Members of the Aiken Municipal Development Commission said Friday that downtown redevelopment is too important for the city's future to permanently abandon.
The Rev. Doug Slaughter and Aiken Chamber of Commerce President and CEO J. David Jameson, both members of the commission, spoke on Friday about the Aiken Municipal Development Commission vote to stop Project Pascalis.
The commission voted unanimously, 5-0, Thursday afternoon to declare a purchase and sale agreement with RPM Development Partners null and void and to cancel the redevelopment plan that led to the $75 million downtown redevelopment project, which stops Project Pascalis from moving forward.
Commission Chairman Keith Wood and Vice Chairman Chris Verenes said in statements after the Thursday afternoon meeting that the decision to stop was made because the South Carolina Community Development Law was not followed.
Slaughter said he felt the commission did "do some things wrong" and that downtown redevelopment was an important project for the city's future.
"I think we did the right thing by revisiting the project and making sure that we get it right," Slaughter said. "I will say this: I think this project is going to be great for the community … I think the project would be a benefit for the downtown."
He said downtown redevelopment would benefit Aiken by making the downtown more attractive to young people who want to live in a vibrant and active downtown where there are things to do. Slaughter said the project could also create jobs in the downtown area.
Slaughter said he felt it took a lot of courage and integrity for Wood and Verenes to make their statements.
Jameson called the vote inevitable and said the commission was in the process of working to correct the issue when the commission and others were sued over the project on July 5.
In their statements, Wood and Verenes said they did not realize the commission was not following the Community Development Law because they were not advised of the requirements of the law by city staff.
Slaughter said his memory on what the staff was told was not as clear as the memory of others.
Jameson said that the commission felt it was doing the right thing but it turned out that it was not.
Commissioner Philip Merry declined comment on the vote on the advice of legal counsel.
