Construction on the Black River Landing can be seen from the Lamar Nathaniel Johnson Bridge. Most noticeable is the demolition of an old warehouse and a brick house.
Photo by Michaele Duke
A lot of changes are happening at the Black River Landing. Motorists crossing the bridge from the south end of the city can see firsthand, major construction taking place.
After acquiring the property in 2019, the Town of Kingstree began to implement a plan to turn the area into a park that will include the existing Mill Street Landing. Once finished, citizens will enjoy recreational and educational facilities and planned activities.
Initial plans were to convert the warehouse into a shed for outdoor events but the building’s integrity led to its demolition. The foundation will eventually see another structure built that will be known as the “Shed at Black River Landing” where events and concerts will be hosted. Main Street Director William Freeman said in a press release, once the landing is complete it will be known as The Town of Kingstree’s Front Door.
The Town hired landscape designer Andy Kalback of Kalback Design Studio to design a plan that will be implemented in stages. Freeman said Kalback joins a team of architects, city planners and graphic designers who spent three days in December designing a visual Roadmap of the future of Kingstree. A presentation of their vision was held for the public during a town council public hearing. During the presentation citizens were privy to the Town’s vision to rebrand the city into The Crown of the Black River.
In 2017, the Town of Kingstree was selected to be part of Main Street South Carolina, a Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) initiative. Main Street South Carolina is accredited by the National Main Street Center based in Chicago, Illinois and follows a Four Point Approach of organization, economic vitality, promotion and design. Since then the town has hosted many events such as Main Street Live and The King’s Table and seen major projects such as a municipal parking lot completed. The city is also in the process of building a state-of-the-art fire station and police station adjacent to town hall, made possible through Capital Project Sales Tax dollars.
