South Ridge (Church St. and University Ridge)

[vicupstate]

I saw that they also now have removed the double Billboard that was infront of the building. Another Improvement.

And I know this isn't part of this project, but it also is nearby. The Church's Chicken on Augusta has been torn down.

Yes , I noticed the billboards are gone too. Good ridance. Hopefully a certain vacant lot next ot Zaxby's will sell soon too. ; )

[btoy]

Yes , I noticed the billboards are gone too. Good ridance. Hopefully a certain vacant lot next ot Zaxby's will sell soon too. ; )

Funny thing, I feel that same way. Weird. Actually the master plan for the area has made it very difficult. While that plan is good they require property owners to follow it even though the city has not implemented any improvements. Unlike any other master plans the Haynie Sirrine plan was adopted as ordinance. And the plan makes the design tough for desired users.

First it requires buildings to be pulled up to the sidewalk despite the fact that the city has never added the street parking or the new wider sidewalks. It also requires a min. height of two stories which is also a problem when all the users that want to be on the site are fast food. And even if it wasn't that use the min. density required causes a greater need for parking that can be provided for on site which would be fine if the street parking was in place but it hasn't been. So finally getting their end of the deal started with these tarp funds will be good for the area.

[RestedTraveler]

And I know this isn't part of this project, but it also is nearby. The Church's Chicken on Augusta has been torn down.

Was it torn down or did it burn down? We drove by there on our way to Atlanta a few weeks ago and it looked like it had burned and was surrounded with yellow caution tape.

[gman430]

Was it torn down or did it burn down? We drove by there on our way to Atlanta a few weeks ago and it looked like it had burned and was surrounded with yellow caution tape.

Both. Half of it burned down then they tore the rest of it down. I don't know whether it will get rebuilt or not.

[GvilleSC]

The NEXT building is looking fantastic! The screening is up and gives the building a really cool vibe. It's definitely got an innovative/new south kind of feel to it. I'm really liking it.

[INFOMAN]

Any pics of NEXT??? If so please post them...thnx

[distortedlogic]

The NEXT building is looking fantastic! The screening is up and gives the building a really cool vibe. It's definitely got an innovative/new south kind of feel to it. I'm really liking it.

Yikes. I thought it looked more like a shorter version of the new jail building with a chain link fence running through it... ughh...

Edited July 2, 2009 by distortedlogic

[GvilleSC]

Yikes. I thought it looked more like a shorter version of the new jail building with a chain link fence running through it... ughh...

HA! Different strokes, my friend. I really like the new look!

[gs3]

The NEXT building is looking fantastic! The screening is up and gives the building a really cool vibe. It's definitely got an innovative/new south kind of feel to it. I'm really liking it.

The place is looking very good. Amazing how modern this is looking considering it was just an old warehouse type building.

[GvilleSC]

The Greenville News has an article today about the improvements for Church Street: Stimulus funds to remake Church St

It mentions what we already knew: landscaped median, 3 lanes (2 vehicle, 1 bike) in each direction, 6' sidewalks set back from the street, and roadside landscaping. The shovel ready project is said to begin next year, I believe it said. The article also mentions the similar improvements set for Fairforest Way, turning this road into a nice boulevard as well...

This is going to be such an improvement for Church Street. I can't wait for this gateway to downtown to be complete.

[sc smitty]

Looks like someone jumped the gun on putting up construction signs on Church St. They've been up for a couple of months covered in black plastic.

[gman430]

Looks like someone jumped the gun on putting up construction signs on Church St. They've been up for a couple of months covered in black plastic.

That's for work being done by AT&T.

[vicupstate]

This building looks pretty good, considering what it started out as. My preference would have been to level it and build multi-story in it's place but hopefully the next phase will have that.

The building needs some color though. Everything is one shade of gray/silver or another. A dash of red or blue or something, even in signage, could make a noticeable difference.

[Danmire]

I was driving down Church St tonight and i passed the Next building. They have it lit up at night with a changing colored light wash on the front elevation. It looks awesome, changed from green to red to purple to blue etc. It really makes it stand out.

[gs3]

I was driving down Church St tonight and i passed the Next building. They have it lit up at night with a changing colored light wash on the front elevation. It looks awesome, changed from green to red to purple to blue etc. It really makes it stand out.

We were riding our bikes by one evening a couple of weeks ago and noticed that. Wanted to take photos but didn't have my camera. The "screen" around the building that many people disliked, now makes sense, as it acts as the material to catch the changing light colors.

[vicupstate]

According to a reliable source, Walmart is going back to the drawing board on the proposed store for Church & University Ridge. I got the impression it will be a smaller store and a more urban design. No timetable for when revised plans will make an appearance.

[GvilleSC]

According to a reliable source, Walmart is going back to the drawing board on the proposed store for Church & University Ridge. I got the impression it will be a smaller store and a more urban design. No timetable for when revised plans will make an appearance.

That's good to hear.

As the very first new development since the corridor's transformation, a very strong precedent needs to be set. VERY strong. Hopefully (if not involved in this project) dense residential developments will follow.

[jwtiger04]

According to a reliable source, Walmart is going back to the drawing board on the proposed store for Church & University Ridge. I got the impression it will be a smaller store and a more urban design. No timetable for when revised plans will make an appearance.

I know the Alta Vista Neighborhood Association meeting was last night and an official from the city was supposed to be there to give updates on this project, as well as the Stables project. I will see what I can find out.

Smaller and more urban sounds good to me. Wish the city would just get Hughes or someone to come in and build a mix used corner there with a smaller 30k sq ft wal-mart on the first floor and have the city foot the bill for the parking garage. The master plan calls for the city picking this up I believe and they did so at River Place also (though obviously River Place was a different ballgame). I still feel that if that corner isn't built up like it could be, it will be a disappointment. Everyone says Grenville needs more apartments for rent....

[mallguy]

I went to the Pelham Road Walmart for the first time over the weekend. I never even knew that there was a Walmart there, and it was aesthetically very attractive, with modern-looking stone and the like on the entrance. If Walmart can have a store that good looking, I am looking forward to something nice at Church St. & University Ridge.

I am still finding it super-hypocritical for local government to be telling Walmart how to build its store...when the county occupies a former Walmart subsidiary location in ugly County Square, just across the street.

[vicupstate]

I went to the Pelham Road Walmart for the first time over the weekend. I never even knew that there was a Walmart there, and it was aesthetically very attractive, with modern-looking stone and the like on the entrance. If Walmart can have a store that good looking, I am looking forward to something nice at Church St. & University Ridge.

I am still finding it super-hypocritical for local government to be telling Walmart how to build its store...when the county occupies a former Walmart subsidiary location in ugly County Square, just across the street.

Not seeing the connection on this.

1) The COUNTY and the CITY are separate entities. The County has no say.

2) County Square was a REDEVELOPMENT of a empty big box. This is NEW construction. Big difference. Would you prefer the big box remained empty?

3) County Square was redevelopment years (decades?) ago, long before the Haynie-Sirrine plan was in place specifically or new urbanism in general.

[GvilleSC]

Not seeing the connection on this.

1) The COUNTY and the CITY are separate entities. The County has no say.

2) County Square was a REDEVELOPMENT of a empty big box. This is NEW construction. Big difference. Would you prefer the big box remained empty?

3) County Square was redevelopment years (decades?) ago, long before the Haynie-Sirrine plan was in place specifically or new urbanism in general.

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, the site is zoned MIXED USE as it stands today.

[mallguy]

Not seeing the connection on this.

1) The COUNTY and the CITY are separate entities. The County has no say.

2) County Square was a REDEVELOPMENT of a empty big box. This is NEW construction. Big difference. Would you prefer the big box remained empty?

3) County Square was redevelopment years (decades?) ago, long before the Haynie-Sirrine plan was in place specifically or new urbanism in general.

County Square redevelopment? Minimal redevelopment work was done on it- the outside was repainted, a few windows were added, the interior was chopped up into office space and not much else. The complex is an eyesore and hasn't changed much, at least on the exterior, from its mall days. I remember when government bought it, and both the city and the county were both heavily involved in the transfer of the property from Bell Tower Mall owners to the county. Further, County Square is in the city limits, and so the city certainly has say over it.

There were discussions just a few years ago about doing a total redevelopment of County Square. So much for that.

I would prefer that County Square be demolished, frankly, and a brand-new development done on the site.

[vicupstate]

County Square redevelopment? Minimal redevelopment work was done on it- the outside was repainted, a few windows were added, the interior was chopped up into office space and not much else. The complex is an eyesore and hasn't changed much, at least on the exterior, from its mall days. I remember when government bought it, and both the city and the county were both heavily involved in the transfer of the property from Bell Tower Mall owners to the county. Further, County Square is in the city limits, and so the city certainly has say over it.

There were discussions just a few years ago about doing a total redevelopment of County Square. So much for that.

I would prefer that County Square be demolished, frankly, and a brand-new development done on the site.

Converting a vacant retail center into a fuly occupied office building is a redevelopment in my book, regardless of how much the appearance changed.

The city had no say over the design because it was redeveloped prior to the design review board being established or the Haynie-Sirrine plan being developed. The only say the city would have had would be over any zoning change that might have been needed.

The COUNTY owns the COunty Square property and the COUNTY has NO say in the Walmart issue. That was my point in my original post. I don't see hypocrisy when the county doesn't have any bearing on what does or does not happen to the Walmart site. They are not an particpating party.

The proposed redevelopment probably fell through because of opposition to moving county offices to Woodruff Rd, the complexity of the deal.

A redevelopment will happen one day, and it will no doubt mean the current buildings will be demolished. But there is still land in better locations still available in the vicinity, and the economy is not great either. If a positive, mixed use project goes up on the Walmart site, then that increases the likelyhood of County Square being redeveloped sooner rather than later.

[vicupstate]

This article regarding Columbia Walmarts is interesting background on this issue. I wonder if Walmart plans for multiple stores in Greenville proper.

http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/02/2066130/3-walmarts-in-heart-of-city.html

[RiverWalker]

This article regarding Columbia Walmarts is interesting background on this issue. I wonder if Walmart plans for multiple stores in Greenville proper.

http://www.thestate....rt-of-city.html

The sentence of greatest interest is the one that reads, "The mammoth discount retailer has altered its business strategy and has been moving away from larger superstores in suburban areas and toward smaller operations in urban areas." I can think of several sites with potential for such development, but that topic would be better suited for a separate discussion. I suggest that vicupstate's message and this one be carved off to start a new thread (if vicupstate is willing), as I'd like to see some other thoughts on this subject.