Urban Development in Rock Hill, SC

Here in Rock Hill, SC, there is an Internet Marketing firm that offers cowork space for Internet professionals – developers, designers, videographers, project managers, etc. How do I know this? Well, it’s RevenFlo, of which I am the founder and president.

I’m often asked why we spend so much of our resources in participating in the Urban Development of Old Town Rock Hill – our dedicated resources to run The Hive, our membership on boards and committees, our investment in specific properties and the redevelopment of them, our sponsorship of many things Old Town, etc.

The answer is that we believe that urban renewal is an inherent and interwoven aspect of the new economy. We believe that mobility, cowork space, 1099 contracting, and walkable “cafe-esque” lifestyle are the ingredients to a compelling and productive work environment.

The Fallacy of the New Economy

The fallacy of the new economy, of course, is that if you build a pizza place, then the creative class will move to your town. But there is much and obvious truth in the fact that young, creative, productive people do not want to live in a place with nowhere to hang out. And since most businesses of the new economy are based on leveraging innovation and talent, then they better provide a place to hang out or they are gonna have a serious HR problem.

At RevenFlo though, we don’t do all of this for a business strategy. We do it because we live here. We work here. We want to walk to lunch everyday. We want to sit outside of our office after five on the sidewalk and hear live music in the air. We want to experience the arts as frequently as business – as a matter of fact, we don’t see any line between the two.

The Power of Redevelopment

I grew up always contributing to the creation of scenes – the punk scenes of the Carolinas and then the literary & arts scene in Asheville. It’s just in my blood not to move to a place and join a scene, but to help create one in the place I live. And these scenes are always in some sort of redevelopment. I feel that the revitalizing Old Town Rock Hill is symbolic of cities and towns all over the United States, urban renewal abound.