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Northside Developments


westsider28

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Saw something on VCOM's FB page today about Cleveland Academy students making their mark on concrete slabs that will form a pathway in "Four Seasons Garden" which will be a small park on the triangular piece of land at the intersection of Magnolia and Howard, across from the DuPre House.  I noticed some temporary fencing there, so this explains that.  Here's a photo of the plan.  Looks like it will be an attractive "gateway" to the Northside.  (Edit: Just went by and construction is well underway.)

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Edited by westsider28
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Harvest Park will open on November 6 (National Healthy Eating Day) with a ribbon cutting, and then there will be a grand opening celebration on November 8.  Monarch Cafe will be open Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 7:00 pm serving fresh, local foods for breakfast and lunch from $5 to $11, and they will accept cash, debit card, SNAP, and Wofford Terrier Bucks.  This is really exciting!  Can't wait for opening day!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I took some photos of Four Season Park this weekend.  It looks like it's almost done.  Benches and plants are in.  The dirt hump and some other surrounding areas are supposed to have grass, so that would be the last thing that needs to be put in.  Oh, and it looks like there will be a sign of some sort on that brick part at the corner.  Even if it's not totally finished, it will look nice for people on their way to the opening of Harvest Park this Saturday.

 

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I think there's enough room for vendors.  The concrete area behind the shelter looks big enough to accommodate those who sell out of the back of their trucks, while the sheltered part would be for tables (drop-off and set-up).  I don't know for sure; just guessing.

 

Customer parking is certainly a concern, particularly right now.  I imagine that in the future, there will be shared parking with other developments.  In the meantime, it's not too far to walk from the lot in the triangle across from VCOM or even the County admin building.  They are also encouraging people to ride bikes there (they have a B-cycle station); I think they are even offering credits to people who do that.

 

From an urban design standpoint, you don't really want to have a huge parking lot that you only fill once a week.  The lot is ideal for daily use for the Monarch Cafe and they are encouraging VCOM and Wofford students/faculty and Northside residents to walk there.  I'm sure there will be some growing pains initially, but they'll figure things out over time.

Edited by westsider28
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Went to the first Farmer's Market at Harvest Park this morning, and it was great!  Plenty of room for vendor trucks to park, both under the canopy and behind it on the concrete.  There was also plenty of parking for customers in the grass behind the market, as well as along the nearby streets and in (many) nearby empty lots.  They could really use a painted crosswalk across Howard, though.

 

The Monarch Cafe is so cool.  It's great for Northside residents to have access to fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, and it will get more use in the future as the area is redeveloped.  Correction to several posts ago^: as well as being open 7-7 M-F, it's also open 8-4 Sat. and 11-4 Sun.--so 7 days a week.  It's great to have something like this in Spartanburg. (HJ article)

 

Here are some photos of Harvest Park, a nearly-complete Brawley St duplex, and the now-sodded 4 Season Park.

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Edited by westsider28
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  • 1 month later...

We seem to be in the midst of some pivotal decisions about some of our most historic buildings.  The Historic Review Board has put Bon Haven (John B Cleveland house at the corner of Church and Asheville Hwy) on a pending list for local historic designation to prevent its sale to an entity who would disassemble the house and reassemble it in Mississippi.  The Cleveland heirs have apparently been trying to sell it for 20 years, with no offers from locals (including entities like Wofford and SRHS).  Apparently a tree fell on and damaged the house several months ago.

 

This is such a difficult situation.  That house is beautiful and is so important to our community, having been built by one of the City's most important citizens.  I really hope we can find a way to keep and renovate this house.  I think the DuPre House has shown that all efforts to save our historic houses (no matter how long it takes or how hopeless it can sometimes seem) are worth it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Related Properties keeps talking smack, insisting that their offer of $2.45 million (mortgage value) for Oakview Apts is a "gift to the city" and that they're "gifting the city" their equity in the building.  But our Asst City Manager called them out, saying their logic is "cynical nonsense" and goes on to say that "Related's property is worth $1 million (assessed by a third-party appraiser) and has a mortgage of $2.4 million. So there's obviously no equity for them to give. The fact that an SC bureaucrat is having to point that out to one of the world's largest real estate owners would be highly comical if not for the fact that their tenants and other residents of the Northside are suffering from this disingenuous game-playing."  BOOM.  Smackdown.

 

But seriously, this situation is bizarre.  I'm no financial/real estate expert, but it seems to me that Related doesn't have much of a leg to stand on in this argument.  I commend the City for doing whatever is necessary to acquire this key piece of property, even in the face of ridiculous, unreasonable demands and statements from Related.

Edited by westsider28
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Rose said Related believes Oakview is worth "well in excess of the value of the mortgage," but City Manager Ed Memmott pointed out during Monday's council meeting that Related has asserted the value at $1.018 million for tax purposes.

 

This is the 'smoking gun', IMO.  This guy must be a uber slumlord.  

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  • 3 weeks later...

Things are under way to help preserve Bon Haven.  The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, which led the effort to move and save the Wilkins mansion in Greenville, is heading things up.  They are looking to raise the money needed to buy out the rights to the house from the salvage company that currently has a contract to demolish the house and part out its contents for architectural salvage.

The Historic Architecture Review Board is meeting on February 12 to vote on whether to recommend the house be included on the city's list of protected historic buildings, which would prevent the house from being demolished.  Anyone interested in seeing this building preserved needs to show up at the meeting and speak out for saving this piece of Spartanburg's history.

 

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20150204/ARTICLES/150209814/1180?Title=Group-officially-forms-to-save-Bon-Haven

 

Facebook page for Save Bon Haven:

https://www.facebook.com/savebonhaven

Edited by sc smitty
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Here's the link to donate or pledge to donate to save Bon Haven: https://palmettotrust.org/projects/save-bon-haven

 

As sc smitty said, if you would like to see the house saved, show up at the HARB meeting (2/12, 5:30pm) and consider pledging some money for the cause.

Personally, I think it is extremely important that we save the house.  It's one of the few grand mansions left in Spartanburg and an important part of our history (built by one of Spartanburg's foremost citizens - John B. Cleveland).

 

Spartan - Great to see the big donation to the Northside Initiative!

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Here's the link to donate or pledge to donate to save Bon Haven: https://palmettotrust.org/projects/save-bon-haven

 

As sc smitty said, if you would like to see the house saved, show up at the HARB meeting (2/12, 5:30pm) and consider pledging some money for the cause.

Personally, I think it is extremely important that we save the house.  It's one of the few grand mansions left in Spartanburg and an important part of our history (built by one of Spartanburg's foremost citizens - John B. Cleveland).

 

Spartan - Great to see the big donation to the Northside Initiative!

Just now seeing this. I will donate. It would be a huge mistake to let this house be demolished. Frankly, I can't believe no one would want to buy it for that price. It looks to be in good shape.  Where is it located exactly?  

 

If $7.5 mm can be raised for Northside, it hard to believe $250k can't be raised for this.   

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I am confused here so try to help me out. Dexter Cleveland has been trying to sell his family's house for 15 years but cannot find a buyer. The house has been sitting vacant in what is one of the worst but busiest locales in town. Then when Dexter does manage to find a buyer, this historical society decides to step in and block the sale because this house needs to be "preserved". Weren't the folks in Mississippi offering 1.5 mil for the house? I am all for preservation, but stepping in and using all kinds of means to prevent a person from selling what is legally theirs sounds a bit non capitalistic.

 

Why the sudden rush to save a house that has been for sale for 15 or so years when the guy finally finds a buyer? Where were these folks 15-20 years ago when the house was in better shape?

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I am confused here so try to help me out. Dexter Cleveland has been trying to sell his family's house for 15 years but cannot find a buyer. The house has been sitting vacant in what is one of the worst but busiest locales in town. Then when Dexter does manage to find a buyer, this historical society decides to step in and block the sale because this house needs to be "preserved". Weren't the folks in Mississippi offering 1.5 mil for the house? I am all for preservation, but stepping in and using all kinds of means to prevent a person from selling what is legally theirs sounds a bit non capitalistic.

 

Why the sudden rush to save a house that has been for sale for 15 or so years when the guy finally finds a buyer? Where were these folks 15-20 years ago when the house was in better shape?

They cannot find a buyer that is willing to pay the inflated price they want for it.  There was talk of someone in Mississippi buying the parts and using them to basically recreate a new version of the house, but that never worked out, and now they are pretty much trying to part the contents out for architectural salvage. People in historic preservation have approached the Cleveland family in the past, trying to offer help in finding a buyer and a use for the house, but were never given a chance. Why are people only speaking up now? Because it wasn't until recently that the family has moved forward with plans to tear the house down.  It is not in that bad of condition that it couldn't be saved and repurposed by the right buyer.  It at least deserves that chance.

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Well they have 4 days to come up with 240K. Apparently most Spartans have better things to spend their dough on than a broken down 1920's joint in a terrible neighborhood.

Doesn't say much for Spartans then. The beauty and value of this house is obvious.and irreplaceable.  Has anyone looked at moving it?

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Well they have 4 days to come up with 240K. Apparently most Spartans have better things to spend their dough on than a broken down 1920's joint in a terrible neighborhood.

A terrible neighborhood?  I'm not that familiar with Spartanburg, but I've see far worse sections of town.  I wouldn't think right next to Wofford College is such a crummy area.  And it was built in 1884, and is far from being broken down.

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  • 4 months later...

The City was notified that it did not receive the $22m HUD Neighborhood Implementation Grant. Bummer. That would have gone a long way towards revitalizing the Northside. The good news is that progress is still happening, and the City feels good about things moving forward despite not getting the grant.

 

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20150715/ARTICLES/150719815/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Spartanburg-misses-out-on-HUD-grant-for-Northside

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  • 4 weeks later...

A few updates: Habitat for Humanity is building 3 homes on Forest Ave (corner of Farley), essentially 1-for-1 replacements of 3 houses that were demolished.  The one they're working on now will be 3BR, 2BA, 1,150 sq ft; I'm sure the others will be similar.  Habitat has built about 8 houses near Centennial St across from SRHC in the past few years, as well.  Their houses are nice, so these will be good for the area.

Also, City Council is moving ahead with the new TK Gregg Center.  They will likely vote tonight to negotiate with McMillan Pazdan Smith (naturally) to begin designing plans for the new community center.  The new TK Gregg should be under construction by 2017 or earlier.  I assume the City has worked out the eminent domain case with the Oakview Apts owner for the site?  I haven't heard anything about that lately.  I hope they'll give an update at the CC meeting.

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