Adams at Forefront of Revitalization
November 22, 2009
By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal Senior Staff Writer
Greenwood, SC -
Plenty of politicians will tell you how they are invested in or committed to an area within their ward or district.
But, when Greenwood Mayor Welborn Adams says he is invested in and committed to the revitalization of Uptown Greenwood, he literally means it.
- Adams, who is also a local attorney, is the owner of the Barksdale Building in Uptown, a property he bought in 2007 that has been undergoing extensive renovations during the last year. The building is now home to three bustling businesses on its first floor — The Frilly Frog Children’s Boutique, Blossom Shoes and Such and, most recently, menswear shop David Lindsey Clothier.
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- Also, there are currently two condominiums under construction on the top floor of the building.
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Greenwood Mayor Welborn Adams stands on the balcony of one of the two condominiums that are under construction in the top of the Barksdale Building. The condos and the shops at street level are part of a complete overhaul of the Barksdale Building that has taken place since Adams bought the property. (Staff photo by Chris Trainor)
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Both units — which have already been purchased — have stunning views of Uptown and each has a balcony perched over city streets.
While he declined to put a price tag on the renovations, the mayor said his investment has been “significant.”
Adams said that when he bought the more than 100-year-old building, he wanted to take it back toward its original look.
“I found these old pictures of it,” he said. “I wanted to get it as close as I could to the way it looked in the early 1900s. I had pictures that showed horses and buggies and things of that nature outside. That tells you how old these pictures were. These pictures showed this rollout awning, and I couldn’t replicate that. Other than that, it came out well. I wanted to to be able to see as much of the brick as possible.”
One of the first orders of business in rehabbing the building was removing the old aluminum honeycomb-patterned facade that was wrapped around the structure for decades.
Adams admitted that while he wanted to take the aluminum off the Barksdale Building, he was concerned about what he would find underneath.
“I had heard these rumors that there was a fire at this building, so I was concerned that, once we pulled off the aluminum, we were going to see a bunch of burned bricks,” Adams said. “I was very concerned. That was the most nerve-racking part of the project. We didn’t see any of that, though, so that was a big relief.”
Aside from the aesthetics on the outside of the building, the insides of the first floor, where the three shops now reside, were also completely refurbished.
“We were hoping that we might find some hardwood floor that we might be able to use underneath, but we had to come in and put in new hardwood flooring,” Adams said. “Most of the inside, we had to work with. There were dropped ceilings in each (shop), so we tore the dropped ceilings out to give you a bigger feel, so it feels like a higher ceiling in each one.”
The architecture and aesthetics in each of the three shops provide a unique distinction from many local shops and, combined with the under-construction condos on the second-floor, offer just a hint of big city feel in a small town.
“That’s what I was aiming for and it makes me really happy when I hear people say that,” the mayor said, smiling. “I wanted to have that feel. This is such a central point in the square. I thought we could show off the best retail Greenwood can offer, right here.”
Dressing gentlemen in a new location
Menswear shop David Lindsey Clothier is the most recent addition to the Barksdale Building, having opened Oct. 1. The shop moved to its new spot after being on the other side of the square, near the fountain, for many years.
Manager Ed Moore said it has been a good move.
“We opened October 1 and it was almost a one-year process, from when we started talking to Welborn,” Moore said. “When we heard Welborn had bought the building and was tearing down the (aluminum) and (former tenant) Debs and Brides was leaving, we though this could be good.
“In all my years, I always thought this was the premier location in town, simply because of its visibility.”
Moore said David Lindsey’s new location — which offers a variety of men’s clothing — is aesthetically and spatially superior to the old one.
“People can see the merchandise here,” Moore said. “We were very crowded in the other location. Being in the little space we were in, you really couldn’t see the merchandise. The display and the merchandising here makes it so much better.”
A Frilly approach
Lisa Lloyd opened The Frilly Frog Children’s Boutique in the Barksdale Building in July. She previously owned another children’s shop at a different location.
Lloyd said she likes her new spot in Uptown.
“I love being here,” Lloyd said. “The traffic is good, the exposure is good. I think Welborn has done a great job with it. Taking the (aluminum) honeycombs off of it was nice. I felt like it was almost like an eyesore. He’s done a wonderful job re-doing this building.”
The Frilly Frog sells children’s clothes and shoes and youth-related gifts. Lloyd said she is looking forward to a good holiday season.
“I think people are starting to look for their childrens’ Christmas outfits,” she said. “It has picked up.”
A shoe shop Blossoms
In March, Kimberly Thomasson opened shoe store Blossom Shoes and Such on the east corner of the Barksdale Building, near Waller.
Thomasson, an Abbeville native, said she is pleased to have a shop Uptown.
“I love being on this side of the square,” she said. “I love being on the square in general. This building has been a big part of the Uptown revitalization process. It feels like a new building, but it’s cool that it’s old. We have really enjoyed kind of being on the ground floor of the changes taking place in Uptown Greenwood.
“It’s exciting.”
Thomasson said she thinks the three shops on the first floor of the Barksdale Building form a compatible trio.
“We work together really well because we all have products that compliment each other,” she said. “We can kind of take care of the whole family (in terms of apparel) right here on this block.”
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