Where there’s change, there’s opportunity
For decades we’ve commissioned studies, convened task forces and made unfulfilled promises to better South Carolina’s most disadvantaged areas with few results.
It’s time to stop kicking the same can down the road and take a new approach – to think differently and with an open mind. There’s a tangible, transformative and life-changing opportunity for one such area, Orangeburg County, and along the I-95 corridor staring us in the face, without one dime of taxpayer risk.
That opportunity is a vision and a plan that sees beyond conventional economic development practices to create an on-going, powerful economic engine for the distressed I-95 area. The highway is a thoroughfare for east coast travel from Maine to Florida that carries nearly 100,000 vehicles at any given time – and it’s greatly underutilized in South Carolina.
A one-of-its-kind destination
Our vision is a destination resort anchored by the state’s first and only casino. Not only would the resort remain the state’s one and only, but it would also include amenities like a hotel, spa, restaurants and retail spaces, allowing visitors and tourists to experience everything South Carolina has to offer.
The simple truth is that gaming is not foreign in or around South Carolina. The state already allows and regulates bingo, offshore gaming and the South Carolina Education Lottery. Just a few miles across our border in North Carolina, two casinos already exist.
The Santee Development Corporation has purchased the abandoned Santee Outlet Mall in Orangeburg County.
To turn this dilapidated property into an economic engine:
- Support is needed from the Orangeburg community
- The General Assembly must pass legislation
- And the Governor must sign that enabling legislation into law
What this opportunity looks like in numbers
A recent economic development study shows that the investment in the Santee area would create/support:
- Over $75 million in annual tax revenue
- 2,925 direct jobs, 813 indirect jobs and 880 induced jobs – that’s a total of 4,618 in SC annually
- Over 4 million annual visitors, including those from out-of-state
- A one-time employment impact of 6,926 workers, $404.3 million in labor income and $1.0 billion in total spending (through initial construction)
- Plus, there would be significant economic advantages for local businesses, including recreation, hotels, restaurants and small businesses
And it gets better.
Not a dime of public money will be used. There are no state or county incentives. And no subsidies. Funding is solely through private investment.
Santee Development Corporation is a South Carolina-owned company led by prominent Greenville businessman Wallace Cheves. A Wofford College graduate, Cheves brings extensive experience across real estate, beverage, and gaming industries. As a principal of Cheves Capital, he serves on multiple boards and played a pivotal role in developing the Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. A proven leader in community development, he has a strong track record of revitalizing existing areas with innovative projects. Cheves is also a key member of the ownership team that brought professional soccer to Greenville, South Carolina.
Santee Development Corporation is dedicated to transparency and collaboration with local officials, state leaders and community stakeholders to ensure that this project benefits all South Carolinians.
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