Greenville Journal contents

[csedwards72]

Wow- new anchors at Greenville Mall? I'd really be interested in any bits of knowledge about this!

[GSP Tiger]

Before anything goes into Montgomery Ward, I wish someone would put up turn signals at that mall entrance in front of Nutrica. There's too much oncoming traffic there which makes it impossible to turn. I have to go up to The Shops @ Greenville Mall enterance to park near the mall.

[motonenterprises]

I told you Greenville Mall wasn't going to die.

[csedwards72]

I told you Greenville Mall wasn't going to die.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is already featured on deadmalls.com!

I'm glad. What are the new anchors? Hopefully something in line with the mall's upscale past.

[motonenterprises]

It is already featured on deadmalls.com!

I'm glad.  What are the new anchors?  Hopefully something in line with the mall's upscale past.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While this is true, deadmalls.com is just a website and doesn't control any of these malls. I am not sure who the anchors are, but I am definetly glad to hear this news.

[Spartan]

deadmalls works mostly on submissions from what I can tell.

Lets wait and see what the anchors are before we say its not dead.

[gs3]

Still think Greenville Mall should be leveled and this prime piece of property redeveloped in a new urbanist town center style with shopping, hotel, living.

Malls are dying around the country. Unless the mall is a large regional mall (ie: Haywood), malls don't seem to have much life left. If the new anchors are some cheesy, low rent anchors, then I say kill Greenville Mall and use the property for something spectacular.

[RestedTraveler]

Or...

And this is just a crazy idea, I know...

Raize the Greenville Mall and re-build it from the ground up - bigger, newer, and better than ever. Two stories, maybe even three with a very rustic decor inside to reflect the surrounding area. There'd have to be a large parking deck, of course - this could perhaps be the first floor even...build the mall on top of it.

Then, replace Haywood Mall with an Urbanist Town Center or another Lifestyle type shopping center.

Kinda outlandish, especially considering the rennovations going on at Haywood Mall now, I know.

[csedwards72]

Apparently the lifestyle center at Greenville Mall idea was considered; Southeast Real Estate Business has an article on this as well:

http://www.dmra.biz/cs_greenvilletc.html

Who knows why it didn't make it into the execution phase; G'ville Mall could have avoided deadmalls.com fame if it had. Maybe that description of "abandoned" department stores and a "futile" attempt to compete with Haywood scared off other investors?

[motonenterprises]

Both ideas are nice. I just hate to think of an area as big as Greenville only having one mall.

[Spartan]

Both ideas are nice. I just hate to think of an area as big as Greenville only having one mall.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Greenville does need more than one- just not so close together. Its bordering on redundancy IMO. Most cities Greenville's size do have more than one shopping area that includes a mall (Columbia, Charleston, etc)

[vicupstate]

This Week...

In TBA:

** Rumor that "what looks like a deserted neighborhood" facing Cherrydale will be bulldozed for a Target

** Plans for a Business Improvement District (BID) are starting to gel. Columbia's example is being looked at.

** Site work has started on a 40-unit townhouse complex next to Sirrine STadium. I assume this is Biltmore Oaks.

** The New York Butcher shop is planning another location.

** Gville Area Dev. Corp and the City may soon have a joint announcement on a major economic dev. deal

** Florida developers have bought buildings around Piazza Bergamo. I'm not sure if this is the already-announced project or not.

** More reports of Fresh Market moving to Woodruff Rd.

Article on office vacancy. Vacancy has dropped from 23.7% to 18.6% since Jan. 1.

DT vacancy is 12.4% overall, with Class A at only 7.1%, down from 8.7 in Jan.

This article refers to a "tower overlooking Bergamo Plaza". What would that be?

Article on Gville Mall, which says negotiations are still underway for Monty Ward and Dilliards space. Article also states that retail sales have grown 11.1 % in Anderson, 29.1% in Spatanburg and fell 21% in Gville over the last 5 years. [Evidently Anderson and Sburg folks are shopping at home more.]

Transportation Board rules that Gville Co. Economic Development Board must pay $37k in lawsuit over the Gville & Northern Suffolk rail line. This is the same line as the Rail to Trail project.

Article on effort to make Gville "hipper"

[goodbye]

Good info, vicupstate! That tower overlooking the Bergamo Plaza may be the BoA tower, or a new one on the Woolworth site. They haven't disclosed anything regarding such a tower, but the Mayor has publicly spoken about a multi-story, mixed-use development for that property. Hmmm... The GADC-City of Greenville announcement sounds exciting! B)

[Greenville]

A Target at Cherrydale would do well. I hope the rumor is true.

What is a business improvement district (BID) and where would ours be? What has Columbia done in this regard?

I wonder what the "major economic development deal" between the GADC and the city? Sounds exciting.

[GSP Tiger]

I wonder which "deserted neighborhood across from Cherrydale" they are speaking of. I would assume the North Pleasantburg side. from State Park to Furman Hall Roads. Having a Target out there would be better than heading up to Traveler Rest's Walmart Supercenter or Berea's Kmart. Speaking of that area, Walgreen's is going up across from Lowe's.

[RestedTraveler]

There's a fairly large empty parcel of land across from Publix on Poinsett Highway near Furman that I would think more ideal for a Target. At least I feel it would be better than demolishing an old neighborhood to build it.

A lot of homes along Poinsett Highway opposite of Lowes have been on the market for the past year or so as well, I suspect in hopes of luring developers.

[vicupstate]

A Target at Cherrydale would do well.  I hope the rumor is true.

What is a business improvement district (BID) and where would ours be?  What has Columbia done in this regard?

I wonder what the "major economic development deal" between the GADC and the city?  Sounds exciting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A business improvement district (BID) is a special tax district. The city would establish boundaries and set a millage rate. These are usually pretty low. All the property within the BID pays the extra millage as part of it's regular tax levy. That money is set aside for the benefit of the BID. The money can be used for marketing, beautification, extra police patrols, just about anything. Usually the lion share goes to pay the staff salaries. These folks provide advocacy, marketing, put on festivals or farmer's markets, etc. Jacksonville has one. There website is www.downtownjacksonville.org. You can browse that and get a better idea.

A BID should not be confused with a TIF, Tax-Increment-Financing district. A TIF simply "freezes" the tax revenues within its' boundaries, and all INCREASES over and above that frozen amount are directed to pay for specific capital improvements (streetscaping, parks, public buildings, etc.). A TIF does not result in a tax increase, it merely re-directs future revenues from the General Fund into paying the bonds for the capital improvements.

TIF funds primarily come from renovations and new construction within the district,plus increases in the property values as the improvements (both public and private) come about. Columbia has a TIF covering it's Congaree Vista which has paid for many projects, including the Colonial Center, Gervais St. streetscaping, Findlay Park and other projects.

[GSP Tiger]

There's a fairly large empty parcel of land across from Publix on Poinsett Highway near Furman that I would think more ideal for a Target.  At least I feel it would be better than demolishing an old neighborhood to build it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I second that idea. Before anything ever goes there, it may be a wise idea to rebuild the Poinsett Highway/Old Buncombe Road interchange. A few years ago, the southbound ramp onto Poinsett Highway was relocated to allow better traffic flow from Duncan Chapel Road because of numerous sporting events at Furman. A traffic signal was installed a few hundred feet away for better access into University Square. That is not quite enough. Old Buncombe Road could use a turn lane, but it should be widened to atleast Sulphur Springs/North Franklin Roads. The bridge needs to be replaced as it is low clearance for major truck traffic. A traffic signal for Poinsett Highway's northbound offramp onto Old Buncombe Road can help especially for getting to the back side of Furman.

Now, if Target builds at Cherrydale, are they also likely building a store at Traveler's Rest Crossing (aka the old Emb-Tex plant)?

[RestedTraveler]

Now, if Target builds at Cherrydale, are they also likely building a store at Traveler's Rest Crossing (aka the old Emb-Tex plant)?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe the site is too small, even with the Ingles/Eckard parcles added to it, so I'm not sure what's going on there. The new T.R. Wal-Mart sure is looking, er, uh, "pretty" (it's relative compared to other Wal-Marts) though. Now if they can just keep it clean and orderly on the inside...

[btoy]

Good info, vicupstate!  That tower overlooking the Bergamo Plaza may be the BoA tower, or a new one on the Woolworth site.  They haven't disclosed anything regarding such a tower, but the Mayor has publicly spoken about a multi-story, mixed-use development for that property.  Hmmm... The GADC-City of Greenville announcement sounds exciting! B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The people at Harold's told me that Greenville Mall is built on a cemetery; they think that Greenville Mall failed because it is cursed.  Go figure, but that poor mall never did well, and Urban Retail Properties completely wasted its investment in it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't forget that at BofA that they are going to tear down the portion of parking garage that is not under the buidling, maybe this new tower will take its place as well as the rest of the parking lot at River and Washington St.

[goodbye]

Don't forget that at BofA that they are going to tear down the portion of parking garage that is not under the buidling, maybe this new tower will take its place as well as the rest of the parking lot at River and Washington St.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had taken that renovation/addition into consideration, but ruled it out as a possible location due to the fact that the developer wants to create a new Washington Street entrance for the Bank of America tower. I can't imagine they would want to incorporate another tower into the same project, but it is possible.

I have also posted regarding the vague nature of the Greenville Journal article HERE.

[btoy]

I had taken that renovation/addition into consideration, but ruled it out as a possible location due to the fact that the developer wants to create a new Washington Street entrance for the Bank of America tower.  I can't imagine they would want to incorporate another tower into the same project, but it is possible.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I made that comment before I read that article. I would rule that site out for the tower. The article says that it will be on main st. and it mentions the mixed use buildings to be be built infront of BofA as a seperate project. I am starting to wonder if this is not part of either Woolworth's or the lot and building between Woolworth's and Plaza at Bergamo.

Another consideration is that the Plaza at Bergamo has been scratched for something larger.

[Greenville]

B of A has stated that they are going to make improvements to their current building, rather than building a new tower, yes? If so, will the exterior look much different or will it still be a "big box?"

[goodbye]

I haven't seen the plans in person, but I believe Brad said he did see a rendering in a newspaper back when it was publicly released?

[btoy]

The rendering I saw had four 4-6 story buildings where the parking lot and garage are now.