City Council Approves Downtown Fiber Optic Cable
Observer Reports
Anderson City Council approved a resolution on Monday to certify three properties at 215, 217 and 219 South Main Street as abandoned under the South Carolina Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act of 2013. The move will allow the owner, ST Real Estate Holdings LLC, to qualify for state incentives aimed at encouraging the rehabilitation and redevelopment of vacant structures.
The developers plan to invest more than $2 million in renovation of the buildings which have a current combined market value of $254,000. City officials said the project could help return the buildings to productive use, supporting economic activity and revitalization in the downtown area.
The incentives, pending review and other work, will effectively freeze the buildings’ assessed values at pre-rehabilitation level for seven years, allowing owners to invest in renovations without immediately paying for their ambition in higher tax bills.
The move also requires the project to go the Board of Architectural Review for preliminary certification, examining design and investment details before offering final certification once the work is complete.
City Council also approved on Monday a $323,180 contract with Network Controls & Electric, LLC of Greer to install underground fiber optic cable along Main Street from the Municipal Business Center to Tribble Street, a project aimed at strengthening downtown security and expanding the city’s technology infrastructure.
The goal is to connect 24 new 360-degree cameras and include a 288-strand fiber installation, creating additional capacity that the city can use for its own operations or potentially lease to local businesses.
Officials said the investment, funded through the Hospitality Fund, will enhance public safety while advancing plans to link city-owned facilities through a private fiber network, reducing reliance on third-party internet providers. The approved bid was the lowest among five proposals, which ranged up to $749,350.
