The I-85 mini skyline

[gs3]

With all the construction at The Point, Verdae, Millenium Campus, ICAR, etc, we've all been talking about the new mini skyline that is forming along I-85.....BMW research building, Timken, Clemson Grad School, ICAR Parking Decks, Drury Inn, Hubbell, Verdae projects, St.Francis etc. Here are photos of the first midrise in this zone....from the 80's? 90's? The Embassy Suites is now sitting pretty in the virtual heart of all this activity.

If you get a chance, go to the top floor and look out the windows toward 85....you'll be shocked....incredible view of all the ICAR, Millenium Campus, Point construction. I took a few photos out the window that didn't come out very well. Will do this again soon and post.

A few photos of the Embassy Suites:

[GvilleSC]

Good Idea! I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures from the top of Embassy Suites!

Question for yall... What exactly is the Global Trade Park? I know where it is, I've seen the conceptual renderings, but why and what sort of things are they expecting for this place? I'm excited about it, but I've just never been clear on what it was.

[goodbye]

It is most often refered to as The Global Trade Center. It is a 75-acre park setup especially to attract international companies looking to open a location in the United States. China is the main target for this park, but there is already an aviation engineering design company locating in the center. There is already a 200,000sf building located on the property and more are planned.

Read more here

And here

Official Website

[gs3]

I bumped this thread in light of "Pogo". If Pogo goes through, the density that will be happening in a small 2 mile radius of ICAR will be incredible! Greenville is starting to get a secondary core......our own little Arlington, VA. or Buckhead or Southpark. Think about it guys, within this one small radius will be all the following:

ICAR with:

BMW research headquarters

Timken research headquarters

Clemson Graduate School

and more to follow

Millenium Campus with future office.

Hubbell Lighting headquarters.

South Financial possible headquarters campus.

The Point with multiple midrise hotels and shopping, restaurants.

Greenridge with shopping restaurants.

Verdae with condos, shopping, residential, office to be anounced.

The current mid-rise Embassy Suites.

The current mid-rise office complex at Verdae and Laurens.

The Global Trade Park.

Think about! That's ALOT of commerce packed into a small area fronting both sides of I-85. A year ago only a couple of these developments existed. A boom? I think so.

[RestedTraveler]

Now this could possibly be considered "Downtown" and we could start really referring to the area around the CBD as "Uptown" and the area around Haywood/I-385 as "Midtown."

[goodbye]

gsupstate, you forgot to mention the highrise offices planned in Verdae and Millennium Campus. I consider 12 to 15 stories "highrise." These will go right next to I-85, if they are built as planned.

[gs3]

gsupstate, you forgot to mention the highrise offices planned in Verdae and Millennium Campus. I consider 12 to 15 stories "highrise." These will go right next to I-85, if they are built as planned.

Thanks Skyliner! True! I also forgot the rumored St.Francis.

[g-man430]

There are highrises planned for verdae? I didn't know that. I just thought it would consist of a retirement village, low-rise offices, a park, and lots of houses.

[goodbye]

G-man, you need to read the sources closer. It's all there. I understand it gets tough because there are so many different large-scale projects.

[g-man430]

Oh, my bad. I guess I forgot about Millenium Campus.

[goodbye]

Verdae has at least four highrises going into land at the corner of I-85 and Laurens in the Bonnaventure Office Center.

[g-man430]

I must have missed something then. That would be cool to see 4 highrises go up here, even though it would make it look a little like Greenville has two downtowns instead of one. I could see it now; tourists getting off of I-85 and heading towards Verdae thinking that's downtown Greenville and it's really not.

[goodbye]

Cities inevitably build out like this, so Greenville is following a national trend as it grows up along the major artery of I-85.

[g-man430]

I can't wait to see what Greenville will look like in 10 years.

[gs3]

I can't wait to see what Greenville will look like in 10 years.

Yep......we'll have towers in TWO cores. I'm glad the South Financial (if all goes as planned) is building in the "hot zone" along 85. This is adding MAJOR density to 85. People passing through, are starting to realize there is a city here. Two cores!!!! Love it!!!!!

[krazeeboi]

Now this could possibly be considered "Downtown" and we could start really referring to the area around the CBD as "Uptown" and the area around Haywood/I-385 as "Midtown."

I sincerely hope it doesn't turn out that way. When most of the economic activity of a city is clustered around the interstate, you can rest assured that that city is turning into another Atlanta. Sure the interstates show Atlanta off, but what does the city's downtown have to show for it? Very little, considering the size of the city and its metro. It's great that Greenville is getting these economic generators, but it appears as though these two "cores" will have segregated uses. Main Street and Falls Park will still remain popular, and more people may indeed be moving downtown, but then they'll have to get in their cars and drive out to Millenium Campus, ICAR, etc.--which practically defeats the purpose for them moving downtown to begin with. I'm not trying to rain on a really fun parade here, but you also have to think about the long-term consequences. Greenville has matured to the point where it can handle major developments downtown done the right way; make more use of that fact.

[goodbye]

Actually, krazeeboi, I am positive Greenville can and will handle major developments in both the CBD and the I-85 corridor. The businesses seeking locations along the interstate setup the necessary visibility for the city, while upon visiting downtown, CEOs and other Entrepreneurs will fall hook, line, and sinker for Greenville and decide to stay. It is relatively a cinch, in my opinion.

[gs3]

I sincerely hope it doesn't turn out that way. When most of the economic activity of a city is clustered around the interstate, you can rest assured that that city is turning into another Atlanta. Sure the interstates show Atlanta off, but what does the city's downtown have to show for it? Very little, considering the size of the city and its metro. It's great that Greenville is getting these economic generators, but it appears as though these two "cores" will have segregated uses. Main Street and Falls Park will still remain popular, and more people may indeed be moving downtown, but then they'll have to get in their cars and drive out to Millenium Campus, ICAR, etc.--which practically defeats the purpose for them moving downtown to begin with. I'm not trying to rain on a really fun parade here, but you also have to think about the long-term consequences. Greenville has matured to the point where it can handle major developments downtown done the right way; make more use of that fact.

Being halfway between Charlotte and Atlanta on 85, the interstate had a choice to develop with McDonalds, Burger King, Exxons and BP's......OR......high quality corporate headquarters. I think it chose the right option. Also, having this core and the dowtown core will only benefit the areas between....much the way the anchors of Main Street (Hyatt on one end and Peace Center on the other), turned downtown into a fabulous jewel.

Feel free to rain on a parade, because rain on a parade in Greenville, heightens the senses and makes the parade MORE beautiful and spectacular!

[RestedTraveler]

Being halfway between Charlotte and Atlanta on 85, the interstate had a choice to develop with McDonalds, Burger King, Exxons and BP's......OR......high quality corporate headquarters. I think it chose the right option. Also, having this core and the dowtown core will only benefit the areas between....much the way the anchors of Main Street (Hyatt on one end and Peace Center on the other), turned downtown into a fabulous jewel.

Feel free to rain on a parade, because rain on a parade in Greenville, heightens the senses and makes the parade MORE beautiful and spectacular!

Given the two alternative scenarios (McDonald's, Burger King, Exxon, BP, etc. VS. Corporate HQ and Research Parks), I think we've made the right choice.

I agree that this I-85 development and the new and redeveloped offerings downtown will serve as anchors and give even more strategic weight to everything (residential, retail, etc.) in between.

And krazeeboi: I don't personally feel you're raining on any parade here. I've always read your words as more of the voice of caution, reason, and occasionally the "devil's advocate." You do raise a good point here and it's one with which I have to side; however, I am confident in our community leaders to manage this growth going forward to where Downtown is the centerpiece and everything around the fringes is just luster and cut drawing people to look at the color and clarity in the middle before ultimately realizing just what karat weight Greenville has.

[goodbye]

I bumped this thread in light of "Pogo". If Pogo goes through, the density that will be happening in a small 2 mile radius of ICAR will be incredible! Greenville is starting to get a secondary core......our own little Arlington, VA. or Buckhead or Southpark. Think about it guys, within this one small radius will be all the following:

ICAR with:

BMW research headquarters

Timken research headquarters

Clemson Graduate School

and more to follow

Millenium Campus with future office.

Hubbell Lighting headquarters.

South Financial possible headquarters campus.

The Point with multiple midrise hotels and shopping, restaurants.

Greenridge with shopping restaurants.

Verdae with condos, shopping, residential, office to be anounced.

The current mid-rise Embassy Suites.

The current mid-rise office complex at Verdae and Laurens.

The Global Trade Park.

Think about! That's ALOT of commerce packed into a small area fronting both sides of I-85. A year ago only a couple of these developments existed. A boom? I think so.

And if you want to think in terms of a complete radius, add the very sizeable office parks in Mauldin, along I-385. They are within a couple miles as the crow flies. Plus consider what might be built on the Greenville Mall site. How exciting!

[krazeeboi]

Thanks guys for viewing my comments positively, because that's truly how I mean them.

All interstates are certainly going to have the usual "Anyplace, USA" chains, and Greenville is no exception. Now I'm not saying that no companies should have a presence along the I-85 corridor. It's just that the case with most other cities (that I know of) has been that the downtown core was already substantially developed (more or less) before businesses decided to locate along the interstate. I think Charlotte is a pretty good example of that. I'm really hoping that the momentum along the interstate doesn't detract from the momentum for more business in the CBD.

Greenville's presence along I-85 seems to work both for and against the city. It works for it because it is along one of the most prominent interstates in the South, situated between Charlotte and Atlanta. But because the interstates in SC don't cut through or relatively close to downtown, the pressure is on Greenville to show travelers that the city isn't just some small, hick town that happens to have over 50,000 people and that's the only reason why it is a named city along I-85. And the best way to do this is by advertising your business presence. Charleston and Columbia don't really have this type of pressure, so they can focus more on their downtown cores or extending their cores, as the case may be. I hope that the increased business presence along I-85 translates into a stronger economic presence in the CBD. In this regard, Greenville's situation can somewhat be viewed as experimental, since, as I mentioned earlier, it usually happened the other way around for most other cities. I understand that we can't always have it both ways, but just imagine if it could be the way I'm proposing. At any rate, as with anything else, only time will tell. I've got my fingers crossed.

[gs3]

They are within a couple miles as the crow flies.

I really LIKE that term.....as the crow flies! I'll work that one into conversation tomorrow with some co-worker. Thanks Skyliner!

[gs3]

Thanks guys for viewing my comments positively, because that's truly how I mean them.

All interstates are certainly going to have the usual "Anyplace, USA" chains, and Greenville is no exception. Now I'm not saying that no companies should have a presence along the I-85 corridor. It's just that the case with most other cities (that I know of) has been that the downtown core was already substantially developed (more or less) before businesses decided to locate along the interstate. I think Charlotte is a pretty good example of that. I'm really hoping that the momentum along the interstate doesn't detract from the momentum for more business in the CBD.

Greenville's presence along I-85 seems to work both for and against the city. It works for it because it is along one of the most prominent interstates in the South, situated between Charlotte and Atlanta. But because the interstates in SC don't cut through or relatively close to downtown, the pressure is on Greenville to show travelers that the city isn't just some small, hick town that happens to have over 50,000 people and that's the only reason why it is a named city along I-85. And the best way to do this is by advertising your business presence. Charleston and Columbia don't really have this type of pressure, so they can focus more on their downtown cores or extending their cores, as the case may be. I hope that the increased business presence along I-85 translates into a stronger economic presence in the CBD. In this regard, Greenville's situation can somewhat be viewed as experimental, since, as I mentioned earlier, it usually happened the other way around for most other cities. I understand that we can't always have it both ways, but just imagine if it could be the way I'm proposing. At any rate, as with anything else, only time will tell. I've got my fingers crossed.

Thanks Krazee. Understand where you are coming from, but remember Greenville's downtown has been growing exceptionally for years. Greenville's downtown is already it's strongest point. Greenville's downtown is what gets all the kudo's. I'm sure it will continue, and nice to see the 85 corridor taking off now like downtown took off several years ago.

[goodbye]

By using the Charlotte analogy as a negative, you help reinforce your positive. I look at Charlotte and see a booming downtown, which has taken off in recent years and is gaining steam. Greenville has the heavyweights of the state locating along I-85, so I see more people beginning to realize what's up in Greenville.

[krazeeboi]

I wasn't really using Charlotte as a negative example, but simply as an example of a city that has developed in the "usual" manner: relatively strong urban core, followed by developments along the interstate. I just can't really think of any city comparable to Greenville as it regards the maturity of the urban core in proportion to the amount of development proposed for/occurring along an interstate corridor (although I'm sure some exist). It may pose something of a challenge for Greenville, but the good news is that city leaders are poised to encounter such challenges. It will be really interesting to see how it all starts tying together.

Does "effective mass transit" come to mind for anyone else?