Charleston has begun a beautification project on the Square in hopes of making the downtown area look more presentable to residents and visitors.

“We are going to replace old and worn-out benches, trash cans and bike racks and replace them with some that are indestructible and add to the theme of the city,” said Alan Probst, Charleston city manager.

The idea of beautifying the Square began several years ago, said Scott Smith, Charleston director of parks and recreation.

“We (City Council) were at a work retreat when the idea was presented to former city manager Bill Riebe,” Smith said. “I was then directed to find manufacturers that sold benches and trash cans.”

The current benches on the Square are not good for commercial use, Probst said.

“These benches we have right now are the kind that people buy for their porches and yards,” Probst said. “The Square needs some benches that will last and are more suitable for public use.”

Smith traveled to several nearby towns to look at their downtown areas to get an idea of how Charleston should look. After searching, Smith decided on a manufacturer, Victor Stanley.

“The manufacturing company had what we were looking for,” Smith said. “They make benches and trash cans that have a Victorian-like style.”

The beautification project will be broken into several phases, beginning with the replacement of the benches, followed by trash cans and bike racks.

“We would like to see everything finished within about two or three years,” Smith said. “We hope to have the benches ready after Thanksgiving.”

The cost of the first phase is about $15,000, which will come out of a tax increment financing, or TIF.

“The TIF is a method at which a portion of money is taken out of tax dollars and goes towards specific things,” Probst said. “That way, money does not have to be taken from other revenues.”

Probst also hopes the project will get residents and students to visit the Square more.

“A long time ago, everyone came to the Square to shop for groceries and mingle,” Probst said. “The town has evolved, and the Square mostly consists of specialty shops. To keep these shops in business, the downtown area must look appealing. If it looks terrible, people will not visit as much or they’ll just do their business and go.”

Smith said the beautification project will be a good way to bring in new business.

“Something like this is great for parents to want to find a nice atmosphere for their children to go to school,” Smith said. “If a parent visits a nice-looking campus that’s surrounded by a terrible-looking city, they’ll probably feel that the city doesn’t care about the students. The city also has a responsibility of making a good impression.”