Progress of the penny: Improving the aesthetics of Sumter County

LAFAYETTE DIAMOND

$6 million

Project details: Reconstruction of the intersec­tion of North Main Street, the U.S. 76/378 bypass and other connecting roads to accommodate high traffic in that area.

“The Lafayette Diamond is the last one,” Mixon said about the remaining 2008 penny projects.

The county has already started clearing the right-of-way for that project behind McLaughlin Ford, he said.

The county has tied down all of the necessary properties except for one, he said, and the coun­ty is negotiating with the final property owner.

“They’ll start early next spring with the rest of that project,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have it complete probably in about eight months.”

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SUMTER COUNTY COURTHOUSE

$3 million

Project details: Restoration of the historic court­house downtown with handicap accessibility to im­prove functionality and to make energy-efficient up­grades in work spaces.

“So far, it’s been moving along really well,” Mixon said.

The HVAC system and roofing have already been replaced, he said, and the next step is replacing the old windows.

He said the windows have to be measured, re­moved and custom built in order to replace them.

And the exterior of the building has been painted and sealed, he said.

Crews have also started construction on the back side of the courthouse for an addition that will include an elevator and restrooms, Mixon said.

“You can see it looks a lot better now than what it used to,” he said.

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MILLCREEK CLUBHOUSE

$275,000

Project details: Renovations to the 1940 lodge will include energy-effi­cient and Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades.

This project in Millcreek Park — a county park on the Manchester Forest property — will hopefully be finished before spring, Mixon said.

“It’s a very rustic park,” he said “It’s got a lot of history there.”

Equestrian groups, like the Man­chester Trail Riders, use it two times a year, Mixon said, and those events bring people in from all over the coun­try.

There’s a 1940s-era dining hall there, he said, and minor renovations were done in the '80s but it’s in need of a new roof now.

Other parts of the facility will be re­modeled, such as the restrooms, and energy-efficient elements will be add­ed to bring it to better standards.

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ROAD RESURFACING AND PAVING

$12 million

Project details: 18 miles of dirt roads and 19 miles of roads to be resurfaced.

“We will, hopefully by the end of 2019, have all of our road projects complete," Mix­on said.

“Our public works team, along with our procurement team, have been working very closely with the local paving providers,” he said, “and they have really done a fine job in Sumter.”

A lot of other communities, as you could imagine, haven’t been this successful, he said.

Through this project, Mixon said, the coun­ty has been able to turn a lot of gravel roads into paved roads which will be helpful in the long run.

“We’ve still got a lot of roads that are go­ing to be gravel and a lot of roads that are go­ing to be dirt, but there’ll be fewer in number, so we can make the rounds faster,” he said about county services.

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SUMTER COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

$2.8 million

Project details: Project details: Renovations to provide a secure access point and enhance security and operations for the administrative offices in the building.

In January, the county anticipates starting the demolition of the vacant, two-story brick building next to the county administration building along Harvin Street, Mixon said.

Mixon said he expects the addition to be completed eight months after the construction starts.

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DILLON PARK

$2.75 million

Project details: Renovations include a new football complex, paved parking lot, repaved walking track and other updated park features.

By mid-spring the football fields will be ready for multiple activities such as lacrosse and soccer tournaments, Mixon said.

The walking track has already been repaved.

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LIST OF 2016 PROJECTS

$10 million............New E911 Emergency Services Facility

$5 million..............New Sumter police headquarters

$5.6 million...........New Sumter fire department headquarters

$2 million..............Industrial infrastructure

$2.5 million...........Manning Avenue bridge

$4 million..............Manning Avenue corridor

$1 million..............North Main Street corridor

$600,000..............Wilson Hall Road and Wise Drive

$900,000..............Wilson Hall Road and Carter Road

$2.8 million...........Sumter County Administration Building renovations

$2.75 million.........Dillon Park renovations

$200,000...............Pinewood Sports and Wellness Complex and Recreation park

$875,000...............Mayesville downtown revitalization

$4 million...............Shot Pouch Greenway

$8.9 million............County road paving

$3.1 million............County road resurfacing

$1.5 million............Downtown building renovations

$3 million...............Downtown Sumter intersection and infrastructure improvements

$6 million...............County recreation and Cultural Center renovations, additions and parking enhancements

$1 million...............Industrial Engineering Building CCTC renovation

$2.2 million............Property and building acquisition and renovation

$275,000...............Millcreek renovations

$300,000...............Animal Control building renovations

$500,000...............Palmetto Park renovations

$3 million..............Courthouse renovations

$300,000..............Carnegie Library renovations

$2.3 million...........Community sidewalks

$1 million..............Community-wide demolition of distressed structures for open space