SUMTER, S.C. — As the City of Sumter continues to evolve, Alderman's drug store is one of the pieces that remains.
Chris Alderman is a third generation owner of the family business.
"We've been here since 1950," Alderman said. "As a kid, when I was about eight-years-old, I lived about a mile away from here and I'd ride my bicycle down and deliver packages and that's back when most of the town was within a square mile of this store."
Since then, the area has grown with new stores, a hotel and now even a brewery.
Jeff Derwort with the city says they're only scratching the surface of what's to come. Their new 2040 comprehensive plan, mandated by the state, outlines plans for the future ahead.
"We've laid out some primary goals, one of them is to, of course, protect one of our biggest community partners and that's Shaw Air Force Base," Derwort said. "We're always looking to revitalize and improve the downtown area and have well established residential areas that improve the quality of life for Sumter."
The plan also includes recommendations for changes to traffic flow, including intersection improvements for safety.
"So, this will set the framework for those plans and then we have some work to do as far as more refined, specific neighborhood, small-area type plans," Derwort said.
Although the area is changing, Alderman says he's happy to be a part of the growth.
"I'm glad to be a part of this dynamic, ever-changing downtown.... It's really come back, but it's got a lot of the same things that it had back in the day," Alderman said.
To view the full 2040 plan visit the city of Sumter's website.