Some $5.1 million in revenue bonds will be used for improvements to Pembroke’s historic Tos Theater after Bryan County Commissioners signed off on the Public Facility Authority’s issuance of the bonds earlier this month.
The funds will also be used for a pocket park as well as for additional parking.
Pembroke City Administrator Chris Benson said the bonds will come in the form of a direct loan from Tennessee-based Pinnacle Bank, at 3.9 percent interest. It will be repaid using proceeds from Pembroke’s portion of Special Local Option Sales Taxes, or SPLOST.
While plans for improvements to the Tos Theater have been in various stages of development for nearly two decades, construction on improvements got underway earlier this year. Plans for a pocket park and more parking are in the early stages of design, according to Benson.
The park and additional parking will be on Church Street from Highway 280 to Anderson Lane, and wrap around the rear of three businesses on Church. The timeline for completion of the project is in 2027, officials say.
Meanwhile, the historic theater was long a focal point of downtown Pembroke. Built in 1938 by S.G. Tos, it showed movies until it closed in the 1970s. The structure was used as a carpet warehouse in the 1980s and 1990s.
Pembroke bought the Tos in 2001 for $50,000, and by 2011 had plans to turn the space into a multi-purpose center. Current plans include renovating the theater for both movies and live theater, along with a formal concession area, warming area, green room and loading area.
In other news:
The bond approval for Pembroke wasn’t the only such item on the County Commission’s agenda at its March 10 meeting.
Commissioners also approved $30 million in bonds for Bryan County Schools for various capital projects. The bonds won't be paid back by the school system’s share of proceeds from Hyundai’s current payments in lieu of taxes, which began in 2023. Hyundai is set to pay local governments in the four-county Savannah Harbor-I-16 some $357 million in such payments over a 26-year period.
Commissioners also approved an amendment to its service delivery strategy with Pembroke which will enable the city to carry out revitalization efforts within the city limits without requiring the county to provide funding, according to County Attorney Aaron Kappler.
The Commission also approved a resolution which will provide transportation impact fee credits to developers who give either real property or provide improvements related to transportation projects covered by the county’s ordinance.
Also during their March 10 meeting, Commissioners approved amending a contract with Genesys Health Alliance to provide medical care for detainees and inmates at the Bryan County Detention Center. The contract has been in place since 2012 but was updated in 2025. The 2026 contract is $92,572.
County Commissioners also approved on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department a series of four five-year tower leases with Pembroke Telephone Company. The cost is $32,724 annually, with a 10 percent increase after each five-year period.
Commissioners approved the return of a leased 2021 motor grader to lease a 2025 motor grader from Yancey Caterpillar for $62,185 annually for five years, with an option to buy.
The Board also entered into an intergovernmental agreement with Bryan County Schools to conduct its ESPLOST special election in May.
Commissioners awarded a contract to StempleCrites, LLC, to provide audit and appraisal services “related to the review of personal valuations and exemptions reported by a large-scale industrial/manufacturing company,” according to the county. The cost of the contract is hourly and is expected to cost between $60,000 to $70,000, Assistant County Administrator Kathryn Downs said.
The Commission also appointed Michael Saparito to the Bryan County Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment. Saparito replaces Kevin Bowes, who resigned after winning a seat on Richmond Hill City Council.