City Dedicates Edward Kyzer Firehouse Conference Center
In recognition of 20 years of leadership to the City of Newberry, Edward Kyzer was honored with a dedication ceremony at the recently named Edward Kyzer Newberry Firehouse Conference Center.
The ceremony was part of the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours and sponsored by the City of Newberry.
A new plaque is displayed on an interior wall at the entrance of the building and reads: This building is dedicated to Edward Kyzer, Mayor of the City of Newberry (1990-2010). In recognition of his leadership and vision in the renaissance of Newberry, including the opening of the Firehouse Conference Center in 2007.
Mayor Foster Senn said that when Kyzer became mayor in 1990, Newberry, like many southern cities and towns had taken some setbacks. At the time, Senn said two large textile mills in Newberry had closed in the preceding years and downtown Newberry was in the midst of a decline.
“Mayor Kyzer, native of Newberry was determined to turn around Newberry’s origins,” Senn said. “It was at about that time Jim Wiseman had the revolutionary idea to reopen the Newberry Opera House and Kyzer got the city on board with the project, which was instrumental.”
Senn shared that under Kyzer’s leadership, the City of Newberry received an achievement award from the Municipal Association of South Carolina for the economic turnaround of Newberry, as they saluted the progress including new businesses, restaurants and the first Hampton Inn to be located in a downtown outside of a major metropolitan area.
“We still as a community benefit from that work and we’d like to thank Mayor Kyzer and all involved,” Senn said.
When joining City Council in 2006, Senn said one of the first things he learned was that Kyzer had a commitment to renovating and reopening the Firehouse Conference Center building. At the time, the building was just a shell, he said.
“Mayor Kyzer had a vision for this building,” Senn said. “As usual, he brought people together, gathered support and this building opened as a conference center in 2007.”
Since it’s opening, the building has hosted a variety of events from meetings, receptions, weddings seminars and more, Senn said.
“Mayor Kyzer’s vision for the conference center continues to benefit our community today and will for many years in the future,” Senn said.
Senn thanked Kyzer for all he’d done for Newberry and allowing the City of Newberry to dedicate the Firehouse Conference Center in his honor.
Kyzer thanked many for their hard work during his tenure as mayor of Newberry.
For his great influence on getting things started, Kyzer thanked former City Manager Al Harvey. For bringing his knowledge when the city needed more money and ideas for how to push projects forward, he thanked former City Manager Eric Budds.
Kyzer referenced the building of the Newberry Public Safety Complex on Wilson Road, removing offices from the former Newberry Opera House and getting city programs and offices into the current City Hall, the former Newberry Federal building.
“That was first class all the way,” Kyzer said.
When it came to getting the renovations completed at the Firehouse Conference Center, Kyzer thanked former City Manager Jeff Shacker, whom he described as one of the best grant writers in the state.
“He found grants and through those we were able to finance most of this building,” he said of Shacker. “It couldn’t be the Edward Kyzer Newberry Firehouse Conference Center without you.”
Kyzer said today’s city council was one of the finest he had ever seen, apart from the one he’d been privileged to be a part of.
“They were all fighters,” Kyzer said. “Thank you to the present-day city council and the ones in the past.”
Kyzer said he loved Newberry and it kept him going.
The ceremony was part of the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours and sponsored by the City of Newberry.
A new plaque is displayed on an interior wall at the entrance of the building and reads: This building is dedicated to Edward Kyzer, Mayor of the City of Newberry (1990-2010). In recognition of his leadership and vision in the renaissance of Newberry, including the opening of the Firehouse Conference Center in 2007.
Mayor Foster Senn said that when Kyzer became mayor in 1990, Newberry, like many southern cities and towns had taken some setbacks. At the time, Senn said two large textile mills in Newberry had closed in the preceding years and downtown Newberry was in the midst of a decline.
“Mayor Kyzer, native of Newberry was determined to turn around Newberry’s origins,” Senn said. “It was at about that time Jim Wiseman had the revolutionary idea to reopen the Newberry Opera House and Kyzer got the city on board with the project, which was instrumental.”
Senn shared that under Kyzer’s leadership, the City of Newberry received an achievement award from the Municipal Association of South Carolina for the economic turnaround of Newberry, as they saluted the progress including new businesses, restaurants and the first Hampton Inn to be located in a downtown outside of a major metropolitan area.
“We still as a community benefit from that work and we’d like to thank Mayor Kyzer and all involved,” Senn said.
When joining City Council in 2006, Senn said one of the first things he learned was that Kyzer had a commitment to renovating and reopening the Firehouse Conference Center building. At the time, the building was just a shell, he said.
“Mayor Kyzer had a vision for this building,” Senn said. “As usual, he brought people together, gathered support and this building opened as a conference center in 2007.”
Since it’s opening, the building has hosted a variety of events from meetings, receptions, weddings seminars and more, Senn said.
“Mayor Kyzer’s vision for the conference center continues to benefit our community today and will for many years in the future,” Senn said.
Senn thanked Kyzer for all he’d done for Newberry and allowing the City of Newberry to dedicate the Firehouse Conference Center in his honor.
Kyzer thanked many for their hard work during his tenure as mayor of Newberry.
For his great influence on getting things started, Kyzer thanked former City Manager Al Harvey. For bringing his knowledge when the city needed more money and ideas for how to push projects forward, he thanked former City Manager Eric Budds.
Kyzer referenced the building of the Newberry Public Safety Complex on Wilson Road, removing offices from the former Newberry Opera House and getting city programs and offices into the current City Hall, the former Newberry Federal building.
“That was first class all the way,” Kyzer said.
When it came to getting the renovations completed at the Firehouse Conference Center, Kyzer thanked former City Manager Jeff Shacker, whom he described as one of the best grant writers in the state.
“He found grants and through those we were able to finance most of this building,” he said of Shacker. “It couldn’t be the Edward Kyzer Newberry Firehouse Conference Center without you.”
Kyzer said today’s city council was one of the finest he had ever seen, apart from the one he’d been privileged to be a part of.
“They were all fighters,” Kyzer said. “Thank you to the present-day city council and the ones in the past.”
Kyzer said he loved Newberry and it kept him going.
