Jump to content

CONSTRUCTION THREAD: The Custom House


gman430

Recommended Posts

The Custom House construction continues... It is still only framed out up to the third floor, with the CMU block core extending to the fourth level. The windows look great, and the brick laying is looking nice. The steps down to the sidewalk on Main Street are in, too. It's looking good, guys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 121
  • Created
  • Last Reply

According to the Journal this week, 2 units of the 8 still remain available. I believe this was the case as of last September, as well.

Does anyone know how much these are going for?

EDIT: As a side note, this development, even at 3 stories, makes an impact at Fluor Field. :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had several conversations with friends regarding the potential conversion of either The Summit on West Washington Street, or Towers East on North Main Street into affordable apartments and condos targeting young professionals. A new, more accessible facility could be developed for the poor seniors somewhere else near or outside of downtown. They would benefit from having a level area to walk and an adjacent grocery store with pharmacy. The City would benefit from the tax revenue produced by affordable housing for young professionals in Downtown.

The Summit is crying out for some TLC and conversion into condos. It must have been a nice hotel at some point but at least since the early '70s, it's been a dive (and vacant from the late '70s until the mid-80s), and it must be in dire need of repairs; the exterior is looking pretty rough these days, although I've never been inside. So I'd agree with you; it's a great location and the building frame must be good; it can't be generating much revenue now; and it is just crying out for some capital investment, which would be tough to do as low-income housing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Summit is crying out for some TLC and conversion into condos. It must have been a nice hotel at some point but at least since the early '70s, it's been a dive (and vacant from the late '70s until the mid-80s), and it must be in dire need of repairs; the exterior is looking pretty rough these days, although I've never been inside. So I'd agree with you; it's a great location and the building frame must be good; it can't be generating much revenue now; and it is just crying out for some capital investment, which would be tough to do as low-income housing.

I recently spent quite a bit of time in The Summit, as it was part of my assignment as a Census enumerator. The inside isn't terrible. I've been in plenty of worse buildings in NYC and elsewhere. It could certainly use some renovation, such as new carpets and paint, but isn't as bad as you might expect. The apartments are pretty small, being converted hotel rooms that were not particularly spacious. From what I was told, it's a HUD subsidized building that caters to seniors and disabled folks. All of the apartments are single person units (made my job that much easier!). If the building were to be repurposed, it would need substantial renovation - combining units at a minimum. Given the prime location, that could probably be a profitable venture. I'd be concerned about what happens to the current residents - I met a lot of very nice people who clearly don't have many other options of where to live. Gentrification can be a cruel thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is plenty of space in downtown Greenville and the West End for building more upscale housing. There is no need to try to push out the folks in the Summit or Towers East. The Towers East in particular is a good location with McPherson Park and the BiLo grocery store each just across the street. I know one elderly lady in particular who was very sorry when she was talked into moving out of the Towers East to another subsidized home more on the fringe. She felt much less safe and more isolated.

My guess is that there will soon be a real boom in new housing in the West End. That is based on all the properties that have been or are up for sale and the new projects like the Kroc Center and new school and the Swamp Rabbit Trail. There is quite a bit of land immediately west of there that is vacant. On North Main the whole block from McPherson Park to Stone will be ideal for some mixed mid-rise housing and retail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is plenty of space in downtown Greenville and the West End for building more upscale housing. There is no need to try to push out the folks in the Summit or Towers East. The Towers East in particular is a good location with McPherson Park and the BiLo grocery store each just across the street. I know one elderly lady in particular who was very sorry when she was talked into moving out of the Towers East to another subsidized home more on the fringe. She felt much less safe and more isolated.

My guess is that there will soon be a real boom in new housing in the West End. That is based on all the properties that have been or are up for sale and the new projects like the Kroc Center and new school and the Swamp Rabbit Trail. There is quite a bit of land immediately west of there that is vacant. On North Main the whole block from McPherson Park to Stone will be ideal for some mixed mid-rise housing and retail.

Obviously my comment was misinterpreted. I completely realize the value in having affordable housing in town for senior citizens. I don't know if those apartments are subsidized or not, but they could definitely be put to better use as affordable (not upscale) housing for productive young professionals, in my opinion. At least one new fully accessible facility could be built specifically to meet the needs of underprivileged senior citizens, complete with an attached or adjacent park, grocery store, pharmacy, and medical office.

The current distance to groceries and the nearby park is not good for seniors (or anyone else) with disabilities. They must climb a fairly steep hill and cross a busy U.S. highway. It is not the best scenario.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.