Arcade
Mill
(Hagins-Fewell Redevelopment Plan)
On
November 5, 1996, the future of the Hagins-Fewell neighborhood
was darkened when the Arcade Textile Mill was destroyed by fire.
The surrounding neighborhood relied heavily on employment and
other services from this mill. Representatives
from the Hagins-Fewell neighborhood requested help in cleaning
up the site and revitalizing their area. This effort did not
meet with immediate success, due to the complexity of the situation
that had developed over issues of responsibility relating to
ownership of the mill site.
On September 30, 2002, in order to move the stalled project
forward, the Rock Hill Council of Neighborhoods acquired ownership of the mill
property. This was done with the full cooperation and agreement of the Hagins-Fewell
Neighborhood Association. RHCN had never saught to become involved in the real
estate business, but no other option was available that would allow this project
to move forward. The intention of cleaning up the eyesore left by the fire and
removing the safety hazards that existed was and is our mission.
We are currently working with the City of Rock Hill, Rock Hill Economic & Urban
Development Corp., York County, SC DHEC, and the EPA as we now move forward to
clean up and restore this area to whatever use is deemed applicable by the neighborhood
and the City of Rock Hill. Grants have been secured for clean-up, EPA testing
is almost complete, and we tentatively expect preliminary site cleanup to begin
by the end of 2004.
This project could
not have come as far as it has without the help of many individuals and groups
who have come together to make Rock Hill better one neighborhood at a time!
