The Rumor Mill

[lifeisajourney]

To return to my earlier question about Poinsett Homes...I heard again this week that they were preparing to close up shop, and had let everyone but a few office staff go. Anyone else heard anything on them? A real shame if its true...

Wow, that's a surprise, even considering the current housing market. They have a neighborhood in Boiling Springs off of Parris Bridge road that is huge but only has about 5 or 6 houses/townhomes completed. I would hate to be a homeowner in there who can't expect anything to be built next door.

[crescentmoon]

This is nothing new for the owners of Poinsett Homes. This is their MO. The current economy may be their stated excuse, but many of us have known this would be the likely ending for PH. Don't worry too much -- someone else will buy them out and take over the completion of the neighborhoods.

[wellen]

Poinsett Homes agrees to judgment in $5.3 million debt

Doesn't look like they have much of a sales staff left at any of their neighborhoods. I would imagine that bankruptcy is forthcoming.

[Greenville]

Maybe now is a good time to get a sweet deal on one of their homes.

[DT-Gville]

Maybe now is a good time to get a sweet deal on one of their homes.

I would think that now is a buyer's market for almost any home.

[RestedTraveler]

I would think that now is a buyer's market for almost any home.

Moreso for new construction rather than re-sells, unfortunately. People come into our neighborhood all the time to look at the homes that are listed and then end up buying one of the new construction homes from the builder. We've fared better than most of the country, though. There are areas where re-sells are going for example around $500K (the price that was paid for the home a couple of years ago) and the builder in that neighborhood is selling the same home for around $300K. I saw a story on this while I was out west recently...and the same thing is something we've observed in Orlando and Denver, too. New construction is even a better deal than foreclosures in most cases.

[swu_BA_student]

I can't believe no one has posted yet, but here goes, get out the tissues. This morning in the grnvl news there was an article saying we are most not the site for the new VW plant. Had a feeling this was the case.

[Galley]

Yeah, I saw that. I thought it was a "done deal".

[greenvillehistorytours]

Tonight I stopped in to an art show that Greenville High School was having in the vacant space at the back of the street level floor at Falls Place. While presenting a performer, the teacher mentioned that an "un-named" restaurant was gracious to hold off starting their renovation until their event was over. They had planned to start several days earlier, but agreed to let GHS have their event before starting in. I'm assuming this is the Boathouse. I guess we'll see soon...

[GvilleSC]

Tonight I stopped in to an art show that Greenville High School was having in the vacant space at the back of the street level floor at Falls Place. While presenting a performer, the teacher mentioned that an "un-named" restaurant was gracious to hold off starting their renovation until their event was over. They had planned to start several days earlier, but agreed to let GHS have their event before starting in. I'm assuming this is the Boathouse. I guess we'll see soon...

The Boathouse just reported that they wouldn't be opening their Greenville location anytime soon due to the economy. They would concentrate on their current locations in Charleston and Asheville before expanding... Hmmm. I wonder if their information was wrong, or if the Boasthouse has changed their minds?

[gman]

By renovation one would assume this meant an existing restaurant, not one to be built, right?

[crescentmoon]

A "new" restaurant could be renovating an existing building.

[btoy]

Spill the Beans is moving in to Falls Place, I think they are taking up part of what was to become the boathouse space.

[goodbye]

Spill the Beans is moving in to Falls Place, I think they are taking up part of what was to become the boathouse space.

I find that news to be kind of disappointing. I am not a fan of Spill the Beans' ice cream. It will work out well for them, no doubt, considering they are rather cramped in their current location. I look forward to something unique opening at their current South Main address.

[TREY]

I find that news to be kind of disappointing. I am not a fan of Spill the Beans' ice cream. It will work out well for them, no doubt, considering they are rather cramped in their current location. I look forward to something unique opening at their current South Main address.

The gallery( Christopher park ?) next door is expanding into that space.

[GvilleSC]

Awesome! I hope the move works well for them. They have a great location now. Yea, it's cramped, but it's a coffee house/ice cream place. And, when it's cramped, it forces people to spill into the sidewalk and walk around outside as opposed to sitting inside. I'd much rather have the people on the street. Good news for the West End, I suppose though.

[distortedlogic]

I don't know if it is good or not, but I don't want the West End to become the "Woodruff Rd" of Downtown, with N Main becoming Laurens Rd.

[Greenville]

I don't know if it is good or not, but I don't want the West End to become the "Woodruff Rd" of Downtown, with N Main becoming Laurens Rd.

Don't worry, the huge Main at Washington development will keep that from happening. The City Hall Plaza project (with the public ice skating rink/courtyard) will help as well.

[GvilleSC]

The Center of downtown has definitely shifted, but North Main remains strong, I think. There's been a lot of money invested in the West End in recent years, for sure, but if you remember what it was like before , then that money has gone to bring it up to par rather than surpass the other districts downtown.

[Greenville]

I think the increased activity in the West End is a healthy thing. If all the other nodes of activity were dead as a result, it would be a bad thing. But we still have healthy pedestrian traffic in the North End and in the heart of downtown's City Center. As mentioned earlier, I think that activity will increase once the Main at Washington development occurs. It will be an entire block of new attractions, and will probably include at least one large national retail anchor.

Besides, our West End is an awesome focal point. We have Falls Park, the Liberty Bridge, RiverPlace, the ballpark, and many nice restaurants and art galleries. How many cities can claim that as their focal point? And it's only going to get better!

[linkerjpatrick]

I think the increased activity in the West End is a healthy thing. If all the other nodes of activity were dead as a result, it would be a bad thing. But we still have healthy pedestrian traffic in the North End and in the heart of downtown's City Center. As mentioned earlier, I think that activity will increase once the Main at Washington development occurs. It will be an entire block of new attractions, and will probably include at least one large national retail anchor.

Besides, our West End is an awesome focal point. We have Falls Park, the Liberty Bridge, RiverPlace, the ballpark, and many nice restaurants and art galleries. How many cities can claim that as their focal point? And it's only going to get better!

Not to mention what we call the "West-End" was the cradle of Greenville. For the record does the West End start west of Broad Street or Camperdown or even River?

[Greenville]

Not to mention what we call the "West-End" was the cradle of Greenville. For the record does the West End start west of Broad Street or Camperdown or even River?

I think the West End starts when you cross the Reedy River on Main Street. The river basically separates the West End from downtown/City Center. Do you agree?

[GvilleSC]

I think the West End starts when you cross the Reedy River on Main Street. The river basically separates the West End from downtown/City Center. Do you agree?

That's my understanding from looking at Downtown maps that divide it into three districts: the North End, West End, and City Center.

[RestedTraveler]

I heard an interesting rumor this past weekend that caught my attention, given our discussion on here some time ago about the lack of a serious theme park or water park in the vacinity.

The rumor is that someone is looking into the prospect of opening a Kalahari Resort near I-385/I-85 (at the Point, I suspect).

[goodbye]

That sounds interesting. How reliable would you say the rumor is?