Greenville Visitors Center on I-85

[gs3]

Curious what location along I-85 you guys think would be good for a Greenville Visitors Center (Tourist Center)? I'm hearing rumblings of this happening in the distant future. Definitely something that is needed to take advantage of Greenville's prime location on I-85.

If you're headed East between the 385 interchange and the Pelham Road interchange, there is an old closed partial exit with a little green building. It's been closed as long as I have lived here. Was this an old weigh station for trucks? Why hasn't the state torn it down? This site could be an excellent site!

Thoughts?

[interestedexpat]

Curious what location along I-85 you guys think would be good for a Greenville Visitors Center (Tourist Center)? I'm hearing rumblings of this happening in the distant future. Definitely something that is needed to take advantage of Greenville's prime location on I-85.

If you're headed East between the 385 interchange and the Pelham Road interchange, there is an old closed partial exit with a little green building. It's been closed as long as I have lived here. Was this an old weigh station for trucks? Why hasn't the state torn it down? This site could be an excellent site!

Thoughts?

[RestedTraveler]

I don't believe that putting a site-specific welcome center along I-85 makes much sense either (no offense). If the State of South Carolina were to open one for the region, that may be different, but we've already got one at each border along I-85.

What would make sense is if there was another visitor's center put near I-85 (say at the Point or at CU-ICAR or out off of Augusta Road or something of the like) and signs along the interstate directing people to exit off at that particular exit for visitor's information and then signs directing people to the visitor's center once you've exited off. This sort of thing has been done elsewhere, so it would make sense to do something like this here as well.

[Spartan]

^I agree. I'd rather see signs directing people to a visitor's center downtown somewhere.

[goodbye]

There are plans for a big one downtown called a "GO Center," and the strong possibility for another to be located somewhere along the I-85 "boom corridor" (presumably near Woodruff Road).

[RestedTraveler]

There are plans for a big one downtown called a "GO Center," and the strong possibility for another to be located somewhere along the I-85 "boom corridor" (presumably near Woodruff Road).

[goodbye]

I haven't heard any details about its exact location, but according to the concept drawings, it will require a pretty sizable space, at least two levels in height with a large round atrium in the center. I would hope that its location is in the middle of downtown activity, making it easier to locate by the casual visitor - possibly an addition to the Piazza Bergamo/Woolworth site development? I can't think of a better location on Main Street that is currently available, unless the Carolina First drive-thru ATM at the corner of Main and McBee Avenue could be replaced with a GO Center.

[gs3]

There are plans for a big one downtown called a "GO Center," and the strong possibility for another to be located somewhere along the I-85 "boom corridor" (presumably near Woodruff Road).

[RestedTraveler]

Perhaps right off of I-85 as part of Verdae?

[goodbye]

Except for property out near I-185, or up near Pelham Road, I can't think of any other place to put such a center that would be centrally focused. I would not like to see a visitors center placed anywhere along I-85 between Mauldin Road and White Horse Road (U.S. 25). It should be in a booming area near hotels, shopping, and entertainment since it will be specifically targeting traveling visitors on the interstate.

[GvilleSC]

It would seem to make most sense to me to put a visitors center between GSP and 385 to catch visitors from the airport.

[RestedTraveler]

It would seem to make most sense to me to put a visitors center between GSP and 385 to catch visitors from the airport.

[goodbye]

Maybe, but if they're flying into GSP, odds are that they're already visiting either Greenville or Spartanburg and not flying in so they can drive to Charlotte or Atlanta. I think the objective for a visitor's center along I-85 is to attract people to stop in off of the interstate. No?

[RestedTraveler]

This may be a bit out there, but given the description of the "GO Center" and the new development that is planned behind the Point, wouldn't it make sense for this building to perhaps be at least partially retained for the GO Center?