By Stella Mercado
GEORGETOWN TIMES
May 28, 2025

Imagine in the not too distant future taking a leisurely stroll from Georgetown’s Front Street, along the harbor where the Liberty Steel currently stands, around the port and underneath the Sampit River Bridge, finishing somewhere near the former International Paper site on the new Georgetown Harbor/River Walk. Along that walk, you stop for some breakfast, lunch or dinner, stop by an amphitheater to listen to live music, see an art exhibit or just rest under a beautiful grand oak.

There has been a complete transformation of downtown Georgetown. The steel and paper mills are gone and now there are a lot of high paying jobs in advanced manufacturing and other high-tech businesses. There is a combination of mixed use, office, retail, housing, healthcare facilities, commercial and private fishing docks, kayak launches, marinas, rail, logistics and much more. Georgetown is once again a vibrant city because of this tremendous transformation.

Now is the time to look to the future and reimagine the Georgetown waterfront in a way that highlights our area’s rich beauty and targets high paying jobs for our current and future families.

For decades, Liberty Steel and International Paper were cornerstones of our local economy. Today, these properties lie dormant. We must make changes. The opportunity to transform these sites into vibrant hubs of economic activity could benefit all residents.

Smartly redeveloping these sites can significantly expand our property tax base, providing much-needed revenue for schools, infrastructure, and public services. Moreover, attracting businesses that align with our community's values can generate increased sales, hospitality, and accommodation taxes, further bolstering our local economy.

Beyond Liberty and IP, the county also has a role in shaping the future of the Ports property along our waterfront. With thoughtful input from community leaders this area will become a catalyst for economic development and public use, rather than another in a long line of missed opportunities.

We can’t afford to remain silent. The Liberty and International Paper sites carry decades of industrial pollution and will require significant environmental remediation before redevelopment can begin. Who will clean it all up? We should think carefully about what comes next. Proposals for more heavy industry — particularly a biomass facility that would not clean up the current pollution - will also bring risky emissions and the potential for long-term environmental risk.

Georgetown, we deserve better than that. We should say no to biomass facilities and yes to attracting clean, innovative industries that create high-paying, sustainable jobs that reflect the future our community actually wants.

The original Urban Land Institute's report provided us with a comprehensive roadmap for this transformation, emphasizing mixed-use development, environmental resilience, and public access to the waterfront. By following this model, we can create a Georgetown that is not only economically robust but also enhances access and opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy our waterways, marshes, and public lands.

As a member of Georgetown County Council, I am committed to working hand in hand with residents, businesses, and stakeholders to realize this dream. Together, we can design a future that reflects our shared values and aspirations.

This is our moment to make lasting change — to shape a Georgetown that thrives for generations to come.

Stella Mercado represents Georgetown County Council District 6.

Click here for the op-ed.