Grand Opening of Palmetto Place Suites
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Columbia welcomes 34 new businesses coming to Palmetto Place on Two Notch Road.
Palmetto Place, 2638 Two Notch Road, Columbia SC 29204
City leaders say the vacant building will provide new opportunities and services for residents in the area.
Congressman James Clyburn recalls the waves of progress and decline along Two Notch Road. The Palmetto Place is a new hope for the area and will house 34 businesses that will bring new life and light to residents in the area with minority businesses, health services, education, and access to fresh foods with IGA’s FRESH Community Market.
“This is a food desert, in fact much of Columbia is and when you look at the absence of food it is in the community of color. And so to have a fresh market coming to this community where I first lived when I moved to Columbia is very energizing for the community. In addition, many of the small businesses, health facilities, doctors office, photographies- these kind of things are the things that people utilize each and everyday and so it means it can be sustaining,“ says Congressman Clyburn.
City leaders say out of the 34 new businesses 27 of them are owned by women. One of the owners is traveling nurse Chelsea Williams of Nursing Unlimited CNA Training Center. She wants to help people reach their goal of becoming a nurse or CNA.
“Our goal here is to be a family. We want to come and grow together, we want to help each other, we want to build life long bonds. I want people to come in here, I want them to feel welcome, I want them to feel comfortable and know that I’m here for them and we’re going to grow together,“ says Williams.
Doctor Lawana Stembridge and Doctor Tawana Roberson are the owners of Life Expressions Health and Wellness Center, they’re excited about bringing their services to Two Notch Road.
“Investing into the African American community is so important to us because a lot of our people are just not very well educated in different professions and so we want to be able to make sure you know exactly what is that we have as chiropractors that we can offer to the community. You don’t have to search near and far, we’re right here around the coroner to service your needs,“ says Roberson.
“As African American chiropractors we have a different spectrum that we can offer. We want our community to know that we offer wellness, you don’t always have to always be in pain. We want you to have a change of mindset about your health,” says Stembridge.
City leaders say renovations for the Palmetto Place Suites project was paid by private investors and some businesses received city funding for signage.
