Pelzer Heritage Commission to announce plans for development of Pelzer Mills Properties

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By David Meade
After years of effort to obtain the property, applying for and administering brownfields cleanup grants, and looking for a party interested in possible development of the Pelzer Mill Properties, representatives of the Pelzer Heritage Commission (PHC) say they are moving closer to their goal of developing the industrial wasteland that was once the site of two prosperous textile mills.
A spokesperson for the Pelzer Heritage Commission said this week, “The Pelzer Heritage Commission has worked for a long time to redevelop these properties and hope we have found someone interested in developing the tracks. We think it is something that will be good for Pelzer in a few years, with potential for new jobs, development and growth in Pelzer. We hope this development will benefit the Town of Pelzer and surrounding areas and will be beneficial to the residents of Pelzer.” He added that the project “is still in the beginning stages.”
However a source close to the deal confirmed to The Journal that an agreement has been reached with the Pelzer Heritage Commission to develop the old textile mill site. The development is expected to range from single family residential to industrial.
An official announcement and further details will be made public in the next thirty days and, according to the source, work on the project is expected to begin soon after the announcement. “I am excited about the potential,” said the source.
He praised the groundwork laid by members of the PHC. “The PHC has done an outstanding job getting the property ready for development. The work that has been done was vital to the project.”
That groundwork has included obtaining ownership of the property and then applying for and receiving grants needed for voluntary cleanup of the property.
“No developer would have looked at that property without the work they did,” the source said.
The Pelzer Heritage Commission announced this week that they are in the process of submitting another Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for additional cleanup activities at the Upper Pelzer Mill Site. The site includes 13.44-acres located on Stevenson Street in Pelzer. The grant amount being requested is a total of $200,000.

Pelzer Heritage applying for brownfields cleanup grant