Daystar buys property
The former Grover Industries building in Lynn was purchased by Daystar Enterprises Inc., which plans an upstairs flea market and an outdoor store, among other ideas.
The purchase of the building, located on Clarence Rhodes Road between Capps Road and the Lynn Post Office off Hwy. 108, was completed in April. Daystar President Jerry Thomas said he is currently trying to restore power to the building, after which renovations can begin.
Ideas for the approximately 55,000-square-foot building include a flea market in approximately 8,000 square feet of space upstairs. Thomas said he envisions the market being held on Saturdays and being geared toward yard sale type items for sale from the community.
In another portion of the building, Thomas said he envisions an outdoor/camp store, with apparel being sold upstairs and larger items such as canoes and kayaks sold downstairs.
Thomas is also considering developing an equine retail/consignment type store and a coffee shop type business in the building. He said he also thinks a sports equipment store would be good for this area.
Thomas said part of the renovations include a deck area with a boardwalk to the adjacent Pacolet River, which he said would be a great area for a coffee shop.
“What I’m trying to do is start up businesses,” Thomas said. “I set them up and let someone else run it. I think it will be a great place for people.”
Thomas said one great thing about the space is there’s enough for about 10 businesses, which could create about 40 new jobs for the area.
He said his ideas are just his ideas and he welcomes people to come in with any and all ideas for the spaces. He said there’s plenty of traffic in the area and the property overlooks the Pacolet River, so he sees lots of potential for retail spaces there.
The Town of Tryon, which zones the area in its township, has already rezoned the property to be able to have retail services there. Thomas said he has a lot of cleaning and other work to do, such as removing large tanks and a metal building to make room for parking, but he thinks it can be ready sometime this year.
The property includes 4.58 acres and was purchased for $45,000, according to the Polk County Register of Deeds’ excise tax of $90.
The building formerly housed a dye plant, which closed down in 2008. The plant was originally constructed as a hosiery mill in the late 1800s.