Greenville Journal contents

[goodbye]

I find it totally incredible that Greer is able to defy the norm in South Carolina city annexation. If the other cities around the state were able to achieve this same kind of success, we'd be looking at much higher populations in the large ones. B)

I have a feeling that I've seen some renderings that might be the West End thing... If it is, then it includes a parking garage and several buildings to be built... Pretty exciting!!!

A parking garage would be a very welcome addition to the West End, as I've others say before.

[gs3]

TBA:

** Expect to see a very unique marketing tool coming out from the CVB in the next few weeks. The "tool" can be used by restaurants and businesses.

** Expect ground breaking next month on Pendleton West Condos/offices

** City leaders are trying to bring Borders books to downtown

** West End is becoming a Women's fashion district. A shoe store is opening on Augusta next to and also across from two women's clothiers.

** Some business leaders are questioning why there is only one access point to the new Shops at Greenridge

** Expect to hear some major changes to the area surrounding the new ballpark in the coming months. There is a lot of interest in the surrounding property including the Gville Transit Authority site.

Article on Falls Park and tourism. Article on proposal to broadcast County Council meetings on Charter.

Channel 4 had a spot on it's 11pm broadcast about a community gathering in opposition to the proposed 13 sq. mile annexation by Greer.

Interesting about Borders. I heard this from a pretty reliable source about a year back, but thought it had fallen through. Would love to have a Borders downtown....two level.....with a huge music section (though I wouldn't want it to hurt earshot)!

[vicupstate]

Interesting about Borders. I heard this from a pretty reliable source about a year back, but thought it had fallen through. Would love to have a Borders downtown....two level.....with a huge music section (though I wouldn't want it to hurt earshot)!

It sounds as if the city is still pursuing them, but It's definitely nothing close to a "done deal". The Woolworth location would be prime for something like that.

[goodbye]

Absolutely! That is fabulous news! I can almost guarantee that a Borders in downtown would become my favorite store in the city. A unique urban design would make it better than any other in town.

[RestedTraveler]

Anybody care to start a Construction Thread for Pendleton West and provide periodic photo updates on the progress?

[hub-city]

Are you sure that Reidville is incorporated? I thought they looked at it, but didn't act. I'm not sure though.

[vicupstate]

Are you sure that Reidville is incorporated? I thought they looked at it, but didn't act. I'm not sure though.

That's what the Greenville News said. It had lost it's charter at one time, but had re-incorporated since.

Adams said the town of Reidville, which has fewer than 500 residents, incorporated a few years ago because it feared losing its identity to Greer.

Reidville, which originally incorporated many years ago, lost its city status in 1975 because it didn't refile for incorporation after the state's Home Rule Act was passed, according to Howard E. Duvall Jr., executive director of the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

It was reinstated as a city in the early 1990s, he said.

here is the full article:

Greer seeks annexation southward

[btoy]

^^ I'm assuming that the "groundbreaking" is for the condo building. Just a guess though.

As for Greer, Reidville is already incorporated. However, it will no doubt receive annexation petitions because of this.

In fact, I think there could be a rush to annex properties by both Greer and Reidville. This has happened many times in the Trident (Charleston) area between adjacent cities. Most likely, the larger property owners will sign up for annexation to Greer to maintain the ability to subdivide/develop their tract. The single family homes that are already in the area will likely annex to Reidville. This might actually have the unintended (from the Sugar Tit residents perspective) consequence of an even larger annexation to Greer. Even if the CPW was not planning to extend sewer lines in the near term, as a property owner (of a large tract) I would want to annex to Greer immediately just to protect my investment and options down the road.

What are your thoughts Brad, since you are in the business and live in the area?

My understanding is that Riedville was incorporated and then let it expire. I remember the paper mentioning that they wanted to try again. It was in an article about Taylors and was about how if Taylors and Riedville didn't act soon it would become harder for them.

One thing to remember, if in the case Riedville is incorporated, is that to be annexed your property line must be adjacent to a parcel already with in the bounderies of the community you are joining. Greer already has boundries within the area being Targeted. This could make it really hard for the small land owners trying to join Riedville.

Also, if you were a large land owner Greer would be more attractive becuase Greer has more power to offer incentives if and when you property is to be developed. And they can offer more services that smaller cities can.

I find it totally incredible that Greer is able to defy the norm in South Carolina city annexation. If the other cities around the state were able to achieve this same kind of success, we'd be looking at much higher populations in the large ones. B)

A parking garage would be a very welcome addition to the West End, as I've others say before.

To use services as a way to tempt land owners to petition annexation you must have something to offer that the land owners don't already have. To use Greenville as an example much of the surrounding areas like the East Side, Taylors, Berea, Dunean, etc. may not be in the city, but long ago special services districts were set up to serve these areas.

Well around Greer their is lots of land that has never been served with all the services, ya, CPW has Gas and Water running to alot of these areas, but not sewer and for sewer you MUST be in the City. So Greer can use this to temp people to annex.

For Greenville to do this they would have to say be offering to upgrade a decaying system, which may be what they are doing in the Boiling Springs area (not the Boiling Springs in Spartanburg, the First Dist. in Greenville).

BTW, there are areas of Greer not in the limits but served by sewer, but that was done many many years ago before this policy was in place.

[vicupstate]

Thanks for the info. Brad, but if you read my post just prior to yours, the Gville News quoted Howard Duvall as saying Reidville re-incorporated in the '90s. I seem to remember that article you are referring to though. I thought they were referring to Boiling Springs (Sburg Co.) and Taylors though, in terms of the new incorporation law.

BTW, the Pendleton West web site has floor plans now. But be warned, they are 5mb each.

www.pendletonwest.com

[vicupstate]

TBA:

** Pavilion on Main developers are waiting on final permits before breaking ground on the DT tower. An official unveiling of the project is scheduled for Oct. 25, but the building is no longer in the running for a Bank of TR branch.

[ I assume this is the Pinnacle on Main building. But what is to unveil? The design was released months ago?]

** A CVS is rumored to be joining an Eckerds and Walgrens already at the Poinsett/Pleasantburg intersection.

** City Council will discuss the future of the B of A tower behind closed doors next week.

** Plantings and a large "Welcome to Greenville" sign akin to the Cherrydale one, will soon appear on the recently completed Pete Hollis Highway.

** The first tenant, a restaurant, for the mixed-use portion of the baseball stadium will be announced in the next few weeks.

** The Stadium developers contend the schedule is on back on track, however costs have escalated in the wake of Katrina.

Article on the city's fight with the 221 North restaurant/bar over zoning violations. It primarily involved a dance floor in the establishment. This is similiar to the Jillian's fiasco of 2001.

Article on Christian Exodus convention, scheduled for next weekend at the Hilton. 100 registered guests so far. The organization has a candidate running for Dorchester County Council.

Article on reduced parking fees for Grrowl games.

At the Oct. 3 city council meeting, the city agreed to accept property on Green Ave. belonging to Ward Stone Jr. and Gower Properties. No word on what the city will do with the property. A Public Hearing

schedule on the new Zoning regs was adopted too.

Dealmakers: 109 N. Main, a three story retail/apartment building with an underground restaurant was recently sold and the owner plans a complete renovation.

[goodbye]

Oh boy! Don't you realize what this one probably is? Remember the name "Pavilion" in news about the Woolworth property recently? I think we're about to have the next addition to a growing and crowded list of major downtown developments. I knew the talk was that it could be a tower, but we'll just have to sit on the edge of our seat and wait eagerly.

[GvilleSC]

*gasp*!!! I'm so excited. this is awesome.... Would this be that talk of the tower towering over the piazza Bergamo? or am I just making that stuff up???

[goodbye]

You know you're right! I thought it would most likely be either the Woolworth location or one between that and the Piazza at Bergamo. This ENTIRE block is going to be unrecognizable once these projects are complete!

[GSP Tiger]

** A CVS is rumored to be joining an Eckerds and Walgrens already at the Poinsett/Pleasantburg intersection.

This is interesting. A CVS exists nearly 1.7 miles away from the Poinsett Highway/Blue Ridge Drive/State Park Road intersection to the State Park/Altamont Roads intersection. It is not unusual for two CVS locations to be near each other; CVS' Pelham Road and Batesville Road/The Parkway locations are about 1.25 miles apart. I see the State Park Road/North Pleasantburg Drive intersection as a viable location.

[NYTransplant]

You know you're right! I thought it would most likely be either the Woolworth location or one between that and the Piazza at Bergamo. This ENTIRE block is going to be unrecognizable once these projects are complete!

Lovin' it!

Speaking of which, is the Young Fashion building still standing?

[gs3]

Oh boy! Don't you realize what this one probably is? Remember the name "Pavilion" in news about the Woolworth property recently? I think we're about to have the next addition to a growing and crowded list of major downtown developments. I knew the talk was that it could be a tower, but we'll just have to sit on the edge of our seat and wait eagerly.

So is this yet another one that is about to be announced? If this on the old Woolworth site, it will be a separate but companion project for Piazza Bergamo? Is that correct?

[btoy]

I think that the article on 221 N. Main is a must read for eerybody here. To me it is kind of troubling. I think that the bars have had alot with driving the downtown renesaince and now the city wants to limit them. They are talking about requiring new bars being a certain distance from exsisting bars.

Also, I always felt a lack of night clubs downtown was holding things back. Now I realize they don't have them down town be design.

Mostly we see them in service districts like around the airport. I was thinking that the old warehouses in the west end would be great locations for nightclubs, but with the rezoning of that area from Service 1 to C-4 CBD that could make it more difficult.

Also, if you read the article in the GSA Business on the west end, they say that part of the rezoning was to keep bars from pooping up around the Stadium.

Now, I don't want downtown to become an Ybour City, but Charleston has night clubs downtown and they don't seem to harm them so what is the big deal?

[gs3]

Questions for my own education here. Does the city make a distinction in zoning for different kinds of bars? I mean there are plenty of "sit and drink" bars and lounges....Tassey's, Blue Martini, Betty Pearls, Addy's, Casbah, etc, etc. Are high energy, dance, nighclubs looked at differently by the city when zoning and issuing permits?

[btoy]

THe way I understand it, and this may be wrong, we should probubly check with the commision in charge of these things. BUt, in SC bars are technically illegal, to serve alcohol you must be able to serve hot meals prepared onsite to 40 patrons at any one time to get you alcohol permit. Or I think you can provide other entertainment, like a pool hall may serve alcohol. I don't have a clue about the regulations for a private club, but I think they can get buy with out serving food.

Anybody know these regulations for sure? I'll have to look that back up when I get the chance.

[vicupstate]

*gasp*!!! I'm so excited. this is awesome.... Would this be that talk of the tower towering over the piazza Bergamo? or am I just making that stuff up???

I think you guys are on the wrong track. The last that was published on Woolworth's, they were having problems getting ownership of the building. If that's the case, they would not be breaking ground this month. It's takes month's to get a building permit, especially with the city's backlog. This must be a typo and they meant Pinnacle on Main.

I don't remember any "tower" over Piazza Bergamo, only the residential/retail project going up on the Young Fashion site.

[gs3]

I think you guys are on the wrong track. The last that was published on Woolworth's, they were having problems getting ownership of the building. If that's the case, they would not be breaking ground this month. It's takes month's to get a building permit, especially with the city's backlog. This must be a typo and they meant Pinnacle on Main.

I don't remember any "tower" over Piazza Bergamo, only the residential/retail project going up on the Young Fashion site.

What is the name of the proposed tower for Main and Broad? The one that is supposed to be 14 storys, built on the vacant lot on the corner across from City Hall and the Greenville News (by Soby's)?

[goodbye]

I think you guys are on the wrong track. The last that was published on Woolworth's, they were having problems getting ownership of the building. If that's the case, they would not be breaking ground this month. It's takes month's to get a building permit, especially with the city's backlog. This must be a typo and they meant Pinnacle on Main.

I don't remember any "tower" over Piazza Bergamo, only the residential/retail project going up on the Young Fashion site.

They have made a curcial mistake in that case. Pavilion Group is the company acquiring the Woolworth property. There was a snipet in an the TBA column a few months ago, stating that there would be a "tower overlooking Piazza Bergamo." We'll have to check this one out to make sure.

[Greenville]

The reference to Pavilion on Main sounds promising. I sure hope it is the rumored tower overlooking Piazza Bergamo. That would be great!

I don't like the idea of zoning for bars downtown. Young people (and many older people as well) don't want to go to a city where there isn't a good selection of nightlife. It would really hold the city back if the powers-that-be get ultra-conservative on us and make it too hard for multiple bars to exist in close proximity to one another.

One thing Greenville really needs to take that next step in terms of nightlife is the addition of a few clubs downtown. I am talking about places that are primarily dance clubs, with perhaps a small bar on one level and a dance floor on another. People like to dance and have fun, and they want to do it in Greenville. Traditional bars are good places to have a drink and chat, but people also want to go out and dance! I have no doubt that a few clubs like this would do great downtown.

[goodbye]

Just look at how successful Tiki Bob's is. I'm not sure what would be so negative, unless it just has to do with them locating on Main Street. They could designate areas a block off of Main if that is a better solution in their minds.

[NYTransplant]

Your idea of a tower and the city's might be different. If you look at the renderings for the Bergamo project, there is a tower. The only thing is, its more like a clock tower.