By Mark Cowling | Pinal Central
FLORENCE — Florence’s most notable economic development achievements in the past year involved saving the old and welcoming the brand-new.
The town committed $250,000 to correct code violations in aging downtown buildings, while elsewhere in the original townsite, new houses sprang up on long-vacant lots.
“We have this historic area, and it is expensive to come in and get a certificate of occupancy under current codes with very old buildings,” Town Manager Brent Billingsley said in a year-end interview. “And people needed help to be able to make those investments and make our downtown vibrant.”
