Bill introduced to help small businesses impacted by Hard Scrabble Road construction
- Grant For SC
- May 5
- 2 min read
by Tatiana Carter & Meghan Gonyo
Mon, May 5th 2025 at 10:30 AM
Updated Mon, May 5th 2025 at 6:08 PM
RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WACH) — Small businesses impacted by the prolonged construction on Hard Scrabble Road may soon get a lifeline, thanks to a new bill introduced last week.
Rep. Hamilton Grant, D-Richland, has introduced H.4467, known as the Small Business Construction Impact Relief Act.
The bill aims to provide financial assistance to small businesses that have experienced disruptions due to state-led construction projects.
Speaking outside Southern Crave, a business located along Hard Scrabble Road, Grant said the nearly decade-long construction project has significantly hurt nearby businesses by altering traffic patterns and reducing foot traffic.
"We can't afford to go in our pockets or our 401ks or our retirements or our children's funds for our family to pay for someone else's mess up," said the co-owner of Southern Crave, James Etheridge.
Southern Crave and Lust Nails and Spa are businesses that are impacted. "It's a maze, they said it's a maze to try to get over here," said Lust owner, Danielle Spencer. "At times it gets so confusing trying to get in here, you would think that we're closed," added Etheridge.
To qualify for the relief program, businesses must meet the following criteria:
Have been in operation on or before December 31, 2024
Be located directly on a road affected by a qualifying construction project
Demonstrate a revenue loss of at least 25% during the construction period
For some businesses like Three Generations Adult Daycare, the disruption has cost thousands in unexpected expenses. "The back of the building is now the front of the building, where we were required to put in new sidewalks, new overhangs, new handrails, and we're talking very expensive. It was just one thing after the other that we did not anticipate in our budget," said Mary McClelalan the owner of Three Generations Adult Daycare.
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