drexel

According to an article in today's H-J online news. Main Street Pub re-opens today after a three month renovation. Looks pretty cool. https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2024/04/11/spartanburgs-main-street-pub-is-back-with-more-space-bigger-menu/73255871007/

Still do not think we should spend tax dollars to move the clock tower. I guess that would be phase 2. As I said before I like it just fine where it is and the millions for phase 2 could go elsewhere. Like an East Main road diet/enhancement west of Pine Street or making Barnett Park a better venue.

About 10 years ago Brad Paisley did not play at Barnett Park because the stage is too small. More concerts would bring more out of towners staying in our hotels and eating at our restaurants. A $15 million redo of Morgan Square gets rid of the fountain and a lot of trees that are less than 20 years old. Yes the new stadium may be used for concerts. Of course that involves temp seating and erecting a temp stage. I personally do not care if the clock tower is 1979 (or 1879) . Get rid of it and widen the road coming into downtown?

The clock tower gives downtown a welcoming feel especially driving or walking west to east. Have seen a lot of pretty sunsets looking toward the clock tower from Morgan Square. The clock enhances that view. Maybe a new building on the H-J site would dwarf it; but wait until that happens. Also, I believe we should make minimal changes to the square and spend part of the $15 million on adding permanent seating and a larger stage to Barnett Park. Still leaving a good portion of the grassy hill. More concerts would bring in money and the improvements should pay back many times over. The park is so under utilized.

I agree. There are better projects to spend our TAX DOLLAR on. Just expand brick pavers across Main Street and construct a permanent covered stage. The clock tower looks great where it is.

Why not repave all of DMA behind the courthouse? As much money as we taxpayers have spent for the new courthouse. SC road conditions pretty much suck.

Respectfully disagree. I ride my bike a lot and to be able to ride from downtown to Glendale Shoals is huge. I guess you are against connecting the River Birch Trail with Drayton Mills Trail along Heywood.. It will be a 'Trail' along a busy road. I believe that the county's biggest screw up is allowing sprawl in Boiling Springs. At least CC does not have truck traffic like Pine Street. People do walk on the SIDEWALKS of those very dangerous roads. Evidently a lot of SC has not planned for bypasses like other states. Much safer, moves traffic and helps control sprawl.

I have brought this up several times to a number of city council representatives. I believe we need a stricter city sign ordinance. Last week spent a few days around Red Rock Colorado on the outskirts of Denver. NEVER saw a billboard and almost all the commercial signs were low monument style. Evidently Clemson has a similar restriction as well as some other towns in SC. It is so much more attractive than what we have now. The county is the absolute worst and does not care how big signs are or where they are located. Also saw less litter in a hundred miles than in one mile in Spartanburg/Upstate and the Co. pot tax pays for some damn good roads.

Had dinner st Smoking Butts BBQ for the first time tonight and it was really good. Food and service. The old Wild Wings is such a cool building. The upstairs was not open, but looked ready for live music.

Basically that the Auditorium new management is bringing in more entertainment than in the past few years. Also more variety and using the Hall as much as possible. The Hall/lower arena can hold up to 2,000 people.

HJ article on the Auditorium. Even compares the size of the Hall/lower arena to the Orange Peel (Asheville) that I brought in an earlier post. https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/local/2023/05/15/spartanburg-memorial-auditorium-back-on-radar-for-concert-tours-alice-cooper-billy-idol/70126531007/

Saw Judah and the Lion (adult alternative) last night at the Orange Peel in Asheville. That venue is about the size of 'The Hall' at our Auditorium. Agree that the new management is doing a much better job. But having so many young/college kids living here the Auditorium could have more current/newer music. Love the old stuff, but we should be able to support both. Sister Hazel was great a couple of months ago in Hall/lower arena.

A while back I took the train from Charlotte to High Point, NC. This Amtrak train subsidized by NC runs multiple times a day between Charlotte and Raleigh. The train was relatively crowded. I did not need it but a shuttle bus was at the High Point station going to Winston Salem. Charlotte to Atlanta several times a day with bus service from GSP to Spartanburg and Greenville makes sense and would be well received. IMHO

Saturday for lunch eat at Sully's Steamers in The Hub for the first time. Thought it was really good. They were busy as well Moe's Barbecue. Was also impressed with the new Wofford Book Store. Nice Northside addition.

My wife shops at Target a good bit and we live on the east side. I have said for years that redeveloping the Pinewood Shopping center (Wades) with a Target as an anchor should be a success. Especially as a mixed use development attracting folks from the eastside/Drayton/Berkley as well as Boiling Springs. No clear cutting (already done) and not adding to the nightmare traffic and ugly Boiling Springs out of control sprawl.