4 replies to this topic

[roads-scholar]

My wish list for 2011 was modest but overall I'm happy with what happened in terms of development and economic progress in Spartanburg.  Just to recap:

• VCOM opened and has been a positive influence on downtown and our community as a whole.
  
• The downtown dining scene is improving with the opening of Cribb's Kitchen, the Spice of Life, and the soon to be opening of a restaurant in the Hub Bub building.
  
• The suburban restaurant scene, too, is improving with several new openings at Westgate and elsewhere.
  
• The downtown airport's terminal building was magnificently renovated and reopened in mid November.
  
• Virginia College, a for-profit institution, opened after renovating a long shuttered furniture store on Highway 29.
  
• Westgate Village, an eyestore with the closing of Circuit City, was renovated and now is fully occupied.
  
• Quick Trip's attractive new stores on West Main (replacing an abandoned car dealership) and at Hearon Circle (replacing the old Dairy Bar).
  
• The Meeting Street School announcement for Broadwalk.
  
• The Amazon announcement.

A negative for some, but not for me, was losing Extended Stay Hotels.  I didn't think they were a good corporate citizen and very happy they're off to Charlotte.  Good riddance!

So my wish list for 2012, while still relatively modest, is the following:

• Monsoon Noodle House (one of my favorite downtown restaurants) remains shuttered.  I hope that whatever is holding up it's post fire renovation and reopening gets resolved quickly.
  
• A major tenant is announced for the former ESA building downtown.
  
• The developer and owner of the Montgomery Building makes a decision on this iconic structure's future.
  
• More job announcements.  The county's unemployment rate still remains too high.
  
• A restaurant replacement for the Cornbread and Caviar building on Morgan Square.
  
• More of something to add vibrancy to East Main between Church Street and Converse Street.

Edited by roads-scholar, 16 December 2011 - 03:09 PM.

[spartanburgh]

My 2012 would include:
1 New housing downtown in addition to the old Oakman Building
2 A sizable annexation
3 The Montgomery Building or the Schyler Building redevelopment underway
4 The demolition of one or more hotels at the intersection of Pine and Main
5 Monsoon reopens
6 The City and County start talks of a new consolidated City Hall/ County Administration building behind Marriott or around the perrimeter of Downtown
7 A large white collar job anouncment downtown
8 A new development on Main between Daniel Morgan and Pine St.

[drexel]

I agree and would add:

1 Good Downtown Mexican restaurant
2.New hotel downtown, like a Holiday Inn Express. Could replace one of the dive motels at Pine and Main.
3.More music acts at the Memorial Auditorium and Barnett Park.

[westsider28]

Lots of good stuff mentioned.  Here's my list:

1. More white-collar jobs / fill former ESA building
2. A commitment to, and plans for, greenways (Cottonwood to Glendale, etc.)
3. Open Hub City Co-Op grocery store downtown
4. More restaurants & retail downtown
5. New urban apartment building(s) downtown
6. Road diets (E Main, W Main, etc.)
7. Finish new YMCA
8. Annexation / expand city limits
9. New mixed-use building at Renaissance Park
10. Carolina Ale House downtown

The main things I want to see are jobs (with an emphasis on white-collar, knowledge-based jobs), and new construction downtown (urban apartments).  The urban apartment market is booming all over the nation; I'd like to see some of that development here.

[Spartan]

My 2011 list. 3/10 isn't bad I guess. THE biggest thing that happened in 2011 is the adoption of the urban code. Eventually this will be a true transformative force for Spartanburg as it will impact all new projects that come into the city.

Spartan, on 05 January 2011 - 11:50 AM, said:

• East Main St Road Diet
  
• Urban Code & Downtown Master Plan adopted by City Council
  
• Spartanburg County Comprehensive Plan starts up again
  
• Spartanburg County adopts zoning ordinance
  
• More shops and restaurants downtown (especially Main St, east of the Square)
  
• Progress with building the "Grain District" concept
  
• Revival of the "Eastern Gateway" project
  
• Noteworthy progress on the Renaissance Park Urban Village
  
• Annexation of Hillbrook properties (and any other significant annexations)
  
• New employers to fill up the empty office buildings in downtown

My 2012 list:

• Spartanburg County Comprehensive Plan starts up again
  
• Spartanburg County moves towards a zoning ordinance
  
• East Main St Road Diet
  
• Noteworthy progress on the Renaissance Park Urban Village
  
• New employers to fill up the empty office buildings in downtown
  
• 
  Revival of the "Eastern Gateway" project
  
• Discussion of city's park system and how to improve it
  
• Initiation of a new development that will illustrate how the urban code works
  
• Resolution of the annexation issues from the past year
  
• Growth of middle class in the city