JohnSmith99

Totally fair - but vicupstate's point #2 was about a place to take kids to see the mountains that was free - not about the quality of the view. You have a free view that's safe for kids at the lookout on Highway 11 - you don't need an $11 million tower just for that.

1. Please google synonym for mound. You will find that the #1 answer is hill. Thank you for giving me that chuckle. My point is that a 3rd floor view from the Hyatt is not something people are going to drive from hours to see. And even if it's the fifth floor of the Hyatt from your "mound," it still isn't that impressive. Liberty Bridge, however, is that impressive. 2. Thank you for proving my point - you don't drive for hours to visit a city to take a view of the mountains when the mountains are less than 15 minutes away! (Again, you are exaggerating to attempt to prove your point because Paris Mountain State Park is a 15 minute drive from Unity Park) 3. Did BMW give money to Honor Tower? I must have missed that, because I saw that BMW gave money to the restoration of the Reedy, not a tower. In fact, I read that the money had not been raised yet for Honor Tower, which is no surprise to me, but perhaps some on here will donate.

There is a massive difference in spending money in the park and spending money on a taj mahal to the mayor when the city cannot maintain its other assets. My personal belief is that Unity Park has been long needed and will be a great asset for the entire community. It's how the money is being spent that is the issue.

This is going to be a great addition to downtown and really fill out the Church Street corridor. What ever happened with the conversations about lowering Church Street to grade and removing the bridge?

This isn't the point. Why can't you just admit that all of our new "attractions" sound the same and it's just a smidge funny - Peace, Liberty, Unity, Honor...next will be Valor and Dignity - too bad Charlotte already took Freedom 1. So now we're going to walk up a hill of fill to get to the base of the Honor Tower? That part of Unity Park is 918ft above sea-level according to GIS. Main Street in front of the Hyatt is 988ft above sea level. If each of the 10-stories is 10-feet tall, that will make the top of Honor Tower 1,018 feet above sea level - or on the 3rd floor of the Hyatt Office Building... 2. Now it's about giving a "free" view of the mountains? Or one that's easy with kids? Just take a drive to one of our beautiful state parks IN THE MOUNTAINS! Or stop at a lookout on the side of our many state highways. That is an absurd point 3. This is a fair point, but you must admit that people are going to give their money somewhere - so if this $5.5 million is being given here, it's $5.5 million less that could be given somewhere else...

Great idea. Another example of something that is old/run-down that the City has not truly invested in for years. This tower is a glory project for our Mayor and nothing else.

Yes - these are all facts that locals know, including the Peace Center being named after the Peace family. Tourists will not know that and find it cliché, especially because Honor/Unity were picked by the City, while Liberty and Peace were led by the private sector.

You really think a 10-story tower at one of the lowest points in the City is going to be comparable to Liberty Bridge? And will become the postcard for our city?! People will walk it once, realize the views are better at several rooftop bars in Greenville, and never return. Why would a tourist walk it? To see what? Every dollar that goes into Honor Tower is a dollar that could have gone to something else - and that includes the private money. So while $5.5 million is restricted for tourist related items, the other $5.5 million is not. $11 million could help so many in so many ways, yet we're going to build a lookout tower in a hole, name it something cliché like we're on a military base or something, and then not maintain it like we do with our other public investments. Lose, lose, lose and a moment in time we're going to reflect upon in the years to come and be disappointed by the waste.

What ROI will the tower possibly bring? What will happen around Unity Park because of Honor Tower that would not have happened otherwise? Please answer that And just off the top of my head, other places the funds could go that would bring real ROI: any of our gateways, specifically the old Memorial Auditorium site - which Mayor Knox said would be developed immediately after demolition! It is private land, yes, but imagine if the city told the developer we have $5.5 million to create a public destination inside your project. Repairing public fountains throughout downtown, many of which have been broken for years, like the RiverPlace fountain/splashpad. Funding the Greenville Triumph stadium somewhere in the city, instead of letting it go to Mauldin. A handicap accessible playground (it's Unity Park, yet there is not a single playground in our city designed for the disabled!). That took 2 minutes - do you want more?

$5.5 million public dollars for a tower down in a hole?! And the name is "Honor" Tower? Liberty, Unity and now Honor - how cliché are we trying to be? It is shocking that more people aren't upset about the amount of money going into this park, while other public spaces all over the city sit in disrepair. That "tower" will be another item that is not maintained and is ultimately shuttered. Imagine what real good could be done with $11 million dollars!