2023: Woodruff Braces for BMW and a Population Boom

In an April 2023 story in its "Boom and Balance" growth series, the Post and Courier's Chris Lavender asked how Woodruff was preparing for change at a pace it hadn't seen in decades. The figures below are what was reported at the time.

The story opened with Daniel Godfrey, a 1996 Woodruff High graduate who left town when jobs were scarce after the mills closed. He came back as an associate pastor at the Church at the Mill's Woodruff campus. He said the most common worry he hears is that the town has only one grocery store. He also said he prays the fear of change "will be overcome with friendships and faith."

The paper reported that the city began recruiting housing developers in 2016, later added a per-lot impact fee, and had 4,000 to 6,000 homes on track over the next five years. The population of about 4,500 was projected to triple by 2027. BMW Group's October 2022 announcement of a $700 million, 300-job battery plant off Highway 101 sent industrial growth "into overdrive." City Manager Lee Bailey called BMW "a game-changer." He said one reason the company chose Woodruff was the new housing on the way.

Bailey described the city's preparations: $10 million in sewer upgrades, more downtown parking, three new building-and-codes hires, and plans to add about 10 staff over five years. He said City Council would consider a combined police headquarters and municipal court funded by impact fees. He also said a planned $16 million, 50-acre sports complex near the BMW site was likely to start by 2026.

Downtown, the paper reported three new restaurants in the works on South Main Street. They were a brewery and entertainment hub planned by B&B Investment's Bryan Beal at 107 S. Main St., and Conner Flynn's Irish pub (137 S. Main) and Maverick Biscuits (135 S. Main) from Van Broad and Kyle Frair. Yana Allen of Rotties 221 Biergarten, open since 2019, said Woodruff is more likely to look like Greer than Greenville.

Not everyone was eager. Danny Garrett, pastor of Antioch Baptist in nearby Enoree, said some people doubt the city is ready, and that one grocery store, Food Lion, isn't enough. Former Mayor Brad Burnett recalled that two mill closings in 1994 and 1996 cost more than 3,000 jobs and that downtown had 11 vacant buildings in 2008. He said the 2011 sewer expansion with Woodruff-Roebuck Water District was an early step toward today's growth.

On schools, the story reported that voters approved a $100 million referendum in 2022 for a new Woodruff High School built for 2,000 students. It would sit on 100 acres off Highway 146, and District 4 planned to shift grades across its buildings once it opened. Then-Superintendent Rallie Liston said building now would save money in the long run. Mayor Kenneth Gist said he expected more industry along Highway 101 and more traffic to come with growth. He noted that more than 18,000 people already lived within 5 miles of the city.

Read the full story, with photos, at the Post and Courier.