Merrill Gardens Senior Housing on Academy

[vicupstate]

Assisted Living

[GvilleSC]

The best thing about this project is the Academy Street façade. Otherwise, I hate the site layout and surface parking. I'll be interested to see what the DRB has to say.  Some of the elevations are boring.

Edited February 20, 2019 by GvilleSC

[gman430]

I usually don’t root for the DRB to deny projects but in this case I am. This site deserves better. Much better. The parking lot has gotta go. Needs a garage in the middle just like 400 Rhett has instead. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by gman430

[distortedlogic]

NO! Just... no! This is exactly like a dozen other of the projects we've seen go up; lazy, boxy, boring, midsize, modern... junk. Come on DRB, just say no. This site is way too prominent for this. Please come up with something better. How about something with varying number of floors and a roofline? How about a more traditional look? How about... not this?!

Edited February 21, 2019 by distortedlogic

[gman430]

2 hours ago, distortedlogic said:

NO! Just... no! This is exactly like a dozen other of the projects we've seen go up; lazy, boxy, boring, midsize, modern... junk. Come on DRB, just say no. This site is way too prominent for this. Please come up with something better. How about something with varying number of floors and a roofline? How about a more traditional look? How about... not this?!

Sometimes I wonder if these developers even have half a brain before proposing these projects downtown. This is downtown Greenville not the middle of suburbia in Simpsonville. This developer in particular could learn a thing or two from the one proposing the mixed use development at Rhett and Wardlaw which is how it should be done. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by gman430

[Danmire]

Interesting that the Architect is form Seattle Washington

[cabelagent]

6 hours ago, Danmire said:

Interesting that the Architect is form Seattle Washington

 

16 hours ago, gman430 said:

Sometimes I wonder if these developers even have half a brain before proposing these projects downtown. This is downtown Greenville not the middle of suburbia in Simpsonville. This developer in particular could learn a thing or two from the one proposing the mixed use development at Rhett and Wardlaw which is how it should be done. 

A large assisted living development downtown?....perhaps down the road on another site.

[SCphil]

Yawn. I agree - this site is somewhat of a gateway to downtown Greenville and the site deserves much better. I would hate to see a surface lot flank Academy.  There’s enough of those along this street that honestly need to disappear if Academy is ever to feel friendly to a pedestrian. I’m glad they’re proposing brick, but that seems to be the only positive.  Back to the drawing board, please. 

[PuppiesandKittens]

On 2/20/2019 at 11:50 PM, distortedlogic said:

NO! Just... no! This is exactly like a dozen other of the projects we've seen go up; lazy, boxy, boring, midsize, modern... junk. Come on DRB, just say no. This site is way too prominent for this. Please come up with something better. How about something with varying number of floors and a roofline? How about a more traditional look? How about... not this?!

Agreed.

The only redeeming quality of these "2010 box" developments is that they're better than 1960s/1970s apartment complexes.

How hard is it to build even something simple like Federalist architecture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_architecture

It's not, and it's very timeless.

Edited February 24, 2019 by PuppiesandKittens

[Exile]

I don't have much knowledge of assisted living, but my mother is in one, and my father-in-law is in another, and all the facilities I'm aware of have a fair amount to a lot of surface parking. Maybe this is because they've got quasi-hospital properties that require it?? If so, then I would second Cabelagent...

On 2/21/2019 at 6:12 PM, cabelagent said:

 

A large assisted living development downtown?....perhaps down the road on another site.

 

[GvilleSC]

We know it can be done, and designed well. See the senior living proposal for Buncombe at Butler on the other end of downtown (no surface parking). 

[gman430]

DRB recommends approval: https://www.greenvillesc.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/6069?fileID=25705

[vicupstate]

Approved by DRB. Two conditions added. One involves ROW on Payne which is in conflict with Westgate on Wardlaw. Second is adding low wall to add shielding between Academy and the parking lot. The grade of much of the surface lot is below Academy. The lowest point by 12 feet. It gradually meets Academy at the Wardlaw intersection.

[gman430]

Any updates on this project? 

[vicupstate]

On 7/28/2019 at 10:39 PM, gman430 said:

Any updates on this project? 

This is still in the works. 

[gman430]

On 7/31/2019 at 12:55 PM, vicupstate said:

This is still in the works. 

Any word on construction timeline? 

[vicupstate]

12 hours ago, gman430 said:

Any word on construction timeline? 

Nothing specific but still in permitting stage. 

[gman430]

This project appears to be dead. 

Edited October 25, 2019 by gman430

[distortedlogic]

1 hour ago, gman430 said:

This project is dead.

Meh, no biggie, wait for something better.

[btoy]

9 hours ago, gman430 said:

This project appears to be dead. 

Or you know maybe they are completing the architecture?  I do not know if that is the case here, but usually they only have a small portion done when they go to planning for approval, then it can takes months after approval to complete drawings and construction documents needed to submit for permits.

[vicupstate]

^^ and permits alone can take months. Merrill is building a project in Columbia and I believe is nearly finished. Perhaps that will help the progress here. 

[ausrutherford]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:20 AM, vicupstate said:

^^ and permits alone can take months. Merrill is building a project in Columbia and I believe is nearly finished. Perhaps that will help the progress here. 

They are also under construction in Mount Pleasant as well. 

[distortedlogic]

Neither one of the links on this page working for me.

[gman430]

Still dead. 

[apaladin]

Crickets