Main St. buildings earn awards

Submitted Photo/Clarendon Citizen

Two Manning landmarks have received awards from the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

The new Manning City Hall, located at 29 West Boyce Street and the Johnson Law Firm/Moses Levi Building, located at 2 North Brooks Street, were recipients of awards from the MASC’s 2010 Municipal Achievement Awards and Main Street S.C. Inspiration Awards.

Manning’s City Hall was the recipient of the 2009 Main Street Outstanding Public-Private Partnership Award.

The award was given to a project in which public and private entities were able to work and grow together.

City Hall was an establishment that needed to be nearer to downtown and the new City Hall on Boyce Street proved to be a location that could be economically refurbished and made suitable for use as a municipal headquarters.

 “The award was to recognize a public-private partnership where there was an opportunity for a government entity and a private citizen to come together and develop a package,” said developer Jeffrey Black. “I’m certainly thrilled that we won the award but more importantly, I think this is a great win for downtown Manning. It’s important that City Hall be part of the downtown fabric of any community. Having City Hall downtown will drive traffic to the area which will hopefully benefit existing businesses and encourage the creation of new businesses in the future.”

The project was given the award because of its renovation as well as the work and dedication put forth to make it an affordable space.

The city could only have refurbished the building with the aid of a public-private partnership and that the main way the city was able to go through with the project.

It is more spacious than the City’s previous headquarters at the north end of town and has two stories and elevator accessibility.

“We’ve doubled our size and made it a place that the citizens can be proud of,” said City Administrator Rebecca Rhodes. “It’s a whole lot more comfortable for council meetings. Doing it as a public-private partnership allowed us to do something that we would have never been able to do by ourselves.”

The Moses Levi Building was also recognized for possibly being the oldest surviving building in the downtown area, dating back to approximately 1895. It also received the award as well for being reconditioned at a crucial locale in downtown next to a major highway.

Attorney William Johnson and partners saw potential in the building and downtown Manning and began their efforts to make a difference in a rehabilitation project.

The project’s goal was to get the building back to its original architecture and serve as law offices.

Using original pictures and documents, the building was restored to its original exterior and interior.

Also, in 2009, residents voted the building as “Best Building Renovation.”

“Some people thought we were crazy for trying to renovate it and maybe we were, but it was amazing to watch the process,” said attorney William Johnson. “You walk in here and you just feel like you’re somewhere that’s been here a while. There’s a histirical precense here. It’s been quite an experience.”Two Manning landmarks have received awards from the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

The new Manning City Hall, located at 29 West Boyce Street and the Johnson Law Firm/Moses Levi Building, located at 2 North Brooks Street, were recipients of awards from the MASC’s 2010 Municipal Achievement Awards and Main Street S.C. Inspiration Awards.

Manning’s City Hall was the recipient of the 2009 Main Street Outstanding Public-Private Partnership Award.

The award was given to a project in which public and private entities were able to work and grow together.

City Hall was an establishment that needed to be nearer to downtown and the new City Hall on Boyce Street proved to be a location that could be economically refurbished and made suitable for use as a municipal headquarters.

 “The award was to recognize a public-private partnership where there was an opportunity for a government entity and a private citizen to come together and develop a package,” said developer Jeffrey Black. “I’m certainly thrilled that we won the award but more importantly, I think this is a great win for downtown Manning. It’s important that City Hall be part of the downtown fabric of any community. Having City Hall downtown will drive traffic to the area which will hopefully benefit existing businesses and encourage the creation of new businesses in the future.”

The project was given the award because of its renovation as well as the work and dedication put forth to make it an affordable space.

The city could only have refurbished the building with the aid of a public-private partnership and that the main way the city was able to go through with the project.

It is more spacious than the City’s previous headquarters at the north end of town and has two stories and elevator accessibility.

“We’ve doubled our size and made it a place that the citizens can be proud of,” said City Administrator Rebecca Rhodes. “It’s a whole lot more comfortable for council meetings. Doing it as a public-private partnership allowed us to do something that we would have never been able to do by ourselves.”

The Moses Levi Building was also recognized for possibly being the oldest surviving building in the downtown area, dating back to approximately 1895. It also received the award as well for being reconditioned at a crucial locale in downtown next to a major highway.

Attorney William Johnson and partners saw potential in the building and downtown Manning and began their efforts to make a difference in a rehabilitation project.

The project’s goal was to get the building back to its original architecture and serve as law offices.

Using original pictures and documents, the building was restored to its original exterior and interior.

Also, in 2009, residents voted the building as “Best Building Renovation.”

“Some people thought we were crazy for trying to renovate it and maybe we were, but it was amazing to watch the process,” said attorney William Johnson. “You walk in here and you just feel like you’re somewhere that’s been here a while. There’s a histirical precense here. It’s been quite an experience.”