One of the last plots of unused land in the growing Red Bank area was cleared recently to make room for Platt Springs Crossing, a multi-use shopping center. (Left image courtesy of earth.google.com; right photo by Stephen Enright/Carolina News and Reporter)
Lexington County’s Red Bank area is undergoing further retail growth with the upcoming development of a mixed-use shopping center called Platt Springs Crossing.
Platt Springs Crossing will feature 15 businesses, including Lowes Foods, Panda Express, and Planet Fitness. The development is still in Phase I, with businesses planning on opening in early 2025.
The 57-acre development on the corner of Platt Springs and Old Orangeburg roads is part of the growing retail environment happening alongside an expanding population and industrial economy.
“When you see commercial growth, … it’s a good sign of a healthy community that’s continuing to grow,” said Garrett Dragano, the county’s economic development director.
Much of Lexington County’s manufacturing growth is in the eastern portion of the county, close to the Congaree River and within a 20-minute drive of Platt Springs Crossing.
Retail growth is a result of “economic development that we’ve seen with industry and manufacturing coming to the area, that also helps drive the commercial side,” Dragano said. “And then the commercial side helps drive future industry as well.
Manufacturing is the county’s third-largest employer, with more than 12,000 workers. Manufacturing offers one of the highest average weekly wages for county residents at $1,357, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The county economic development office reported the county saw $448.7 million in capital investment and 1,107 new jobs in 2022, many in manufacturing.
Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Palmetto State Armory and Bentley Pontoons are notable additions to the manufacturing sector, each with new or expanded plants over the last few years.
Lexington County is primed for further growth in manufacturing and industry, with several parcels of land at Batesville-Leesburg Industrial Park and Chapin Industrial Park still available.
Matching the area’s industrial expansion is a growing population.
“Lexington County has seen some population growth, and that is all throughout the county, which helps drive, especially, commercial growth,” Dragano said.
The county’s population saw a 12.04% increase from 2010 to 2020, outpacing South Carolina’s overall growth of 10.66%.
The purchase of the Platt Springs Road property was influenced by “sustained population growth, demographics of the area, and traffic patterns,” said Patrick Chambers, an executive committee member at NAI Columbia, a Midlands real estate development firm.
“At the end of the day, it just boils down to that it’s one of the fastest growing areas in the entire Columbia MSA (metropolitan statistical area), and the need for additional services,” Chambers said.
With the development still in Phase I, few details, such as parking lot capacity or environmental impact, have been made public. (Photo by Stephen Enright/Carolina News and Reporter)
Much of Lexington County’s manufacturing growth is in the eastern portion of the county, in West Columbia and Cayce.
