Downtown Anderson Today (photos)

[pyper]

I saw some posts on the Calhoun and the Chiquola, and Spartan's downtown photos. Here are some more photos from earlier today, and some commentary. First though, here's a photo of the Chiquola from an early 1900s postcard. The buildings on the right are gone now, and this view would be blocked by the new courthouse. The round corner of the building is not in the shot, but I have seen an illustration of what the building used to look like which shows a nice pitched roof on the "tower" similar to the one on the rendering for the construction:

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Two shots of the Chiquola construction:

An old elevator -- I wonder if they're going to refurbish it?

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The Calhoun

I don't know if I'd pay over $150k for 700 sf in Anderson... ($214/ft)

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Here is Friends, "Food with a Flair" and the alley next to it. I think this deserves special attention, because as best I remember, this was the first "good thing" to happen on Main Street. I remember joking with people that they better go sooner, rather than later, because it was too good to last. Prior to Friends, about the only food options downtown were meat & 3 places and a few bars.

I don't know who thought all those curves would be a good idea, but I wish I was the brick contractor. Those bricks are actually cut to the curve, not sliced at an angle.

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McGee's Irish Pub. I think I was one of the first paying customers. There on opening day, before it opened... I can't remember if McGees opened before or after Friends. You can see Main Street in the upper right of the photo. It used to be a car dealership.

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Spartan, here's your photo of the Sullivan Building. It's home of the Metropolitan Restaurant, which opened a couple year's after McGee's and Friends. Also inside the building are E City Coffee (formerly Jittery Joes). They roast it there. There used to be a little art gallery, but now it's a clothing store. It used to be Sullivan's Hardware:

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Jax New Orleans Bistro. It just opened a month or so ago. Good food and nice atmosphere. I think it's not quite as upscale as it would like to be.

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Kind of across the street. Doesn't front on Main, but the next road West, the new Anderson Farmer's Market:

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This is the site of the old Belk's, just off Main, across from the old Courthouse. I've heard it's going to be the terminal for the light rail that will run to Clemson:

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Finally, this old mill is very close to downtown. The only thing that's happened there in 15 or more years is a big fire....

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Oh, and the Mortuary in Spartan's Anderson Photo post used to be the downtown post office. Well, that's all for now...

[Spartan]

Cool thanks for sharing these photos! Finally a pic of the Sullivan building

I should note that the rail to Clemson is just a study at this point. If they do rail (which I doubt) it will most likely not be Light Rail.

Welcome to the forum, btw!

[vicupstate]

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

It looks like Anderson is coming along nicely. I am really glad to see the Chiquola being done. It is an awesome building. The Sullivan is very nice as well. It's looks like revitialization is really taking hold.

[krazeeboi]

Nice pics; thanks for sharing.

[Pillsbury]

Anderson's a cool town. Haven't been there in years though.

[pyper]

I'm starting to wonder how they worked out parking for the Chiquola

Lack of parking is probably why it took so long for anything to happen.

Glad y'all like the pictures -- it's amazing how much Anderson has changed in the last 10 years or so.

[emo]

i'm pretty sure jax new orlean's bistro has been opened for almost a year.

[interestedexpat]

Great photos pyper. There is a nice looking building that's just been renovated on the otherside of the downtown square from the old Belk's building. Any idea what that is for?

The City is going to build a public parking garage for the Chiquola project. If they do something like some of the municipal garages in their downtown design guidelines proposal document (see downtown Anderson website), it'll be a really nice garage that will actually add to downtown's charm.

[pyper]

i'm pretty sure jax new orlean's bistro has been opened for almost a year.

Ooops!! Time flies fast when you're having fun. Or so they say

Bob

[pyper]

Great photos pyper. There is a nice looking building that's just been renovated on the otherside of the downtown square from the old Belk's building. Any idea what that is for?

The City is going to build a public parking garage for the Chiquola project. If they do something like some of the municipal garages in their downtown design guidelines proposal document (see downtown Anderson website), it'll be a really nice garage that will actually add to downtown's charm.

I'm not sure which building you're talking about. There's one that has frontage on McDuffie Street that they've added on to. If you walked out of the new courthouse, crossed Main and went down the hill to the right it would be there. The rumor I heard was the addition was needed to bring the building up to fire code for stairwells or something like that. I don't know what the plans are, but office space would be my guess.

I like the idea of a garage for the Chiquola; do you know where it would go? The only open land that comes to mind is the parking lot behind the courthouse.

[Istvan]

nice pics. i've always wondered what it looked like...maybe i'll have to take an upstate mill-hunting trip some day soon.

[mcashlv]

Burying those power lines would make a big difference. Some nice looking buildings.

[GSP Tiger]

I

Finally, this old mill is very close to downtown. The only thing that's happened there in 15 or more years is a big fire....

Where's this mill located at? That tower should be restored and used for something nice. Why not build a mill replica with some lofts?

[Spartan]

Is that not the Orr-Lions mill or something that they are going to tear down?

[Jerseyman4]

Enjoyed the pics.. thanks for sharing them!

[pyper]

The mill is on Witner Street (Highway 24), a couple blocks west of main street.

I should take a new picture, because they've cleared the land in front of it.

I don't think it could be restored at this point -- there was a massive fire a few years back. Additionally, the site is designated a "brown field." They've torn down parts of it in the past (and sold the bricks).

[ab1137]

Kind of ironic..... the mill burnt again....

[Spartan]

Thats a shame. Two Upstate mills gone in 1 week.