Wish List for Spartanburg 2015

[roads-scholar]

Now that the recession has ended its time to wish for bigger things.

 

1. A new hotel development announcement downtown.
2. A new announcement regarding the Montgomery Building.
3. Work to begin on "de-serpentining" and straightening East Main Street between Church and Converse.   
4. Work to begin on the Downtown Airport runway.
5. A "destination" retailer to set up shop downtown to complement the specialty retailers who have opened in the last couple of years.
6. Another quality residential development downtown.
7. A quality development (hotel, retail, office) to enhance one of the one of the city's prime gateways - Pine and Main.
8. Spin-off development (retail, residential) from the Toray factory off US-221 and SC-290.
9. A development announcement for Renaissance Park - hotel, residential, retail, office.

[gman430]

Two Krispy Kreme doughnut shops directly across the street from each other. Oh wait...

[westsider28]

Thanks for the contribution, gman430...

 

Anyway, I like all those items on your wishlist, roads-scholar.  I've got some of the same things, but also some others.  Here's my list:

 

1. Renovation of Montgomery Building (Please!!!)
2. New DT hotel announcement
3. Construction gets underway on DT Rail Trail extension
4. More high-paying, white-collar jobs for DT
5. Renovation of at least one large, historic E Main building (Kress, Montgomery Ward, Bishop Furniture)
6. New restaurants/retail near retooled Wall Street (and on Magnolia St)
7. Sale of Oakview Apts on Northside to NDG at reasonable price
8. New DT apartment building announcement
9. Hub City Co-op reaches funding goal and begins renovation of their building
10.Cleveland Park renovation gets underway

 

I feel like my list is still a bit conservative, but I guess I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.  Bigger cities are really seeing a huge wave of urban development right now, so I hope we can catch some of that, too.  So far it seems like we've seen less action this "cycle" than the last (early 2000s), at least when it comes to new construction.  This cycle has been big on renovations so far; not that there's anything wrong with that.  And it should lead to new construction once the existing buildings are filled.

 

Anyway, I hope 2015 is the year Spartanburg really takes off.

[spartanburgh]

Westsider, I am pretty sure you will get numbers 2,3,5(Bishop Furniture), ,9 and 10. I would add to the list:

- A major annexation ie Drayton Mill etc.

- A new build/lease for Lockwood Greene Downtown by GDJ etc

- New arena passes feasibility and on to planning

- Montgomery Building renovation starts

-New condo's building announcement instead of apartments

-City/County study joint municipal complex and onto planning

-QS 1 plans for new monumental office building

- Security Finance plans to move back downtown in monumental office building.

[Spartan]

• New apartments announced downtown (I think apartments is a more realistic way to get people interesting in the idea of living downtown again)
• Downtown hotel proposal

• A renewed focus on the area around the Denny's tower.
  • The Library Commons should convert to apartments for a few years and
  • Activate those retail spots on the ground floor
  • Tons of retail space in the Broadwalk building that is severely under utilized
  • Develop more plans for the rennovation of Denny's Plaza
• Montgomery Building renovation and plan for reuse of the building finalized (preferably office space, and ideally one or two large tenants 
• Movement on the East Main Road Diet (I'm still holding out for this one!)
• Progress on Renaissance Park (as a side note, I think that a great alternate purpose for this land is to convert it into a massively expanded Barnet Park. It could function as the central park of Spartanburg.)

[westsider28]

Spartan, with Paisley Paw and an antique shop now on the ground-floor of the Library Commons, there's only one small space remaining.  As for Broadwalk, it appears that retail is not a focus, but it has been filling up.  I believe Meeting Street Academy takes up most of the east wing (they are expanding each year).  The GHS Pediatric Health Center now occupies most (all?) of the second floor of the west wing, and there's a construction company office on the first floor.  That only leaves the west corner spot as a possibility for retail.

 

Spartanburgh, good to hear the Bishop Furniture building could potentially be renovated! That building would be great for apartments on the upper floors, and maybe split up the ground-floor and basement to accommodate multiple tenants. Maybe we can finally get a restaurant up there on E Main?  That would help retailers in the area with additional foot traffic.

[Spartan]

The East Main phenomenon is really amazing to me. It really seems like the momentum within downtown right now is to the west side of the Square. If you think about the rumored hotel project, the West Main road diet, the Wall St area, the Grain District, etc. it really feels like everything is happening over there. However, the blocks between Converse St and Church St are some of the most historic and unique blocks of buildings we have in Spartanburg, and I always thought those would be the first to fill up after Morgan Square. 

 

I've always thought that a place along the lines Willy Taco in downtown would be a huge draw - somewhere with great food and drinks that makes it worth the slightly inconvenient parking situation.

[Historyguy]

I just saw these posts from late 2014 and just thought I'd mention how many of them have come to fruition in less than 2 years.  Some of you guys are prophets!  

I mean, on Roads-Scholar's list, 1, 2, 3, 4 have basically happened and 6 is under development.  And in addition, Westsider's 6,7, and 9 on top of the ones he echoed from the first list, seem to be underway and I think 5 will happen, too...  I know we're all frustrated about the slow pace of the Rail Trail extension.  

 

 

[sptgguy]

Here is my wishlist for Spartanburg now....

1) A signature draw for Spartaburg (maybe a revamped and extended park in downtown, or more pocket parks)

2) Redevelop W. Main to John B. White

3) Increase the number of people living "down town" by developing affordable apartments/condos/town homes

4) Continue to ramp up the public art. 

5) Spur the development of building in downtown

*** Id love to see Spartanburg strike a happy medium between Asheville and Greenville***

 

[roads-scholar]

I think 2-3-4-5 are ongoing objectives and will happen. 

[sptgguy]

Totally agree, just wish it would happen at a faster pace. 

[Sparkleman]

Another major white collar employer such as QS1 would really move things into high gear.

[westsider28]

Agreed, Sparkleman.  Along those lines, there are some good things said in a recent Colliers office market report. 

"The Colliers report noted that new investment in the urban market of Spartanburg, along with lower office space costs compared to Greenville, 'makes the submarket an increasingly attractive alternative for employers in the region.'"

[mainonmain]

Downtown residential units might more than double in the next two years. 

[spartanburgh]

Here's what I know.

Royce Camp's building on the corner of W Main and Daniel Morgan is underway                 30 units

Bishop Furniture will start the first quarter of 2017, also adding two floors to the building      45 units

The Montgomery Building, Hopefully first quarter of 2017                                                       72 units

Florida developer looking at renaissance park                                                                       200 units

Total                                                                                                                                        347

[Spartan]

Wow, how will they fit 45 units into the Bishop Furniture building? 

[spartanburgh]

By adding 2 floors, for a total of 6 stories

[westsider28]

Does that mean ground floor units (& maybe basement units) and no retail?  I hope not, that part of East Main really needs more restaurant/retail to liven up the area.  (of course, residential will help, too)

[mainonmain]

Will include both ground-floor and basement restaurant/retail. 45-46 residential units on floors 2-5/6.