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The Gateway Site


gs3

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14 hours ago, gman said:

Timmons was built after the Brown Box was closed. We did not appreciate how great the Brown Box was for a basketball game. 

It opened after the Auditorium closed and was imploded, but only a couple months later. Timmons was already under construction, and I'm pretty sure--though my memory's pretty dim here--that Furman had already decided to build their own building on-campus before the Auditorium's fate was sealed.

There were so many great games there. The place could be really loud. I still remember when Furman almost beat a Terry Cummings-led Ray Meyer-coached DePaul team--that also featured Cola's own Tyrone Corbin. 1982. DePaul in those days was a perennial sweet sixteen/elite eight kind of team.

I guess that part of Furman's motivation for moving basketball to campus was student attendance. But that was back when downtown hadn't gotten over the hump--Furman students from that era and earlier pretty unanimously found Greenville boring (in my experience; I didn't go to Furman), and still don't think well of Greenville. But I wonder whether students wouldn't enjoy downtown games now, given what downtown's become. Because now, when I talk to high school seniors who are considering Furman, consistently one of the things they like about it is downtown Greenville.

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29 minutes ago, btoy said:

Memorial Auditorium was torn down as part of the financing approval for The Bi-Lo Center.  It was to make sure the Bi-Lo center could succeed by removing competition.

Yeah, you're right. My post probably belongs better in the "alternative history" thread.

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On 10/17/2018 at 8:32 PM, distortedlogic said:

I think at the time it was thought that property would become one of the most sought after in Greenville. It was then that it was dubbed "The Gateway Site" and the city envisioned a grand city entrance. It was only expected to remain empty for a short while, it now been over 20 years!

The name published and mentioned most often in media during the late 90s was "Gateway to Greenville."  The first proposal was a 15-story tower from Highwoods Properties.

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Thinking this site should be a parking site for the Well...they could remove the lot (or garage) if a lucrative development/project comes along...in 15-20 years.  Anything to make it appear better than the present.  It would be making $$ for the city....

Edited by cabelagent
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38 minutes ago, cabelagent said:

Thinking this site should be a parking site for the Well...they could remove the lot (or garage) if a lucrative development/project comes along...in about 20 years.  Anything to make it appear better than the present.  It would be making $$ for the city....

I think they should put a pocket park on site. 

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Remember when the public was given the Wyche Pavilion, and then they whined when it was attempted to be reclaimed for an actual use? All I’m saying is: Be careful how you temporarily use things.  

This recently happened in DC and the neighborhood won their argument that the private property needed to stay as a public use. Ridiculous.  Granted, DC government is made up of ridiculous regulations and zero backbone. 

Edited by GvilleSC
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12 hours ago, motonenterprises said:

Something with height needs the go here. Just need to find a developer with some real interest and the means to do it.

Been trying for 23 years. Has it really been 23 years since GMA was imploded? I bet no  one ever thought this piece of property would go unused for this long. Should have just left the GMA standing.

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2 hours ago, apaladin said:

Been trying for 23 years. Has it really been 23 years since GMA was imploded? I bet no  one ever thought this piece of property would go unused for this long. Should have just left the GMA standing.

They should put a Skywheel on site with a big Furman logo in the middle of it. :D 

Seriously though, this is the developer: http://www.kanahotelgroup.com/ :ph34r:

Edited by gman430
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This site isn't doomed, but it's pretty clear from its own history compared to what's gone on elsewhere DT that this piece is at the end of the development queue. I imagine that pretty much every substantial parking lot will likely get developed before anybody does anything with this piece, for all the reasons noted on this thread over the years. The only exception I can fathom is if somebody creative and not risk-averse finds some use that directly complements the arena.

As for Kana Hotel Group, a nice Hilton downtown would be great, but maybe we're oversaturated with hotel rooms? Or maybe we're still in the hotel room "field of dreams." I don't know.

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29 minutes ago, Exile said:

This site isn't doomed, but it's pretty clear from its own history compared to what's gone on elsewhere DT that this piece is at the end of the development queue. I imagine that pretty much every substantial parking lot will likely get developed before anybody does anything with this piece, for all the reasons noted on this thread over the years. The only exception I can fathom is if somebody creative and not risk-averse finds some use that directly complements the arena.

As for Kana Hotel Group, a nice Hilton downtown would be great, but maybe we're oversaturated with hotel rooms? Or maybe we're still in the hotel room "field of dreams." I don't know.

If the owners of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena want to do a major redevelopment and build up their lots with towers, I could see this lot being developed. If they were looking to do a planned development like One or Campderdown. I’m surprised they haven’t been interested in getting into the game. The whole block needs work. 

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7 hours ago, gman430 said:

They should put a Skywheel on site with a big Furman logo in the middle of it. :D 

Seriously though, this is the developer: http://www.kanahotelgroup.com/ :ph34r:

Well. I hope they do something with it. Their current developments lack height, which most of us would like to see here.

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2 hours ago, motonenterprises said:

Well. I hope they do something with it. Their current developments lack height, which most of us would like to see here.

Noticed that too. However,  I would think the desire would for any hotel here to be a convention hotel, meaning it would need to have at least 300 rooms. The city has long talked about needing a large convention hotel, and being adjacent to the arena would make perfect sense. It would also lend creedence to gman's 15 story rumor. Heck, Greensboro has a 30 story hotel with 1000 rooms adjacent to their arena. Only question would be, can we support that many more new rooms. I would think we couldn't right now with all the other new ones.

But if so, at least maybe in a few more years, a 15-20 story hotel building on top of parking, a couple floors of condos, topped of with a scenic restaurant, could make for a new city tallest.

Edited by distortedlogic
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