meetings, voting rights, market-
Email: wluther@camdensc.org ing opportunities and the opportunity to have your
voice heard in shaping a vibrant downtown Camden!
Upcoming Meeting Schedule
December 2010
Off; Officer Nominations Accepted
January 4th, 2011@ 9:00 am
Executive Board Meeting — First Community Bank Board Room ;
Officer Nominees Selected
January 18th, 2011 @ 5:30pm
CREATING COMMERCE FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE At-Large Membership Meeting — First Community Bank Commu-
nity Room ; Election of New Officers
Find us on Facebook February
Downtown Camden Guild Installation of New Officers; Officers’ Retreat
Jockey Silks Return to Camden
The DCG is kicking off its 2011 mates at the Wateree River Cor-
The jockey silk pic- Jockey Silk Art Project in Decem- rectional Institution offers a place
tured was sponsored ber. of hope and renewal...a true sec-
by First Citizens Bank ond chance..for retired Thor-
Based on your comments from last
and fetched the year, the silks will stay on display oughbred horses and prison in-
highest bid at auc- for the months of March and April. mates.
tion for $275. Silks
If you are interested in being a
were auctioned at Through your sponsorship you will
sponsor, or if you know of an artist
the Wood Audito- not only be giving a gift to the
who is interested in participating
rium of the Kershaw please contact Wade Luther, SCTRF, but also helping beautify
County Fine Arts Downtown Manager, at (803) 432 the City of Camden.
Center to benefit the -2421 or wluther@camdensc.org.
SCTRF. Sponsorship packages will be
Last year’s project raised over
available in early December at
$5,000 for the SCTRF.
TruVista’s Camden office located
The SCTRF at the Wateree River at 2629 Broad Street in Dusty
Correctional Institution offers a Bend and the Chronicle -
place of hope and renewal...a true Independent office located at 909
second chance..for retired Thor- West DeKalb Street.
oughbred horses and prison in-
Membership has its benefits, stayed tuned for more updates on downtown events and business development strategies!