Team revitalization

TEAM

REVITALIZATION

Local artisans and craftsmen playing key role in downtown redevelopment

BY BRUCE MILLS

It was mostly a year of planning for some big things on the horizon on the downtown development scene, but one commercial “fixer-upper” showed the power of teamwork on display in revitalizing downtown Sumter.

Local artisans Heather Tickel, Scott Carnelli, Lance and Tori Lesegne, and Frank Johnson might not be headline names when people think of the key players in Sumter’s downtown redevelopment, but their hands are literally all over the work, including last year’s addition of Baker’s Sweets.

The popular bistro and bakery owned by Jennifer Baker added its second Sumter location and third overall in August on the corner of North Main Street and Law Range.

WHAT’S IN THE WORKS FOR THIS YEAR?

Jay Davis said he is still in the planning stage for some apartments and a condominium project for the downtown area. Also, two more commercial fixer-upper projects are planned to be announced in 2022, he added.

Davis co-owns some downtown properties with private business owner Greg Thompson and his wife, Danielle. He credits the Thompson family and the City of Sumter for helping facilitate the downtown revitalization process. In the last decade, the Thompsons’ investments in downtown include La Piazza, Hamptons, Sidebar, the downtown Hyatt Place hotel and Sumter Original Brewery, among others.

*Photo: Left to right: Jay Davis, Tori Lesegne, Frank Johnson, Scott Carnelli, Lance Lesegne and Heather Tickel

A theme in recent years with the revitalization has been redevelopment and bringing the older downtown buildings back to life, and keeping their historic charm, according to Jay Davis, broker-in-charge of Coldwell Banker Commercial Cornerstone.

The bakery and coffee shop followed suit, he said.

According to Davis, the Baker’s Sweets addition at 119 N. Main St. was the final 1,000 square feet in a 10,000-square-feet square feet office project that was previously 100% vacant a few years ago and now is 100% occupied with five tenants.

Davis said the current Baker’s Sweets property was completely dark on the inside and in tearing down the sheet rock, they discovered glass windows inside the wall along the side of Law Range.

Then after taking down the exterior brick, Davis’ team saw how much it brightened the environment.

“All those windows are the original windows,” he said. “When we tore down the brick on the outside, we saw how much it brightened the space. That’s when we were like, ‘This needs to be a coffee shop.’”

In the redevelopment work, Tickel, who works with Davis at Coldwell Banker as a broker associate and office manager, serves as the creative artist and designer, and local craftsmen, such as the Lesegnes and Johnson from Palmetto Metal Designs, do custom work.

Tickel said she has a passion for art and dabbles in different mediums. She loves bringing a business owner’s plans and dreams to life.

“I enjoy working with people who have a vision of where they want to go with their business,” she said. “That kind of starts spinning my wheels as far as, ‘Oh, OK, this is their style and how cool it would be to do this over here for them.’ The whole process is fun for me.”

Davis and Tickel use Palmetto Metal Designs in downtown redevelopment work for custom metal fabrication and other specialized construction.

At Baker’s Sweets, Lance and Tori Lesegne and Johnson built a handcrafted bar near the windows. They also constructed the bread racks and coffee signage both inside and outside the shop.

Palmetto Metal Designs regular business includes building ornamental gates and porch rails, but the employees’ enjoy the

downtown redevelopment work with Tickel and Davis. Johnson said what he likes most about those projects is that Sumter is working to improve its downtown. “What I like most is I like the fact that we are doing it,” Johnson said. “That we are a part of it and they are revitalizing downtown because for years that is not somewhere you would want to take somebody who came to visit from outside of town. Now, I would say, it’s one of the top destinations to take somebody who comes in.” Lance Lesegne added also a good "If I can be a part of form of advertising for the business as many area residents notice the work. something like that, Scott Carnelli’s local painting business specializes in high-end, residential whether it is just a safe custom work, but he also does some commercial office buildings. or a few buildings, I am He has worked on a handful of projects downtown, and at Baker’s Sweets, thrilled to do it. That is Carnelli took on an unusual project to repaint an old, large safe that had been something that will last in the building for several decades. Baker wanted to keep the safe on for decades after it's display as part of the structure’s historic charm. done.” Carnelli first met Tickel about 15 years —Scott Carnelli ago after he initially moved to Sumter and worked part time as a personal trainer. Tickel was one of his customers, he said. Later, he started his custom painting business, and Tickel joined Coldwell Banker in 2014. “The whole thing, especially about Sumter, is just connections and relationships,” Carnelli said. “The more people you know and you treat them right, they will pass your name around.” He added that he loves to see the progress downtown. “The team associated with downtown is just classy people,” Carnelli said. “I love the whole downtown how it’s coming along. I love the restaurants; the hotel is beautiful. I just love walking down there. People are doing great things and honestly Jay Davis and people like Heather, they are on it. If I can be a part of something like that, whether it is just a safe or a few buildings, I am thrilled to do it. That is something that will last for decades after done.”