New Greenville developments

[Spartan]

I'm excited to see what Riverplace will look like in person. I probably won't go to ICAR, but I look forward to seeing the pics from those of you who do.

[motonenterprises]

Riverplace is coming along good. For a low rise structure it actually stands out pretty good downtown. Not many things in the way of its view off of the Church Street bridge. I can't wait until they start on some of these towers.

[goodbye]

Yes, the towers we speak of... Look for the first construction to begin sometime in early Spring at The Pinnacle on Main (14-stories) site. The 12-story Camperdown Condominiums are said to begin in the summer. By this time next year we should finally have some of those additional towers as part of our skyline.

[goodbye]

Here's an editorial of interest to this thread. Hope this will be informative for some of those who don't keep up on the area.

Liberty Bridge one of city's great accomplishments for year

The Greenville News

Posted Monday, January 10, 2005 - 1:43 am

Jimmy Cornelison

Several years ago, I took it upon myself to offer an annual "state of our city" opinion. The state of Greenville during that time has ranged from hunky-dory to copacetic, which is right up there with two thumbs up.

There is an old saying that goes something like, "When you think things can't get any worse, they do."

The reverse also is true. "When you think things can't get any better, they do."

This was true of downtown Greenville during the year of our Lord, 2004. It's true for one reason and one reason alone: the Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy.

This one-of-a-kind suspension bridge along with the falls and landscaping of the park gave Greenville an asset it has never had before. It gave the city something that made the downtown area a destination.

In the process, it got the West End moving. That area of the city had been struggling for almost a decade to attract the crowds common to the north end of Main Street. Now they are coming.

It is not just me who recognizes what downtown has become. In a feature story in The Charlotte Observer, a writer said

[Spartan]

Each year in my "state of Greenville" message, I make this suggestion: Let's please finish all the works in progress and have a moratorium on development. Have a year with no orange pylons herding cars, nothing under construction. Let's simply sit back and enjoy the wonders and beauty of what has been created.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hope this is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek statement.

[btoy]

GSA BUsiness has a nice atricle on the Piazza at Bergamo planned for main st. I didnt scroll through the post but I think this is one we could not find a picture of.

New ideas bring pizzaz to Piazza Bergamo

Mark Jones, Senior Reporter

Another slice of Italy is on its way to downtown Greenville.

New development activity around Piazza Bergamo will include additional retail, office and residential space.

Drawing on architecture from the Tuscany region, development manager Craig Stipes says The Furman Co.'s mixed-use The Piazza at Bergamo will feature a covered promenade, authentic tower, and clay barrel-tile roofing. The ground level will have shops opening onto Main Street and into Piazza Bergamo. All six executive loft residences will have covered balconies overlooking the piazza.

Stipes says the city's Design and Preservation Commission must approve design elements at a formal presentation Feb. 3. Along with Furman Co. Development LLC, Batson Architects is responsible for design services and Harper Corp. is the contractor.

The project would be built on the current Young Fashions site. Stipes says the development team has worked closely with the city to create a design that captures the actual piazza in Bergamo, Italy, and the energy of downtown Greenville.

"As of right now, we're encouraged that those who have seen the renderings seem to be pleased with our plans," he says. "We've gotten some positive feedback from members of the DPC who have seen the plans."

Once the project gains final approval, Stipes says work will begin within months to take down Young Fashions and begin construction.

A narrow bridge of office space runs above Piazza Bergamo and is reached by a staircase that abuts the current Young Fashions building. The city will be responsible for removing the staircase and Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey says a "less obtrusive" stairway will be built to access the offices, which are currently vacant.

Stipes says The Piazza at Bergamo offers "true walking distance of everything downtown and is really at the center of activity." He says "several" of the residential units are under reservation agreements.

"We've had a lot of interest in the residential space from young professionals who want to live and work downtown and many people in outlying areas like the Cliffs at Glassy or Keowee that want a second residence in downtown," says Stipes.

In addition, letters of intent have been submitted for the 7,000 square feet of retail space, which will likely be divided into two spaces, and Stipes says an undisclosed local business plans to lease the 8,400 square feet of office space on the second floor.

He says The Furman Co. will remain in its offices across Piazza Bergamo in the Bank of America building. The 12-story building was recently purchased by local real estate investment firm TIC Properties for $12.5 million.

Recently announced plans to add up to 30,000 square feet will not have a major impact on current tenants, according to Brandy Watson, TIC's chief marketing officer.

Plans are being reviewed by the city, but Watson says the project will include demolishing the existing parking garage to provide new office space, repositioning the entrance from Piazza Bergamo to Washington Street, and creating courtyard space. She says a second phase calls for additional offices and other mixed-use space for possible retail and residential.

The 191,000-square-foot existing building is about 90 percent occupied, she says. Mezzanine office space above the parking level will be lost, but is among the 12,000 square feet currently vacant.

"One of our driving forces was that this is probably one of the most recognized buildings in downtown Greenville," Watson says. "It's been there since 1973, it's central to many of the city's activities and to us it's kind of a hidden treasure."

Both building projects are in negotiations to secure parking at the city's nearby Richardson Street parking garage.

"That area is such an important piece to the mix downtown," says Bourey. "I think these projects will enhance the piazza area a lot."

[Spartan]

It seems like there are alot of projects in Greenville that are using the Italian/Tuscan theme. Does anyone have an explanation for why that is?

[vicupstate]

^^

The tie in is to Bergamo Italy, one of Greenville's "sister cities".

That is a great project BTW, can't wait for it to start!

[vicupstate]

Greenville Journal reports that the city has sold the West End Market to local dentist/developer Joseph Moon for $2.6 mm. The city will realize a 1.9 mm profit, of which $1mm will be spent on street landscaping in the West End. The building has 14 tenants. Mellow Mushroom Pizza will open in April and the Police substation will soon move out of the building.

[Spartan]

What is "mm" ?

[vicupstate]

What is "mm" ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Notation for a million dollars. M stands for 1,000. MM stands for 1,000 x 1,000. Too lazy for all those zeros.

[goodbye]

For those who haven't seen the Greenville Vision 2025 document, I thought you might be interested in reading.

GREENVILLE VISION 2025

[goodbye]

Here was an interesting article written on Vision 2025...

Seeing visions--ours are set on 2025

Posted Monday, November 8, 2004 - 3:47 pm

By Clayton Kale

STAFF WRITER

[email protected]

Our parents and our grandparents produced tangible things.

The emerging economy is producing intangible things.

It's producing bits of data that travel thousands of miles in a stream of ones and zeros at the speed of light.

The new economy produces ideas.

Manufacturing jobs - once the backbone of the American economy - are still dependent on cheap land and cheap labor, but countries such as China are able to lowball any deal with government subsidies and bargain basement wages.

The key to economic growth is the growth of ideas.

And the people who have the most ideas are the creative class.

The creative class are college-educated, tech savvy people who probably grew up in the burbs but want to try a city on for a change.

At the kickoff for Vision 2025, keynote speaker Carol Coletta, who gets paid big bucks for her ideas as a consultant, said the creative class--educated and artistic 25-to 34-ear-olds--are the most important demographic for a city's growth.

Why?

Because we work cheap, we marry late (read: we work 40-plus hours), we're productive as hell and we're the professionals with the most recent education.

Cynics would say that means the creative class are suckers who prove their worth by showing their bosses how to operate Microsoft Word.

But in reality, it is we who will snip the wires and make the world wireless.

It is we who will turn hydrogen into fuel.

Running cars on the most abundant element in the universe is a big idea that will take a lot of work.

So is turning Greenville into an international business hub with a "mini- Epcot."

But Greenville and the Upstate are ready for it if the Vision 2025 plan is taken seriously.

Realistically, not everything that the 20 or so committees in 2025 have laid out can be done.

Some ideas won't go over well with segments of this population.

But it'll be a game of give and take, bringing about things such as managed growth while keeping the "welcome y'all" attitude that the Upstate is known for.

Only the grouchiest folks would complain about the things that were ushered in with the help of the Greenville 2005 initiative - a similar project back in 1987.

Things like The Peace Center and the Bi-Lo Center, the Governor's School and a big-time research park, which landed in the form of ICAR just before the 2005 target date.

Greenville is excited about having visions, but the creative class should be the ones getting excited.

We're the ones who will get to enjoy living here when these ideas become tangible.

______________________________________________________________

The author touched on some of what we've discussed recently, namely looking at bringing more creativity into town by retaining the "creative class" already here. I agree that this will be a large boost to the overall - and especially longterm - success of future growth within the city.

[goodbye]

Not sure if anyone has heard about this or even cares, but I thought it might be fairly nice.

Indiana-based chain to take on Best Buy, Circuit City in Upstate

Richard Breen, Editor

An Indianapolis-based chain is ready to make Woodruff Road a three-way

playing field for appliance and electronics consumers.

An official with H.H. Gregg Appliances Inc., which operates under the

hhgregg brand, told GSABUSINESS today it plans to open a store in Park

Woodruff Shopping Center by summer and could eventually have three stores in

the Upstate.

[gs3]

Not sure if anyone has heard about this or even cares, but I thought it might be fairly nice.

Indiana-based chain to take on Best Buy, Circuit City in Upstate

Richard Breen, Editor

An Indianapolis-based chain is ready to make Woodruff Road a three-way

playing field for appliance and electronics consumers.

An official with H.H. Gregg Appliances Inc., which operates under the

hhgregg brand, told GSABUSINESS today it plans to open a store in Park

Woodruff Shopping Center by summer and could eventually have three stores in

the Upstate.

[goodbye]

Not sure, but sounds like it's somewhere near the Shops at Greenridge?

[Spartan]

There is a huge empty lot accross the road from Greenridge next to Sticky Fingers. Maybe its there?

[goodbye]

The land directly across Woodruff Road from the Shops at Greenridge is currently being graded for the shopping center which will include Whole Foods, etc. The name slips my mind at this time (includes "the Point"), but it may be the same one, except that the article says it's a couple of blocks away from Best Buy. I'm not positive, but I believe this is a totally separate shopping center.

[greenvilleguy]

Park Woodruff is the development where Garden Ridge, Hamrick's, and Frankie's Fun Park are. I assume that it will be up close to Woodruff Road beside the beverage store and across from Ethan Allen. You know there is some land between the liquor store and Woodruff Road. There is also a Hampton Inn there. It will probably be across from it...

[goodbye]

Thanks, Greenvilleguy! I thought that name was familiar.

[greenvilleguy]

Now all they need is a PF Chang's somewhere along Woodruff. Or a Cheesecake Factory...

[btoy]

THe one accross from Greenridge is Shops at the Point, it is being done by Centenial American Properties, capllc.com

[gs3]

There was a story in todays Greenville News about the HH Gregg location....flattering comments from the owners that they saw Greenville and Charlotte as the two other southern cities (other than Atlanta) that they really wanted to be in quickly.

Here is the link:

http://greenvilleonline.com/news/business/...05020157765.htm

[btoy]

This mornings Greenville News announced a new office condo project on Main St. Article is below, picture was in paper but like always it is not on the Greenville News website.

New condo project developing downtown

Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 10:53 pm

By David Dykes

BUSINESS WRITER

[email protected]

Developers announced plans Wednesday for a four-story office condominium complex on South Main Street in downtown Greenville, with plans for the main floor to be occupied by a retail business.

Officials with B & B Properties and First Commercial Realty said Twenty-Two South Main, as the project will be known, will include 11 units for sale ranging in size from 1,600 square feet to 3,600 square feet, with offices on the top three floors and options for design-work environments.

The building, now owned by Harrison Properties, fronts both Main and Laurens streets and is across the street from Wachovia Place.

Project costs will exceed $5 million and Class A office space will be located on Main Street.

"The downtown trend in major cities including Atlanta and Charlotte is for small businesses to own their own office space," said Jim Farish of B & B Properties, the project's developer. "We're pleased to bring the office condominium concept to Main Street in Greenville."

The emphasis on mixed-used development "is wonderfully consistent with our downtown plan that's been unfolding the last few years," said Greenville Mayor Knox White.

Jerry Harrison, a partner with Harrison Properties, said he expects the sale of the nearly 0.22 acres to close in May.

The site is valued for tax purposes at nearly $1.4 million, according to county real estate records.

John Fort of First Commercial Realty, which is handling the marketing, sales and development oversight for the project, said a retail tenant/owner is being sought for the site.

[gs3]

This is an existing building that will be redone, correct? Th only empty building I can think of in that block is a gray stucco looking building, between the new Health Bar and Sophisticated Palate. Is that the one?