Greater Spartanburg Projects & Developments

[westsider28]

19 minutes ago, Spartan said:

Is it in the City or no? 

The apartments at Pinewood?  Yes, they're in the City.

[westsider28]

Saw a Voluntary Cleanup Contract notice (VCC PDF) in the paper today for the Startex Mill site (26 acres, located at 23 N Main St).  Startex Mill, LLC plans to acquire the property as a "Brownfields Site" and redevelop the property for multi-family housing and commercial and retail uses.  This is great news!  It would really help revitalize a somewhat forgotten mill village that's surrounded by rapid growth on all sides.  Site (which is actually in Wellford city limits):

   

Reading the document, Startex Mill LLC is located at 145 W Main, St 300, Spartanburg; which is the Colliers CRE office downtown, and it mentions later that John Montgomery (who works there) is the developer.

More details: The developer intends to redevelop the former Spartan Mills Finishing Building into multi-family housing. The former Spartan Mills Administrative Offices Building will be converted into multi-use commercial and retail spaces. An additional portion of the property may be developed with a building for multi-family housing. The remaining areas along the Middle Tyger River will be developed as passive recreation areas for the community. 

Later in the document it says: The applicant intends to redevelop the abandoned mill into multi-family housing. For the excess land surrounding the abandoned mill, the applicant will build single-family residential housing, some portion of which will be affordable housing. The existing former office buildings still on-site will be converted into multi-use (commercial and retail) spaces. The construction of the project will cost approximately $15 million and employ numerous local contractors. The new businesses to be operated within the development will create between 20 and 30 permanent jobs.

Regardless of the exact details, the general plan is great and will be a big positive for the area.

[NotNotSanti]

56 minutes ago, westsider28 said:

Saw a Voluntary Cleanup Contract notice (VCC PDF) in the paper today for the Startex Mill site (26 acres, located at 23 N Main St).  Startex Mill, LLC plans to acquire the property as a "Brownfields Site" and redevelop the property for multi-family housing and commercial and retail uses.  This is great news!  It would really help revitalize a somewhat forgotten mill village that's surrounded by rapid growth on all sides.  Site (which is actually in Wellford city limits):

   

Reading the document, Startex Mill LLC is located at 145 W Main, St 300, Spartanburg; which is the Colliers CRE office downtown, and it mentions later that John Montgomery (who works there) is the developer.

More details: The developer intends to redevelop the former Spartan Mills Finishing Building into multi-family housing. The former Spartan Mills Administrative Offices Building will be converted into multi-use commercial and retail spaces. An additional portion of the property may be developed with a building for multi-family housing. The remaining areas along the Middle Tyger River will be developed as passive recreation areas for the community. 

Later in the document it says: The applicant intends to redevelop the abandoned mill into multi-family housing. For the excess land surrounding the abandoned mill, the applicant will build single-family residential housing, some portion of which will be affordable housing. The existing former office buildings still on-site will be converted into multi-use (commercial and retail) spaces. The construction of the project will cost approximately $15 million and employ numerous local contractors. The new businesses to be operated within the development will create between 20 and 30 permanent jobs.

Regardless of the exact details, the general plan is great and will be a big positive for the area.

Thank you for highlighting this, Westsider. Just saw it also, and it prompts a question I've had for a while:

So Volunteer Cleanup Contracts - does it mean essentially that a company gets tax benefits due to it being considered a brownfield site, and in exchange, they have to ensure that any contamination that is present will not affect whomever ends up using the property moving forward? Is that the essence of it?

[westsider28]

3 hours ago, Santi said:

Thank you for highlighting this, Westsider. Just saw it also, and it prompts a question I've had for a while:

So Volunteer Cleanup Contracts - does it mean essentially that a company gets tax benefits due to it being considered a brownfield site, and in exchange, they have to ensure that any contamination that is present will not affect whomever ends up using the property moving forward? Is that the essence of it?

Developers don't get tax breaks from the VCC program itself (there are other avenues for that), they just get liability protection for the contamination that was already there.  Here's the website (https://scdhec.gov/environment/pollution-types-advisories-monitoring/clean-projects-progress/brownfieldsvoluntary) and what it says (in short): "The Brownfields component of the Voluntary Cleanup Program allows a non-responsible party to acquire a contaminated property with State Superfund liability protection for existing contamination by agreeing to perform an environmental assessment and/or remediation."

 

[NotNotSanti]

43 minutes ago, westsider28 said:

Developers don't get tax breaks from the VCC program itself (there are other avenues for that), they just get liability protection for the contamination that was already there.  Here's the website (https://scdhec.gov/environment/pollution-types-advisories-monitoring/clean-projects-progress/brownfieldsvoluntary) and what it says (in short): "The Brownfields component of the Voluntary Cleanup Program allows a non-responsible party to acquire a contaminated property with State Superfund liability protection for existing contamination by agreeing to perform an environmental assessment and/or remediation."

 

Thanks for that. I was looking for a good explanation, and that would do it.

I found this to be of interest:

Financial incentives are available for non-responsible parties who have entered into the VCP. They include:

1. State corporate income tax credit for expenses incurred by a taxpayer in cleaning up a site. For your convenience, the "Application for Ceretification Credit for Expenses Incurred Through Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program" form can be found at http://www.scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/Library/D-2722.pdf .
2. Jobs tax credit in the amount of an additional $1000 to established job tax credit
3. Property tax exemption, with county concurrence
4. Fees in lieu of property taxes, with a $1 million threshold minimum

Will need to read up a bit more tomorrow before posting on this elsewhere. The last thing I need is Brownfield laws keeping me up at night! XD

[westsider28]

On 10/23/2022 at 5:48 PM, westsider28 said:

Saw a Voluntary Cleanup Contract notice (VCC PDF) in the paper today for the Startex Mill site (26 acres, located at 23 N Main St).  Startex Mill, LLC plans to acquire the property as a "Brownfields Site" and redevelop the property for multi-family housing and commercial and retail uses.  This is great news!  It would really help revitalize a somewhat forgotten mill village that's surrounded by rapid growth on all sides.  

Reading the document, Startex Mill LLC is located at 145 W Main, St 300, Spartanburg; which is the Colliers CRE office downtown, and it mentions later that John Montgomery (who works there) is the developer.

More details: The developer intends to redevelop the former Spartan Mills Finishing Building into multi-family housing. The former Spartan Mills Administrative Offices Building will be converted into multi-use commercial and retail spaces. An additional portion of the property may be developed with a building for multi-family housing. The remaining areas along the Middle Tyger River will be developed as passive recreation areas for the community. 

Later in the document it says: The applicant intends to redevelop the abandoned mill into multi-family housing. For the excess land surrounding the abandoned mill, the applicant will build single-family residential housing, some portion of which will be affordable housing. The existing former office buildings still on-site will be converted into multi-use (commercial and retail) spaces. The construction of the project will cost approximately $15 million and employ numerous local contractors. The new businesses to be operated within the development will create between 20 and 30 permanent jobs.

Regardless of the exact details, the general plan is great and will be a big positive for the area.

More details about the Startex Mill redevelopment in the P&C.  Redevelopment would begin in summer 2023 and include renovations to convert the existing building into residences, office space and retail.  John Montgomery said he plans to clear an area near the river to make it public open space with a connecting trail to a steel bridge built in 1932 that crosses the river. He anticipates having at least 100 apartment units in the existing mill space.  Phase 1 should be done by the end of 2024.  

Plans are also being made to refurbish the 250-foot long steel bridge crossing the river. The bridge was recently deeded to the Startex-Tucapau Preservation Foundation, which--together with the Tyger River Foundation--plans to transform it into a pedestrian bridge and music venue. Fundraising efforts are planned for 2023 with the total cost to refurbish the bridge at about $1.2 million.

Exciting stuff! Can't wait.

Edited November 8, 2022 by westsider28

[westsider28]

Found a large potential new development.  Colliers is marketing ~100 acres off of Iron Ore Road, behind North Grove Medical Park as "North Grove" mixed-use.  The conceptual plan shows 336 apartments, 159 townhomes, 34 SFH sites, and +/-5 outparcels (~13 acres) for office/medical/commercial development.  I think this is very preliminary and depends on what the buyer/developer wants to do with the property, but it would be an exciting development if it comes to fruition.

I think the renderings are actually recycled from the old Milliken Village proposal (which I doubt is going to happen at this point).

Edited November 10, 2022 by westsider28

[Spartan]

Insanity.  Nice renderings that don't accurately reflect the very poor site design. I hope they are just using that for marketing purposes.

[rancenc]

New industrial park breaking ground in Spartanburg County.

https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/northpoint-development-kickstarts-3-3-msf-industrial-park/

[westsider28]

Comet Apartments progress at Pinewood:

[westsider28]

A new brewery is coming to Chesnee!  Outside Influence Brewing will be at 213 S. Alabama Ave. in the heart of downtown.  They're hoping to open next spring.  Here's their Instagram page.

UBJ has put out a pretty comprehensive article about the growth of the City of Woodruff.  It mentions the coming BMW battery assembly plant and 4,000 new homes in the pipeline.  The city's population could increase from 4,300 to as much as 18,000 over the next several years.  It mentions the new high school, which will have a capacity for 2,000 students (more than double the current high school's 800 students).

Interestingly, the City has implemented development impact fees to keep up with the growth.  It amounts to about $4,000 for each new home. If all 4,000 homes planned in the next five years are built, the fees could generate up to $16 million for the city.  The new revenue will go toward increasing staffing for the police department and development of a new sports and recreation complex on 32 acres of land the city acquired near what will become the BMW battery assembly plant.

[westsider28]

Coldwell Banker Caine announced plans to renovate the former Bank of Woodruff at 140 South Main Street for a new office there.  It's also set to be nominated to the National Historic Register as part of Woodruff Historic District.

[westsider28]

The third building (of four) is rising at the Comet Apartments site at Pinewood.  I found a CRE listing for the Garner Square shopping center behind it (w/former Gatti's) that says the apartment complex has 208 units.  My old estimate of 120 was from a planning commission document years ago, so it's quite possible that this larger number is correct, especially if all 4 buildings are 4-stories.  That would be great for the City population and should help reinvigorate the retail scene around there.

Here are some aerial photos from that listing, for context:

[westsider28]

On 11/8/2022 at 1:44 PM, westsider28 said:

More details about the Startex Mill redevelopment in the P&C.  Redevelopment would begin in summer 2023 and include renovations to convert the existing building into residences, office space and retail.  John Montgomery said he plans to clear an area near the river to make it public open space with a connecting trail to a steel bridge built in 1932 that crosses the river. He anticipates having at least 100 apartment units in the existing mill space.  Phase 1 should be done by the end of 2024.  

Plans are also being made to refurbish the 250-foot long steel bridge crossing the river. The bridge was recently deeded to the Startex-Tucapau Preservation Foundation, which--together with the Tyger River Foundation--plans to transform it into a pedestrian bridge and music venue. Fundraising efforts are planned for 2023 with the total cost to refurbish the bridge at about $1.2 million.

Exciting stuff! Can't wait.

Found a real estate listing for a home in Startex that has a site plan and several aerials of the Startex Mill redevelopment.

[SpartanBorn&Raised]

4 hours ago, westsider28 said:

Found a real estate listing for a home in Startex that has a site plan and several aerials of the Startex Mill redevelopment.

This is VERY exciting!!! My parents, grandmother and several of my aunts and uncles (bio and step) worked in Startex Mill through the 80's and 90's up until it shut down.  I'm so glad to see this area getting new life and can't wait to come hang out there whenever I can (walking the trail and supporting the businesses)!