Railroad Corner Redevelopment

The Railroad Corner Redevelopment

The City of Orangeburg engaged the Development Finance Initiative (DFI) in December 2020 to analyze the redevelopment feasibility of the Railroad Corner and assist with attracting private investment for the redevelopment of the site.

Railroad Corner is located between Orangeburg's downtown core and the two area universities, Claflin University and South Carolina State University, making it a strategic location to create an attractive and welcoming gateway between the campuses and downtown. The City of Orangeburg intends to see the development include a range of public and private uses that would potentially occupy existing buildings as well as new infill construction.

History of Railroad Corner

In the early to mid-20th century, the Railroad Corner was a thriving hub for African American businesses of prominence were the State Theater and the College Soda
Shop, both of which served as community anchors. In 1968, the Railroad Corner became the physical midway point between the sites tied to the Orangeburg Mas-
sacre On Feb 8, 1968, four years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, about 200 Claflin and SCSU students gathered on the SCSU campus (east of the Railroad Cor-
ner) to protest racial segregation at the All-Stars Bowling Alley (west of the Railroad Corner), where several students had been denied entry three days earlier State pa-
trolmen opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators, killing 3 men and wounding 28 individuals While it is one of the most violent episodes of the Civil Rights era,
the Orangeburg Massacre remains largely under reported and under recognized.

The Orangeburg community desires that any development at Railroad Corner honor the site's history.

Background and Process

The Railroad Corner site includes eleven parcels covering about 1.25 acres. The site is bounded by Russell Street to the South and Boulevard Street and Magnolia Street to the East, with two parcels located across Treadwell Street to the West. There are eight buildings currently located on the site parcels, many of which are currently vacant or distressed.

The redevelopment of Railroad Corner is part of a more general city effort to revitalize the Russell Street Corridor, which includes the building of a new county library and conference center, as well as a new commercial kitchen to be located at the Orangeburg market pavilion. 

DFI will conduct feasibility analyses and identify several options for development while regularly seeking feedback and engagement with the City of Orangeburg leadership. Once a redevelopment scenario has been endorsed by the City, DFI will identify development partners with the experience and track record to make the vision a reality.

Project Renderings

Railroad Corner Groundbreaking

"Railroad Corner serves as a model of what can be accomplished with vision, commitment, and determination."
-Mayor Michael. C. Butler