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County Visitor's Center requests new home
3/20/2008 11:38 PM

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By HALEY HUGHES
Staff writer
According to Aiken County's tourism coordinator, it is time for the county's Visitor's Center to relocate.
Tourism Coordinator Robbie Bellamy told County Council's Development Committee on Tuesday that the building in which the Visitor's Center is housed is no longer a viable option for several reasons.
First, the building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Visitor's Center is on the second floor accessed only by steps. There is no elevator.
Second, the building itself is in "really, really bad shape," Bellamy said.
The Visitor's Center is located at 902 Richland Ave., on the second floor above Veteran's Affairs. Bellamy said many people have a hard time finding the building.
"It is time for the County to move forward and have its own Visitor's Center," Bellamy said. "(This building) is a first impression, and it's not a really good one."
Bellamy has already taken the steps to find a location where the center could move if approved by Council. She said Wednesday she has the option to move into a 1,000-square-foot space on the first floor of the newly renovated Holley Building on Laurens Street.
The cost to rent the space would be $1,318 a month, which would come from the County's accommodations tax fund, she added.
"A captured audience is already (downtown)," she said.
With people attracted to downtown, Bellamy said she is confident the Visitor's Center would see many more than the five couples a week on average the Center sees. Plus, the Holley Building location is ADA compliant and is highly visible.
Bellamy would also love for the new Visitor's Center to house a gift shop to offset the cost of rent.
"We could send a piece of the County home with people," she said.
She believes the County will benefit from this move only if it is approved, as tourism has grown rapidly over the years. In fact, the South Carolina Competitiveness Council listed tourism as a sector the state needs to focus on.
The Development Committee agreed with Bellamy on Tuesday, but the decision has to go before County Council. A resolution on the move will be considered by Council next month.

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