Pleasantburg Drive Corridor

[gman430]

Ground was broken today for the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences at Greenville Tech. This building will be the hub of general education instruction as well as the center point for students in the health sciences upon completion. 

The $70 million three-story structure will encompass 125,000 square feet. Greenville Tech President Keith Miller said the building will impact 90% of the college’s students and welcome 150,000 visitors annually as it serves 500-600 health science graduates that enter the workforce each year.

https://gsabusiness.com/news/architecture/82649/

 

[vicupstate]

209 Apartments at Pleasantburg and Lowndes Hill Rd.

[Galley]

On 10/5/2022 at 4:21 PM, vicupstate said:

209 Apartments at Pleasantburg and Lowndes Hill Rd.

Looks like the entrance on Pleasantburg will be right-turn only.  It's bad enough trying to get into the Domino's Pizza in the shopping center.

[vistatiger]

What's going on the outparcel at McAllister Square (201 S. Plesantburg @ Antrim Dr)? The old Suntrust building was razed and construction has started on something new. I'm guessing it's another bank.

[btoy]

Take 5

[vistatiger]

11 hours ago, btoy said:

Take 5

Ugh!  Doesn't fit that area at all. Looks like they could have found a spot further out Lauren's Rd or on Haywood. Oh well.

[PuppiesandKittens]

What on earth has happened to the Pleasantburg Drive/Mauldin Road intersection?

In the 1970s through the mid-1990s, it was fine, with a Family Mart and then a Bi-Lo at one corner, and a Bi-Lo and then a Harris-Teeter and a Revco (I think) at the other corner, and a Blockbuster Video and other mid-tier restaurants nearby.  It wasn't the fanciest place, but people on East Parkins Mill Road would definitely go there for groceries and errands.

Now it's nothing but weekly-stay motels and pawn shops.

What happened?  Where do people on East Parkins Mill go now?

[Exile]

26 minutes ago, PuppiesandKittens said:

What on earth has happened to the Pleasantburg Drive/Mauldin Road intersection?

In the 1970s through the mid-1990s, it was fine, with a Family Mart and then a Bi-Lo at one corner, and a Bi-Lo and then a Harris-Teeter and a Revco (I think) at the other corner, and a Blockbuster Video and other mid-tier restaurants nearby.  It wasn't the fanciest place, but people on East Parkins Mill Road would definitely go there for groceries and errands.

Now it's nothing but weekly-stay motels and pawn shops.

What happened?  Where do people on East Parkins Mill go now?

Back in the 70's and I guess earlier, very close to that intersection was Ye Olde Fireplace and another restaurant next door whose name I can't remember.  Also Shakey's Pizza.  Maybe that's what you were thinking when you mentioned mid-tier restaurants. Food Lion also opened one of their short-lived Blooms nearby.

To attempt an answer to your question, though, I know a lot of people from that area gravitated over to Publix at McAlister Squ. Harris-Teeter's abrupt pullout of Greenville when Publix came in undoubtedly had something to do with that.

And I assume the former BiLo at Laurens & Verdae (which is E. Parkins Mill extended) siphoned off traffic, too. Mauldin & P'burg always was grocery-store-heavy, at least from the time the Family Mart was built.

But you're right. It's light-years different than it was back in the day.

[gman]

The area surrounding Greenville’s airport is getting a rethink

https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/business/the-area-surrounding-greenvilles-airport-is-getting-a-rethink/article_469d4f88-e484-11ed-905e-43d1732145e6.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social#newsletter-popup

[GVLover]

10 hours ago, gman said:

The area surrounding Greenville’s airport is getting a rethink

https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/business/the-area-surrounding-greenvilles-airport-is-getting-a-rethink/article_469d4f88-e484-11ed-905e-43d1732145e6.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social#newsletter-popup

I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but in my dream world GMU would be closed and the land it sits on transformed into a public university. The opportunity to sell the convention center to the institution as a student center would be fruitful for all. GMU operations should be consolidated at Donaldson, while Donaldson receives a major update to handle a major influx of general aviation alongside current operations. GMU ultimately sits on prime land that could help Greenville build an actual midtown area and a university could be critical for such a mission. We definitely do not need a football program at said university to avoid dividing Clemson support but we could absolutely use the existing arena and baseball stadium for other teams. Just my two cents of course 

Edited April 28, 2023 by GVLover

[PuppiesandKittens]

7 hours ago, GVLover said:

I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but in my dream world GMU would be closed and the land it sits on transformed into a public university. The opportunity to sell the convention center to the institution as a student center would be fruitful for all. GMU operations should be consolidated at Donaldson, while Donaldson receives a major update to handle a major influx of general aviation alongside current operations. GMU ultimately sits on prime land that could help Greenville build an actual midtown area and a university could be critical for such a mission. We definitely do not need a football program at said university to avoid dividing Clemson support but we could absolutely use the existing arena and baseball stadium for other teams. Just my two cents of course 

I agree that a local airport isn’t the best use of the land here.

Add another runway at GSP or improve Donaldson Center, and build an express transit link to GSP.

And the entire commercial area stretching from Laurens Road near downtown all the way to Haywood could be redone and rebuilt, perhaps as residential and commercial.  McAlister Square, Pleasantburg Shopping Center, etc.: time to become new, desirable places.

I don’t see a need for a new university but this would mean hundreds or thousands of acres of land that could be put to new uses, instead of building out around the edges of the county.

[GvilleSC]

4 hours ago, PuppiesandKittens said:

And the entire commercial area stretching from Laurens Road near downtown all the way to Haywood could be redone and rebuilt, perhaps as residential and commercial.  McAlister Square, Pleasantburg Shopping Center, etc.: time to become new, desirable places.

This is happening currently thanks to the Swamp Rabbit Trail investment. 

[PuppiesandKittens]

18 minutes ago, GvilleSC said:

This is happening currently thanks to the Swamp Rabbit Trail investment. 

No, what I mean is that the entire area needs to be rebuilt: Laurens Road from 385 to Haywood; Pleasantburg from 385 to Faris; and adjacent commercial areas.  Pleasantburg Shopping Center, McAlister Square, etc. all are outdated and underused and need to be replaced.

This area could be a new downtown, a new Verdae or even just new and attractive neighborhoods.  The existing commercial buildings there are outdated and need to be replaced.

[GVLover]

4 hours ago, PuppiesandKittens said:

I agree that a local airport isn’t the best use of the land here.

Add another runway at GSP or improve Donaldson Center, and build an express transit link to GSP.

And the entire commercial area stretching from Laurens Road near downtown all the way to Haywood could be redone and rebuilt, perhaps as residential and commercial.  McAlister Square, Pleasantburg Shopping Center, etc.: time to become new, desirable places.

I don’t see a need for a new university but this would mean hundreds or thousands of acres of land that could be put to new uses, instead of building out around the edges of the county.

A university may not be likely, but it would contribute significantly to Greenville's growth and especially as far as retaining bright minds to our city. We're likely to become one of the largest counties in the country that is considered the main county of it's metro (meaning, not a suburban county to a larger city) that doesn't have a public university -- its unacceptable. South Carolina is already dealing with a rapidly aging workforce, and isn't doing a damn thing to attract young people and solutions need to be envisioned. 

[gman430]

19 minutes ago, PuppiesandKittens said:

No, what I mean is that the entire area needs to be rebuilt: Laurens Road from 385 to Haywood; Pleasantburg from 385 to Faris; and adjacent commercial areas.  Pleasantburg Shopping Center, McAlister Square, etc. all are outdated and underused and need to be replaced.

This area could be a new downtown, a new Verdae or even just new and attractive neighborhoods.  The existing commercial buildings there are outdated and need to be replaced.

Who is going to pay for all of this with the Fed continuing to raise interest rates, impending recession, inflation running rampant and banks tightening lending? Notice the mixed-use Enclave development is stalled out. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by gman430

[GvilleSC]

1 minute ago, PuppiesandKittens said:

No, what I mean is that the entire area needs to be rebuilt: Laurens Road from 385 to Haywood; Pleasantburg from 385 to Faris; and adjacent commercial areas.  Pleasantburg Shopping Center, McAlister Square, etc. all are outdated and underused and need to be replaced.

This area could be a new downtown, a new Verdae or even just new and attractive neighborhoods.  The existing commercial buildings there are outdated and need to be replaced.

I see. What you really want is a Haussmann-style intervention (which would be great, but incredibly unrealistic). The problem is ownership, right? The best that the city can do is create a masterplan and try to lead developers to a single vision. We ARE seeing this entire area being remade, it's just not the immediate satisfaction that you'd like.

This area absolutely has developers' attention. 

[GVLover]

I don't discount Greenville's leaders and developers taking more notice to the area, but can we all genuinely say an airport is the best usage of that land in a city already constricted due to state annexation laws? Regardless of inflation, impending recessions and whatever other short-term issues that can impact rather a project is built, over the long-term its not ideal to have an airport there. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by GVLover

[PuppiesandKittens]

10 hours ago, GVLover said:

A university may not be likely, but it would contribute significantly to Greenville's growth and especially as far as retaining bright minds to our city. We're likely to become one of the largest counties in the country that is considered the main county of it's metro (meaning, not a suburban county to a larger city) that doesn't have a public university -- its unacceptable. South Carolina is already dealing with a rapidly aging workforce, and isn't doing a damn thing to attract young people and solutions need to be envisioned. 

Good idea.  How about just getting an existing top-tier university (Cornell? Duke?) to add space in Greenville?  

Eminent domain could be used for some of the Pleasantburg Drive redevelopment, but I don’t like government getting so involved (Greenville has a history of overpaying for properties).  
 

And why hasn’t anyone bought and torn down Pleasantburg Shopping Center?  Even in the 1980s, it was run down.  Doesn’t it have one owner? McAlister Square, you also need to be demolished.

Edited April 28, 2023 by PuppiesandKittens

[rabbit seisin]

There are already four colleges in Greenville County. Enrollment is down in all of them and enrollment trends nationally have been firmly negative for years. Next idea, please.

[NewlyUpstate]

2 hours ago, rabbit seisin said:

There are already four colleges in Greenville County. Enrollment is down in all of them and enrollment trends nationally have been firmly negative for years. Next idea, please.

What's being asked for is a flagship public university. The only ones in SC are USC and Clemson, really.

Something similar to NC State would be superb.. urban, engineering focused school with national reputation. 

It's long been something I thought was Greenvilles biggest lacking feature and will always hold us back some. Too bad it's basically impossible to start new universities nowadays

Edited April 29, 2023 by NewlyUpstate

[gman430]

You people have bigger pipe dreams than winning the Powerball. What’s next? High speed rail?  The airport isn’t going anywhere and we are not getting a major university. We can’t even get the mid rise Kimpton downtown to start construction. This isn’t Disney World. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by gman430

[GVLover]

54 minutes ago, gman430 said:

You people have bigger pipe dreams than winning the Powerball. What’s next? High speed rail?  The airport isn’t going anywhere and we are not getting a major university. We can’t even get the mid rise Kimpton downtown to start construction. This isn’t Disney World. 

Creating a university would absolutely require significant resources, but it's not impossible especially if the State has the will to get it done. Kimpton is  more likely to be built than the conservative state of SC ever proposing a new university in Greenville, but that doesn't have to be the reality.

Maybe I'm naive here, but I don't believe when a university is proposed that everything needs to built all at once. As I said in a previous post, the convention center could be sold to such a university for pennies which will enable Greenville to require a proper/full scale convention center downtown.

The existing convention center is large enough to be a student center, or even R&D space as the rest of the campus is built out over decades. Our existing sport facilities in Greenville can be used, and we can even work on building a proper soccer stadium in downtown that Triumph and USC-G plays out of. 

SC and Greenville believe in public-private partnerships, and so I'm sure we can explore finance tools for dorms, classrooms, etc to be built by a private company (can imagine Hughes doing that) and leased back to the state over 99 years. We are an attractive location, so bringing in faculty shouldn't be an issue. 

Of course there's much more to establishing a university that I'm missing and I'm not exactly trying to list the blueprint for how it can be done. Rather I'm saying we shouldn't resign any prospect of a mid-size (5-10,000 pupils) public university being built because it's challenging, but rather creative solutions to be explored to get it done. It's possible. Shut down GMU, consolidate it at Donaldson, use that valuable land in our future Midtown for something that will supercharge not only Greenville, but the state overall. 

[GVLover]

3 hours ago, NewlyUpstate said:

What's being asked for is a flagship public university. The only ones in SC are USC and Clemson, really.

Something similar to NC State would be superb.. urban, engineering focused school with national reputation. 

It's long been something I thought was Greenvilles biggest lacking feature and will always hold us back some. Too bad it's basically impossible to start new universities nowadays

South Carolina is among the fastest growing states, and yet the public college landscape is abysmal. Clemson and USC are both great public universities, but as you stated: that's pretty much all we have. How University of South Carolina Salkehatchie is allowed to exist, and yet Greenville can't get a campus as the most populated county in the state is unacceptable in my view. If our university was even a third of what NC State has, I think we'd be doing pretty well for ourselves.

On another note, no one seems to be able argue that GMU should rightfully exist where it is for the next 50 or 100 years. As I said in another post, we're allowing an airport to take up valuable land in a state with tight annexation laws in an area that could easily become one of the most desirable parts of town. Regardless of a university presence, setting the goal of consolidating airports over 10 years time is worth the effort to me. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by GVLover

[gman]

New SC airport rules paused after Greenville development outcry

https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/new-sc-airport-rules-paused-after-greenville-development-outcry/article_318a31e8-e609-11ed-9f3f-7f46ea56c9f5.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social#newsletter-popup

[PuppiesandKittens]

Deleted

Edited May 1, 2023 by PuppiesandKittens