Irmo Town Council and residents continue to discuss plans to create a downtown area along what is currently a dirt road.

The plan includes obtaining 12 parcels located in a predominantly Black area, which has generated some resistance from residents who have expressed fear the town will use eminent domain to try to force them out or buy their property for fair market value only to sell it for a higher price to potential developers.

Talking the Chronicle through the plan, Irmo Town Administrator Courtney Dennis said a majority of the properties are underdeveloped and do not have homes on them, emphasizing that the town is looking for wooded and underdeveloped areas.

Council voted in December to purchase 1.82 acres of land for the project and hire an acquisition firm to potentially obtain more land, but at the moment, the downtown is purely conceptual, Dennis said.

The design calls for a range of buildings fulfilling a variety of purposes to be built in the area near Irmo Community Park. The plan includes retail spaces and condos, along with new parking areas.

In October of last year, the Chronicle talked to a local restaurant manager who said he was developing a restaurant concept for the potential Main Street, but Dennis told the Chronicle the town has not made active advances to find businesses for the potential project.

Irmo Community park, home to an amphitheater and the site for the town’s annual Okra Strut festival, is an amenity for which the town is actively seeking to find more uses. 

Dennis called the amphitheater a “hidden gem,” adding that creating a central hub for Irmo near the park will allow them to piggyback off each other and bring increased foot traffic to both areas.

“The park is gorgeous, it's well manicured, well maintained, and it's just what I think is one of our hidden gems in our town,” he said. “It really provides such a family atmosphere and a safe environment for people to enjoy.”

Next steps for the development will focus on conversations with the community, making sure they’re properly informed about the project. The includes a Q&A session hosted by the town on Jan. 8 at 4 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church (1150 Lake Murray Blvd.).

Dennis said the hope for the meeting is to talk about the plans and give residents an  opportunity to express their concerns, inform council and staff of potential challenges, and perhaps give their support to the project.

The town administrator said Irmo is currently trying to understand the viability of the project, with Dennis mentioning that it has yet to be determined if the town is willing to use hospitality funds or other revenue streams to fund it and if it’s worth it for the town to acquire debt to make the project happen.

“Irmo really is poised for opportunities for growth and I think that we have always considered ourselves a town that tries to have a local family atmosphere,” he said. “I think those are exemplified by our different events, whether it's our tree lighting, our Okra Strut, our Fourth of July celebration, or other just local family-friendly events that we have. And I think that this [downtown] could just build upon that.”