Recent Progress in Spartanburg

[Spartan]

I've been thinking about it, and Spartanburg has really been getting its act together lately. I'm not sure when it started exactly, but over the past few years it seems like there has been a lot of progress around the city. Prior to these projects, things felt a little more haphazard and less thought out. It's been 10 years since Morgan Square was redone, and most of these have occurred within the past 2-3 years.

 

Here's a lost of recently completed and current projects underway:

• Northside Redevelopment
• Butterfly Creek restoration
• East Main St Streetscape
• West Main Streetscape
• Magnolia Streetscape
• Wall Street Festival Street
• Rail Trail Extension to Barnet Park
• AC Hotel (and downtown railroad quiet zone)
• USC Upstate Business School
• SCC downtown campus

 

One of the things that the City of Greenville figured out long ago is how to come together to find creative ways to make projects happen. Spartanburg finally seems to have figured it out as well. The projects that the City has been involved in have been much more transformative that they used to be. Any of these projects on their own wouldn't be that significant, but together they create something much cooler.

 

I think that Wall St combined with Magnolia St will help drive a little more activity west in downtown, with the AC Hotel essentially guaranteeing it. I sincerely hope that the East Main project and the mini golf will help move some activity eastward. It still blows my mind that after all these years and positive momentum on Morgan Square that there has been relatively limited progression to the east.

 

I still think that One Morgan Square needs to be changed. The fact that it doesn't have retail on the ground floor is just awful. Georgy needs to find a way to retrofit that building to create more retail space in the heart of our city.

 

So what do you think? Am I off base?

[roads-scholar]

I've been thinking about it, and Spartanburg has really been getting its act together lately. I'm not sure when it started exactly, but over the past few years it seems like there has been a lot of progress around the city. Prior to these projects, things felt a little more haphazard and less thought out. It's been 10 years since Morgan Square was redone, and most of these have occurred within the past 2-3 years.

 

Here's a lost of recently completed and current projects underway:

• Northside Redevelopment
• Butterfly Creek restoration
• East Main St Streetscape
• West Main Streetscape
• Magnolia Streetscape
• Wall Street Festival Street
• Rail Trail Extension to Barnet Park
• AC Hotel (and downtown railroad quiet zone)
• USC Upstate Business School
• SCC downtown campus

 

One of the things that the City of Greenville figured out long ago is how to come together to find creative ways to make projects happen. Spartanburg finally seems to have figured it out as well. The projects that the City has been involved in have been much more transformative that they used to be. Any of these projects on their own wouldn't be that significant, but together they create something much cooler.

 

I think that Wall St combined with Magnolia St will help drive a little more activity west in downtown, with the AC Hotel essentially guaranteeing it. I sincerely hope that the East Main project and the mini golf will help move some activity eastward. It still blows my mind that after all these years and positive momentum on Morgan Square that there has been relatively limited progression to the east.

 

I still think that One Morgan Square needs to be changed. The fact that it doesn't have retail on the ground floor is just awful. Georgy needs to find a way to retrofit that building to create more retail space in the heart of our city.

 

So what do you think? Am I off base?

Agree that things are beginning to sync in Spartanburg now. 

 

Momentum on the Montgomery Building is something I'd love to see.  I'm certain the city is working toward that end but the longer it takes, the more the building deteriorates. Somehow there must be a creative solution!

 

Ground floor retail for OMS?  Probably won't happen.

[hub-city]

I haven't been in OMS but I would love to at least see the center turned into a breezeway between the garage and Morgan Square.  That would connect parking SO much better than having to park and walk around the building.

[westsider28]

I have to agree that the City has been much more focused and effective recently. 

 

Beyond the behind-the-scenes stuff, I think a big positive recently has been the City's branding and public image.  That's something Greenville has always done really well.  Spartanburg feels like a cohesive "place" now, rather than a bunch of random, unrelated pieces.  And the City has been tooting their own horn (so to speak) more, which is important.  Again, Greenville does this well.  A city needs to brag about its successes some.  If they don't believe in themselves, why would anyone else?  People start hearing all these positive things, and momentum builds.  The City is also very active on social media, plus you've got the restaurant wayfinding signs, new parking signs, new-ish logo and website, new parks signage coming soon, and so on.

 

The City also just launched a website (http://seespartanburgrise.com/) highlighting all the major development in the last several years (H-J article).  It's kind of a small thing, but it makes an impact.  People scout out the City online, see the everything that's happening, and want to get in on that (small biz, developers, companies, etc).  Several weeks ago, the City (w/others) hosted a real estate showcase to highlight the potential of downtown (available buildings, etc) to developers and investors from across the Carolinas.  This kind of stuff opens eyes, gets the word out about our city, and I'm sure will lead to real projects.