Columbia Economic Notes

[krazeeboi]

I have been in contact with many living in Spartanburg who desperately want to get out of the area and the state. It's an overall dissatisfaction with the area. I can't explain why this phenomenon exists, but I do try very hard to encourage them to get out and make a difference in the community, knowing there are also many who love the city and the region.

That's interesting, because just about all of my peers who hail from Spartanburg love their hometown, although some wouldn't want to move back, mostly because they would be too close to family. I guess it's just different strokes for different folks.

[Spartan]

I have been in contact with many living in Spartanburg who desperately want to get out of the area and the state. It's an overall dissatisfaction with the area. I can't explain why this phenomenon exists, but I do try very hard to encourage them to get out and make a difference in the community, knowing there are also many who love the city and the region.

I have heard people complain of there being nothing to do, which we all know means places to drink & socialize. At night. So on that front that perspective there is not as much to do there as other places like Greenville.... yet. Its easy to compare Spartanburg to Greenville since they are so close. But take a trip over to Gaffney or down to Anderson. These places have even less to do! Its just a relative comparison.

That's interesting, because just about all of my peers who hail from Spartanburg love their hometown, although some wouldn't want to move back, mostly because they would be too close to family. I guess it's just different strokes for different folks.

This is much more in tune with what I hear. I plan to return one day and hopefully do my part to make it a better city.

A percentage increase doesn't mean much to me. All that does is illustrate Greenville's small city limits as compared to Columbia's. Many of Greenville's major employers are located along 85. Thats just the nature of being a more industry-oriented city. Myrtle Beach has a 99.9 percent increase. The Southern Shops CDP just north of the City of Spartanburg sees a 110 percent increase (its directly on 85).

[CorgiMatt]

There's more movement on the Horizon Center block. They are now constructing a chain-link fence around the property. Posts are up along Assembly Street. And City Club construction workers on Gervais across from Edventure has put an orange mesh barrier around the property and has a bulldozer on site.

[BryCola]

There's more movement on the Horizon Center block. They are now constructing a chain-link fence around the property. Posts are up along Assembly Street. And City Club construction workers on Gervais across from Edventure has put an orange mesh barrier around the property and has a bulldozer on site.

The place across from Edventure has a contruction sign up also. I stopped by yesterday just to see what the sign said. It had a layout of the development, and it said townhomes starting at $500,000, and "flats" starting at $270,000. I'm interested in moving downtown, but all of these new places seem to be in that "elite" price range. I'm hoping the CanalSide and Bull Street projects have something more reasonable.

[CorgiMatt]

They now have a wall exhibiting a sample of the Hilton's brick at Senate and Park.

[BryCola]

New topic here, but I thought it would fit in this thead. Anyone know what's up with the Gervais Street bridge? They took the lights down months ago. I had heard at the time they had to fix some wiring or something. Well, all you see now is wires sticking up from where the lights used to be, and it's been like that for a LONG time. I sure hope they replace the lights soon...I always thought they were very cool with the Palmetto Tree and Crescent Moon on them.

[TheSuperPope]

Well, right now they're cleaning the bridge. It really was turning into this horribly dark color, but now its almost back to a nice ivory white. I heard somewhere, might have even been on here, the lights should go back in sometime around march

[CorgiMatt]

New topic here, but I thought it would fit in this thead. Anyone know what's up with the Gervais Street bridge? They took the lights down months ago. I had heard at the time they had to fix some wiring or something. Well, all you see now is wires sticking up from where the lights used to be, and it's been like that for a LONG time. I sure hope they replace the lights soon...I always thought they were very cool with the Palmetto Tree and Crescent Moon on them.

The wiring you see is new wiring. Brackets are in place to hold the light fixtures. They are not cleaning the bridge. They are painting it. They are working at night. I read a while back and saw on the news that February is the target completion month. They were working on it last night. Once it is painted all that will be left is putting the lights back on it. I am really looking forward to the bridge looking sharp for 3 Rivers Music Festival.

[TheSuperPope]

The wiring you see is new wiring. Brackets are in place to hold the light fixtures. They are not cleaning the bridge. They are painting it. They are working at night. I read a while back and saw on the news that February is the target completion month. They were working on it last night. Once it is painted all that will be left is putting the lights back on it. I am really looking forward to the bridge looking sharp for 3 Rivers Music Festival.

Thanks for the correction, I just thought they were pressure washing it. Do you know if they are painting the bridge from the water up or just the top area?

[krazeeboi]

The wiring you see is new wiring. Brackets are in place to hold the light fixtures. They are not cleaning the bridge. They are painting it. They are working at night. I read a while back and saw on the news that February is the target completion month. They were working on it last night. Once it is painted all that will be left is putting the lights back on it. I am really looking forward to the bridge looking sharp for 3 Rivers Music Festival.

They'd better be making a statement with that bridge, especially since the International Downtown Association convention coincides with 3 Rivers Music Festival.

Great news concerning the Horizon Block. CorgiMatt, does the brick to be used in the Hilton resemble that of the convention center? That sure is going to be an awful lot of brick. I'm glad that Innovista is taking a different architectural approach.

[CorgiMatt]

Thanks for the correction, I just thought they were pressure washing it. Do you know if they are painting the bridge from the water up or just the top area?

I don't know. I've wondered that myself. It would look great to leave the footers natural and paint the rest.

They'd better be making a statement with that bridge, especially since the International Downtown Association convention coincides with 3 Rivers Music Festival.

Great news concerning the Horizon Block. CorgiMatt, does the brick to be used in the Hilton resemble that of the convention center? That sure is going to be an awful lot of brick. I'm glad that Innovista is taking a different architectural approach.

I think the coloring varies a little more than the brick of the convention center. I like a mix, but I do love brick.

[sojay]

New topic here..

What's the future of the quarries? Do they plan to keep going? I was very surprised to find out there were quarries so close to downtown when I moved here.

How about turning them into swimmable lakes with artificial beaches and lots of palmetto trees? And the areas between the lakes and the river should of course be continued greenway.

[The_sandlapper]

Damn! That's a good idea! Not sure what they mined there though, and would it contaminate those who swim there but that would definately be an excellent plan!

I'm sure that would definately get the olympia area jump started.

[krazeeboi]

I think Atlanta is turning one of its former quarries into a giant park. I'd definitely like to see those turned into something nature-based.

[sojay]

Thanks. I just moved here, and am genuinely interested in this place. It has a lot of potential but a long way to go.

The depth of the lakes would be a great place for scuba divers to train.

I think they quarry granite there, so I doubt there's an issue of contamination

I think the lake surface should be at land surface or river surface level (too look somewhat natural and to catch a breeze), but if it were to be lower, imagine what a giant slide could do down the hill...

[The_sandlapper]

Maybe you should write someone about your idea?

[sojay]

Who?

I remembered once seeing an artificial beach in an urban setting, adjacent to a river in Brisbane, Australia. While looking for info on it, I stumbled across this study about urban waterfront development. Very very interesting! Columbia could learn a lot from this.

www.uws.edu.au/download.php?file_id=4983&filename16.1_FINAL_Q.Stevens2.pdf&mimetype=application/pdf

Brisbane is the only major city in Australia that is not directly on the ocean and it has to compete with all the other well placed cities of the country. So they are conscious about these things.

I'll continue my search for more specific info on the artificial beach, maybe some pictures. I remember how imporessed I was when I saw it.

[sojay]

here are a couple of pics with the river in the background:

Isn't Queensland a sister state to SC?

[krazeeboi]

^Oh wow, that's awesome! The rivers represent such an awesome urban opportunity for Columbia; doing something with the quarries like Brisbane has done will only compliment that.

Glad to have you in SC, sojay; even more, we're glad that you have great ideas for our capital city. Where did you formerly reside?

Not sure about Queensland being a sister state to SC. I was only aware of sister cities, not sister states.

Edited February 18, 2006 by krazeeboi

[goodbye]

Awesome, sojay! You can bring some of those GREAT ideas up to Greenville as well!

[krazeeboi]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I wonder how feasible it would be to widen and deepen the Reedy? As it stands now, it's not much more than a trickle when compared to the Congaree, Ashley, and Cooper Rivers.

[goodbye]

I agree, it's a trickle in comparison. Funny how many people consider it a "river" as it passes through downtown, but you've got admit it gets more publicity than any "creek" its size anywhere. It is really the 60-foot falls that make the greatest impression on visitors (something very common in the Upstate, with so many beautiful waterfalls everywhere). As for widening the Reedy; yes, it can definitely be widened and made more impressive. It will take the right developers and the backing of the community, but it could and should happen. I know the proposed 160-acre park just west of downtown includes plans to reroute the river and build a couple of lakes/ponds, so there is hope. This is where we need sojay to lend his or her ideas and make it into the best possible attraction.

Here is the Reedy River in downtown following an afternoon thunderstorm last summer. It sounded like the Niagra.

[sojay]

^

Glad to have you in SC, sojay; even more, we're glad that you have great ideas for our capital city. Where did you formerly reside?

Not sure about Queensland being a sister state to SC. I was only aware of sister cities, not sister states.

bowing deeply.... I have many more up my sleeve... I'm looking forward to checking out Greenville - heard good things about it.

I lived (in reverse chronology) in NYC, Long Island, Grenoble + Nice (France), near the German/Austrian border, Denmark, Australia (Sydney). So yes, I've been around and have travelled a lot to many other places, and have always been interested in urban development and architecture and the role of the arts in a city. One of the things that drew me to Columbia was the optimism and enthusiasm for the future of this place. I want to witness it. I stumbled across this website while my spouse and I were contemplating a job offer here - so you are all to blame...

If Queensland is not a sister state, then Brisbane is a sister city. I saw something in the paper about the koalas at Riverbanks being here thanks to some sister relation.

[krazeeboi]

Skyliner: Greenville city leaders definitely deserve praise for capitalizing on that aquatic feature of downtown.

Sojay: Wow, your experiences in those cities give you a broader perspective of urban issues, which is definitely a good thing. And I agree with you hands down about Columbia. It has all of the right ingredients, it's just waiting for people like you to come along and light the fuse so the city can explode. We look forward to your contributions here.

[krazeeboi]

Progress on 1520 Main:

Renaissance Plaza construction:

As seen from Memorial Park:

Edited February 20, 2006 by krazeeboi