USDA Grant Funds Downtown Revitalization in Fairfax and Port Royal

SouthernCarolina Alliance has won USDA grant funding again, this time to support downtown revitalization in Fairfax in Allendale County and Port Royal in Beaufort County. The grant will underwrite a partnership with Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, to produce two custom strategic action plans that outline a practical, five year vision for each downtown district. On site Strategic Visioning Workshops are scheduled to take place in early 2026.

The program builds on previous collaborations that included Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and communities in Hampton County, and marks the third consecutive year that SCA has received USDA backing for downtown development work. The initiative combines targeted planning with small business capacity building. Small business owners in both communities will receive on demand online training focused on Business Modernization as part of Retail Strategies' Small Business Support platform.

Kathy Rhoad, SCA’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, said, "SouthernCarolina Alliance is pleased to lead this effort on behalf of our communities to strengthen downtown development, which is a key marketing tool in building true economic development and attracting industrial projects to our region. We appreciate the work that Downtown Strategies has done in partnership with SCA over the last 3 years, and we are grateful to USDA for funding these critical programs."

For Allendale County residents the initiative offers both immediate and longer term implications. The two custom action plans are intended to produce project based recommendations that can deliver quick wins, such as facade improvements, public space activation, or small scale placemaking projects, while positioning downtowns to compete for larger investments and industrial prospects that developers often consider when assessing regional readiness. SCA represents seven counties in the region, including Allendale and Beaufort, and its stated mission is to sustain and create jobs to improve quality of life across that footprint.

From a policy perspective the continuation of USDA funding signals ongoing federal support for rural downtown revitalization and small business modernization. That aligns with broader economic development trends that emphasize place making and business resilience as complements to traditional industrial recruitment efforts. By combining strategic planning with operator focused training, the program aims to increase the likelihood that public and private investments will translate into measurable employment and tax base gains.

Next steps for the communities include the convening of local stakeholders in early 2026 workshops, the drafting of the two five year strategic plans, and rollout of the online business modernization curriculum. Residents and local business owners should watch for announcements from SouthernCarolina Alliance about workshop dates and opportunities to participate in plan development and training.