The Montgomery Building

[westsider28]

roads-scholar, I doubt that.  Johnson Development owns plenty of other prime real estate downtown, including the entire H-J block.

As far as the MB goes, as I understand from the article there is someone willing to renovate the tower, but not the theatre.  So, they're essentially waiting to see if they can still qualify for federal historic tax credits even without renovating the theatre.  I hope the feds recognize the importance of this building, exclusive of the theatre.  I hope renovating the tower would still qualify, since it's in the "spirit" of the law/program.  Don't let perfect be the enemy of good, so to speak.

I also truly believe that the City is doing everything in their power to facilitate this effort to renovate the building.  Keep your fingers crossed...

Edited December 10, 2015 by westsider28

[Spartan]

If I have to pick my poison, I'd rather lose the theater and save the tower than lose both - but it would be a shame to lose the last historic theater in town.

[jpridmore13]

I've seen lights on in the building a few nights now... What is the latest..  But I also seen new graffiti  on the corners of the building and above the scaffolding ... Same graffiti on the Kennedy parking garage... I hope someone makes a move on the Montgomery building soon..

[westsider28]

So I saw this sign next to the MB today (Environmental Assessment for Multi-Family Residential Redevelopment):

Doing some Google searching, I found this DHEC environmental cleanup PDF.  The contact, James Bakker, is/was VP of Commercial Development at Cothran Properties, though the application is under BF Spartanburg LLC, which was started July 10, 2015.  That's what I could dig up.  I hope this is a good sign (no pun intended).  Keep those fingers crossed...

[MAJIKMAN]

That is a good sign.

[roads-scholar]

Something's up but I'm not sure what.  Spartan probably has a good idea as to what this means.  Certainly a good sign to start off the new year!

[Spartan]

It sounds promising. Here's a quote from that PDF. 

"DHEC uses Voluntary Cleanup Contracts to encourage productive reuse of Brownfield sites. BF Spartanburg intends to develop the property for multi-family housing. If this Voluntary Cleanup Contract is implemented, DHEC will allow BF Spartanburg to acquire the property as a “Brownfields Site” because of the potential for environmental pollution from past activity on the property."

My take on is that it's not a true brownfield site (which is typically industrial in nature), but it does have some potential contamination issues associated with it's former coal-fired heating system. So, DHEC is allowing the site to be treated as a brownfield which presents different opportunities for rehabilitation and may also open up the door for additional grants and funding opportunities. I don't have any inside information but its common sense that the City, County and most people in town would want to allow every opportunity to save the building. Tearing it down is hopefully a last resort. This new activity is hopefully a sign of life for this building. 

Personally, I feel like if they can make the Schuyler building workable, then this should be doable too. The location and history here are just too good.

[roads-scholar]

My brother who is an authority on environmental remediation, sent me the below information.  Its not much different than what Spartan recently provided. 

"A brownfield does not have to be industrial in nature but just carry high levels of contamination. I suspect this building due to its age has significant asbestos, lead paint and possibly hydrocarbon contamination due to a UST associated with its heating system, boiler or some other use. It could also be contaminated from an offsite source that stored fuel oils, gasoline, or some other contaminant such as dry cleaning solvents or industrial fluids. I don't remember what was around there, but a source of contamination could have occurred 50 years ago. Also, the brownfield classification does open up additional lines of remediation and reuse sources, and that helps to save historic and iconic buildings like this".

 

 

[vicupstate]

From the Upstate Business Journal:

Word is a major building in downtown Spartanburg is in due diligence phase preceding a potential redevelopment contract, four years after earlier restoration plans fell through.

[Sparkleman]

Over the holidays I was talking with a friend of mine who is a small business owner downtown. We were just shooting the breeze about certain things that had taken place and about stuff that was to come. The conversation turned to how to get white collar jobs downtown and this person said that they were not positive that the city wanted white collar jobs downtown unless it was on their terms. I asked them what they meant by this statement and they said "C2HM Hill had originally wanted to come downtown and be a part of the resurgence as they wanted to build an office tower where the Herald Journal building is". However the city would not go for that for whatever reason and kept redirecting them to the Montgomery Building. They flat out refused to want to spend the significant dough it would take to revitalize it and then set their sights on Greenville.

Again this comes from a downtown business owner so I assume most of this would be correct and why would they lie.

[westsider28]

I could see how maybe Johnson Development may not have wanted CH2M-Hill at the H-J site (since they own it), but I can say pretty confidently that the City was not forcing them into the Montgomery Building.  Exhibit A: http://www.cityofspartanburg.org/corvallis  This page clearly indicates that the City was pushing for them to build new on City land between the Marriott and St John Street parking deck.

[roads-scholar]

C2HM Hill was hell-bent on leaving Spartanburg.  The MB was an option but I don't think anyone was forcing them in that direction. 

[drexel]

On 1/8/2016 at 1:53 PM, Sparkleman said:

Over the holidays I was talking with a friend of mine who is a small business owner downtown. We were just shooting the breeze about certain things that had taken place and about stuff that was to come. The conversation turned to how to get white collar jobs downtown and this person said that they were not positive that the city wanted white collar jobs downtown unless it was on their terms. I asked them what they meant by this statement and they said "C2HM Hill had originally wanted to come downtown and be a part of the resurgence as they wanted to build an office tower where the Herald Journal building is". However the city would not go for that for whatever reason and kept redirecting them to the Montgomery Building. They flat out refused to want to spend the significant dough it would take to revitalize it and then set their sights on Greenville.

Again this comes from a downtown business owner so I assume most of this would be correct and why would they lie.

It is my understanding that the city also assisted CH2M Hill with looking at the Beaumont Mill complex over a year ago.  (Plus the site behind the Marriott)  

Edited January 12, 2016 by drexel

[spartanburgh]

The City and County did a lot to get CH2M Hill to stay in Spartanburg. Johnson Development had a wonderful new office building designed and presented to Hill (Herald Journal site). As roads-scholar said They were

Hell bent on leaving Spartanburg and used Spartanburg and Johnson Development to sweeten their Greenville deal with no intention of staying in Spartanburg.

[westsider28]

So, the Royce Camp thread got me thinking.  And this is pure speculation, but here goes.

A local contractor commented on a Facebook post about the MB a few weeks ago, saying that the potential developer has the access to capital needed and has done these type of deals before. It's just a matter of if the numbers work. And that the decision on whether to proceed could come at the end of this month.  

I suspect we'd be looking at ~120 units in the MB, which is a lot for Spartanburg.  My theory is that the City wanted to keep the apartment numbers down in Royce Camp's project, so that the MB reno numbers would work.  The office project announcement right behind the MB also seems to support this effort.

Edit: New details on the Royce Camp scale-back kind of kill this theory. Though, there has also been no update on the Broadview Apts (no agreement for the City to sell/give the land next to the Kennedy Deck) in a while...

Thoughts?  Or am I crazy?

Edited February 21, 2016 by westsider28
Conspiracy theory possibly disproven

[Spartan]

What you're suggesting has some logic, but I don't think it makes sense. I think there is a lot of untapped demand for apartments in downtown and nationwide there is a huge apartment boom. I don't think anything Camp builds would affect the renovation of the MB. Especially since we're looking at only 30 units. If it were 8 floors that would mean and additional 20 units or so, which still isn't a significant amount overall (in terms of how it would affect the market).

[Sparkleman]

The MB has become a serious eyesore to downtown. If this latest venture does not pan out, I think they ought to level the building if they can afford to do so. I mean there are trees growing up through the scaffolding, windows that have been knocked out or left open, air conditioners that are hanging by threads off the building and what about the creepy lights under the scaffolding.

Basically its become what one might consider blight.

[hub-city]

Something has to be done quick.  I want to save it, but would rather see it torn down than remain in it's current state of disrepair.

[gman430]

Here we go: http://m.goupstate.com/Section/389/Article/160319909

[Sparkleman]

Every Spartanburg resident knows this place is an environmental disaster so this study should not turn up anything we aren't aware of. I just don't know if its worth pouring a ton of $$$ into it to try and turn it around unless all that dough comes from a developer.

[roads-scholar]

1 hour ago, Sparkleman said:

Every Spartanburg resident knows this place is an environmental disaster so this study should not turn up anything we aren't aware of. I just don't know if its worth pouring a ton of $$$ into it to try and turn it around unless all that dough comes from a developer.

I just returned from a large Midwestern city where several very old and dilapidated buildings are being renovated for residential use.  At first glance, these buildings seem hopeless.  My point is there are developers out there with the vision and the financial resources to make these projects work. 

[westsider28]

Here we go!  Apartments, retail planned for Montgomery Building

The project hasn't been finalized, but the plan is for 92 apartments (1BR & 2BR) on the upper floors and 9,000 sq ft of retail space on the ground floor.  Greenville-based developer BF Spartanburg LLC will begin renovations during the third quarter and estimates the project will be completed around mid-2018.  During the next six weeks, city council will consider providing support for the project, possibly in the form of tax incentives, investing in streetscaping and cleaning up property around the building.

This is fantastic!

[hub-city]

This is so great!!!  I hope they can find a way to repurpose the theater.

[gman430]

Freaking awesome.  

[roads-scholar]

Wow!

Does anyone on the forum have any doubts about this?