70 replies to this topic

[hub-city]

Is college town about to add another member?  The Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine plans to locate it's first branch in Spartanburg.  It will be a 4 year post graduate medical program.  They had planned on doing this in Charlotte, but SRMC and and the city convinced them to come here.  Don't know if they will build or buy an existing business.  If they buy somehting that Wofford or SRMC already owns then that won't take a parcel off the tax base.  Either way it will be great to have some more professional jobs and students downtown.

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[hub-city]

The Spartan Mills site may soon be a medical campus.  A Virginia based college has proposed putting a 4 year post graduate school on the site with 65,000 square ft plus parking and landscaping.  We've talked about this school before, but they never mentioned a site.  They are also considering the North Grove medical park.


SCHOOL

[Spartan]

Wow, thats good news either way, but the Mill site would be fantastic.

[hub-city]

There is another article in today's HJ about the medical school coming to Spartanburg.  It discusses how the SRHS CEO convinced them to give Spartanburg a look after they had chosen Charlotte.  It also give a peek at what the school would/could look like.  



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[Spartan]

Wow, you can really see the Blacksburg, VA connection there. That's a very attractive neo-gothic looking building.

It's also good to see that it was pulled away from Charlotte. If they moved here, it would go in unnoticed and probably in some boring suburban office park type campus. I hope they are able to convince them to build this thing on the Spartan Mills site or somewhere between Wofford and Regional along Church Street. It would be a huge waste if they locate in the suburbs.

[Sparkleman]

I read the article in the SHJ and by the way it is written, it appears that the college has decided on Spartanburg as its destination but has not nailed down the site on which to build. It sounds like Charlotte and anywhere else are out. Is it just me that thinks this or am I reading something in that is not there?

[hub-city]

I feel like it is a done deal about coming to Spartanburg, but they are still deciding between the Spartan Mills site or one at the North Grove medical center.  While I prefer the downtown site, either one is going to be great for our area.

Edited by hub-city, 24 January 2010 - 01:52 PM.

[Spartan]

Yeah it reads like Spartanburg is official. I'm betting VCOM wants to do a suburban campus and the Chamber and City people are trying to get them to use the Spartan Mills site... thus the indecision on the site.

[hub-city]

This is for discussion only, because I'm in favor of the Spartan Mills site...

Is it better to have a blighted piece of land (Spartan Mills) that is on the tax rolls, or the new school (100 white collar jobs and 100 students) which I would assume would be tax-exempt?  Of course you could give the new school enough room for some expansion, but the divide the rest of the land hoping for other development.

Thoughts?

[Sparkleman]

I am in favor of the Spartan Mills site also because of the help to the tax base, its closer locale to Spartanburg Regional and to downtown. The bad thing is it will back up to a not so good neighborhood that will take years for property values to increase if they ever do.

If they choose North Grove, they are close to the interstate which is good for students & close to restaurants as Boiling Springs continues to spread.

Either way its a win/win for Spartanburg. I just hope they choose downtown.

[roads-scholar]

The Spartan Mills neighborhood, if you overlook some of the blight, has some solid well-built housing stock.  Potentially this neighborhood could be gentrified.  Its within walking and biking distance from downtown, close to Wofford, and SRMC, and reasonably close to just about everything else in town.

I'm always in favor of redeveloping brownfield sites over suburban sites.  Therefore, I would prefer if VCOM located their campus in this neighborhood.  However, if they choose is the North Grove site I'd be delighted too.

[spartanburgh]

The Spartan site would be preferable to North Grove, but what about the beaumont site that already has some SRMC offices and a beautiful mill that has been restored and sits nearly empty? What about the site between "The George" and the Montgomery building? That new building would really look nice and compliment "The George". I'm just glad they chose Spartanburg and Its a win anywhere they choose to locate in our city.

[Sparkleman]

I am sure that the Spartan Mill site has a better price tag on it vs downtown by "The George" or the Beaumont area whether they are leasing or buying.

[Spartan]

We don't know how large that building actually is, and whether or not VCOM wants expansion room. Spartan Mill would offer more flexibility all around as compared to a site in or on Renaissance Park ( for which I am still hoping for a New Urban village). Plus filling that void would be a major boon for the City and that neighborhood.

[hub-city]

Wasn't the public meeting supposed to be last night?  Has anyone heard how it went?

[Spartan]

I've added VCOM to the project database for Spartanburg: http://www.urbanplan...t_db?record=158

All members are able to help keep this up to date!  

[westsider28]

Good news, everyone! VCOM is locating at the Spartan Mills site!

There is an ad in today's Spartanburg Journal inviting the public to a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on February 25, 2010 at 350 Howard St. The ad says the VCOM campus will open in Fall 2011.

http://www.vcom.vt.e...ndbreaking.html

Edited by westsider28, 19 February 2010 - 08:07 PM.

[hub-city]

this is an awesome development.  I really hope that spurs more life in that area.  I would love to see the master plan for the whole site.

[Spartan]

Wow, that's great news!! Major score for Spartanburg  

[travey]

Spartan, on 19 February 2010 - 10:37 PM, said:

Wow, that's great news!! Major score for Spartanburg  

Heck yeah, that will turn it around and another college!  Medical campus!~  Anybody gonna start buying houses over there?  It could be the next Hampton Heights!