GEORGETOWN, SC (WBTW) – The mayor of Georgetown says while the city welcomes the Georgetown steel mill reopening, it still plans to discuss rezoning the site.
The company Liberty House Group, which is based in the U.K., agreed on a tentative deal to buy the mill from Arcelor Mittal in April, but the deal has not yet been finalized.
The plan to rezone the steel mill site would grandfather in Liberty House, so they could operate the mill.
“What were trying to do is work with Liberty House to come up with a rezoning which would not impede them reopening the mill in any way,” said Mayor Jack Scoville.
However, Scoville says if a deal isn’t made, or if the mill closes for more than a year in the future, they want that to be the end of heavy industry at the site. Which means no more steel mills could open in the future if the rezoning goes through.
“If it was not reopened within one year of the shutdown, then the use would be transitioned to light industrial consistent with the zone,” explained Scoville.
He says that the company is still seeking state incentives to go through with purchase and a plan needs to be made for the future.
“We want to see the site developed in a productive way, what we don’t want to see is heavy industry going into our city,” said Scoville.
The Georgetown Business Association agrees and its board of directs has voted unanimously to write a letter in support of the rezoning.
“We want to make sure if something happens this time we’re able to move forward,” said President Michele Overton.
Overton says they too support the reopening of the site, but want to move away from steel mills if it doesn’t succeed.
“We’re not against having a business in that area we just don’t really think heavy industrial is quite the right fit for that property,” explained Overton.
City officials are set to discuss the rezoning coming up on August 17th.
