Because Pine Street is also SC Highway 9, SCDOT owns that road. As a result, the State could buy the parcels on the northeast and southeast corners and the intersections could be widened. At first that sounds like a bad idea- making the distance that people have to walk to get across the intersection even longer. However, a slight widening would give you the ability to create a needed, dedicated left turn lane for southbound traffic and install a large, planted median which would allow for pedestrian refuge and actually improve that area for pedestrians. By breaking up a wide intersection in to smaller chunks, it can actually be quite comfortable for pedestrians to negotiate an intersection.

For all these reasons, the best thing that could happen to this area is for the City to somehow acquire some of these properties, tear down the motel between E. Main and St. John, realign that segment of Pine Street to take out the bend (run it through where the motel is now), and use the space freed up where Pine is now for improved parking and access for the strip mall, Fed Ex, Chamber of Commerce, or some new development. Wishful thinking, I know!

I'm sure this is just a misrepresentation, but aren't the parking spaces at the rear of the site going the wrong direction? The others seem to suggest one-way traffic and then the rear spaces suggest one-way traffic in the other direction. Odd.

Also, is Howard Street one way? If not, then those parking spaces are also angled the wrong direction... who is their site planner? No matter what stage in the design process you're in, those kind of details should always be correct.

Otherwise, the project looks really neat!

I'd like to see it become something other than an 'upscale' restaurant. That location has proven to be unsuccessful over the years for that type of place. I'd like to see whatever it is embrace the "bank" theme somehow.

Wanted to post an update on the Northside Healthy Food Hub. As reported by the Spartanburg Spark in this article, it's going to be discussed at the City Council meeting this evening (city funding and whatnot). Here's a picture of the site plan:

I'm really excited about this project. It's also cool that they're adding on-street parking to Howard Street.

For all these reasons, the best thing that could happen to this area is for the City to somehow acquire some of these properties, tear down the motel between E. Main and St. John, realign that segment of Pine Street to take out the bend (run it through where the motel is now), and use the space freed up where Pine is now for improved parking and access for the strip mall, Fed Ex, Chamber of Commerce, or some new development. Wishful thinking, I know!

Several obstacles inhibit redevelopment of these motels:

• The property footprint for each of these motels does not bode well for quality redevelopment. A developer may have to purchase adjacent properties in order to ensure an acceptable return on investment. The City of Spartanburg would probably need to get involved with incentives to assist a developer.
  
• These properties are probably mortgaged to the hilt meaning that the asking price is higher than most developers are willing to pay, at least in a soft commercial real estate market.
  
• A couple of these properties, while highly visible, lack good street access.
  
• The geometry of the Pine / E. Main intersection is poor and further complicates access.