Unity Park (New 160 Acre West End Park)

[Danmire]

Tents were set up there this morning for the ground breaking ceremony

[gman430]

6 hours ago, GvilleSC said:

Actually, the Church Street timeline was updated a while back to say winter, and they have removed the existing street lights from the bridge. 

Thanks. Hopefully we will see some movement soon then. Groundbreaking for the Cultural Corridor Project is November 30th by the way.

Edited November 14, 2023 by gman430

[gman430]

Honor Tower at least a year away and construction won’t start on Mayberry Field for at least another 3-6 months…yeesh: 

https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/news/greenville-unity-park-honor-tower-mayberry-field-timeline/article_7dc5b2c6-7f33-11ee-a2b9-cb9e68208c01.html

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by gman430

[NewlyUpstate]

Some great details in there though that I don't think were previously known.

Mayberry Field has been enhanced by a design team from the Greenville Drive (Craig Brown) and will now include dugouts, nice scoreboard, and grandstands for several hundred people

Both the field and tower will have concurrent construction led by Harper Construction, starting in 3-6 months. Mayberry Field expected to open by the end of 2024, while longer lead time items for the tower might extend the timeline into 2025. Mayor White is pushing for completion in 2024 though.

Edited November 15, 2023 by NewlyUpstate

[gman430]

What is the point of having a groundbreaking for a project that isn’t even going to start construction for 3-6 months? And Knox White didn’t even know the tower has been delayed even though he is the mayor. What in the world is going on right now?  

Edited November 17, 2023 by gman430

[vicupstate]

2 hours ago, gman430 said:

What is the point of having a groundbreaking for a project that isn’t even going to start construction for 3-6 months? And Knox White didn’t even know the tower has been delayed even though he is the mayor. What in the world is going on right now?  

Where are you getting this info?

[gman430]

2 hours ago, vicupstate said:

Where are you getting this info?

Wilson said they hope to start construction on the buildings at Mayberry Field in three to six months, with the Little League-sized field expected to open in one year, depending on the design and construction process.

The tower could take longer, and the contractor doesn’t expect to have it completed at the same time as the field. Special materials for the tower might take longer to arrive, Wilson said.

Mayor Knox White said he’s pushing to complete the tower in 2024. He said he’s open to slowing down the construction timeline to raise additional private funds.

White previously said they expect to have the field ready for games in spring 2024. He said he first found out about the updated timeline for the field at a Nov. 14 ceremonial groundbreaking for Mayberry Field.

“I don’t have a problem with it, I just didn’t know where they were,” White said. “We knew it would be delayed because of the desire to make it better. So I’m in favor of that because everything we’re doing in the park is for the ages. We’re not trying to rush anything.”
 

Source: https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/news/greenville-unity-park-honor-tower-mayberry-field-timeline/article_7dc5b2c6-7f33-11ee-a2b9-cb9e68208c01.html

Edited November 17, 2023 by gman430

[NewlyUpstate]

5 hours ago, gman430 said:

What is the point of having a groundbreaking for a project that isn’t even going to start construction for 3-6 months? And Knox White didn’t even know the tower has been delayed even though he is the mayor. What in the world is going on right now?  

You can do site preparation and demolition without starting construction. That's usually when the ground breaking occurs

[vicupstate]

1 hour ago, gman430 said:

Wilson said they hope to start construction on the buildings at Mayberry Field in three to six months, with the Little League-sized field expected to open in one year, depending on the design and construction process.

The tower could take longer, and the contractor doesn’t expect to have it completed at the same time as the field. Special materials for the tower might take longer to arrive, Wilson said.

Mayor Knox White said he’s pushing to complete the tower in 2024. He said he’s open to slowing down the construction timeline to raise additional private funds.

White previously said they expect to have the field ready for games in spring 2024. He said he first found out about the updated timeline for the field at a Nov. 14 ceremonial groundbreaking for Mayberry Field.

“I don’t have a problem with it, I just didn’t know where they were,” White said. “We knew it would be delayed because of the desire to make it better. So I’m in favor of that because everything we’re doing in the park is for the ages. We’re not trying to rush anything.”
 

Source: https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/news/greenville-unity-park-honor-tower-mayberry-field-timeline/article_7dc5b2c6-7f33-11ee-a2b9-cb9e68208c01.html

So the delay is because of the changes they are making which should make it more appealing. Not unusual in that regard. 

[ingvegas]

So...maybe there is still time to back out of this tower and give the current private donations back? 

What about gardens with shade, art statutes, fountains, and benches? What about a soccer field?

I still maintain a "tower" will be initially met with a collective shrug, and then eventually rust and graffiti. A wearable albatross for future generations. 

[NewlyUpstate]

1 hour ago, ingvegas said:

So...maybe there is still time to back out of this tower and give the current private donations back? 

What about gardens with shade, art statutes, fountains, and benches? What about a soccer field?

I still maintain a "tower" will be initially met with a collective shrug, and then eventually rust and graffiti. A wearable albatross for future generations. 

Every park I've been in with a nice tower acts almost like a black hole, people are just naturally drawn to it and want to climb it regardless of what they're doing.

I would be extremely surprised if it doesn't get used.

[transplant08]

It's hard to predict how these tower projects turn out. 

https://www.insider.com/photos-show-the-vessel-new-york-city-hudson-yards-manhattan-2023-11

 

[NewlyUpstate]

17 minutes ago, transplant08 said:

It's hard to predict how these tower projects turn out. 

https://www.insider.com/photos-show-the-vessel-new-york-city-hudson-yards-manhattan-2023-11

 

I was in NYC a few weeks ago and didn't go to Hudson Yards because you couldn't climb it. January 2021 was a weird time, especially in a crowded, dense, cold city like NYC during peak covid. It's too bad it turned into a suicide hot spot.

[distortedlogic]

22 minutes ago, transplant08 said:

It's hard to predict how these tower projects turn out. 

https://www.insider.com/photos-show-the-vessel-new-york-city-hudson-yards-manhattan-2023-11

 

Wow that's an interesting piece. I actually really like that and think it would be cool to climb but I don't consider it apples to apples with Honor Tower (and wow; 200MM). That 150 ft structure in NY would give everyone a view of the 12 floor of every building around it. Honor Tower will be in an open area and intended to give a view of the city; so very different scopes. I still think Honor needs to be taller to fulfill its intended purpose but whatever. I think it will be popular and a lot of people will use.

For the NYC structure, LOL at it being like the Eiffel Tower; those two structures have NOTHING in common in purpose or function. I would think NYC's Eiffel Tower is the Empire State Building.

Edited November 17, 2023 by distortedlogic

[gman430]

Five years from now there probably still won’t be  observation deck on this site or whatever you want to call it so it doesn’t matter. Delay after delay after delay. So much for starting construction in August. Now I know why Dorothy Dowe voted against this boondoggle. Should use the money to fix our terrible roads instead.

Edited November 17, 2023 by gman430

[gman430]

On 9/19/2023 at 4:46 PM, vicupstate said:

This Pickleball project will be on DRB's October agenda (tentative)

This appears to be now under construction. 

[distortedlogic]

I have not played it but I don't really get the Pickelball craze; I mean it has been explosive. I had never heard of it until a couple of years ago when Pope Field in Easley redid their tennis courts. They put up new tennis courts and we went to play and saw a series of half courts beside them. We assumed they were just small courts for kids to learn and play tennis on and used them as such. It wasn't until some older folks showed up with these hard paddles and looked at us funny that we thought anything about it. Then it was EVERYWHERE in like 10 minutes. Maybe it 's a great game, but it seems like sort of a lazy man's tennis...

[NewlyUpstate]

17 minutes ago, distortedlogic said:

I have not played it but I don't really get the Pickelball craze; I mean it has been explosive. I had never heard of it until a couple of years ago when Pope Field in Easley redid their tennis courts. They put up new tennis courts and we went to play and saw a series of half courts beside them. We assumed they were just small courts for kids to learn and play tennis on and used them as such. It wasn't until some older folks showed up with these hard paddles and looked at us funny that we thought anything about it. Then it was EVERYWHERE in like 10 minutes. Maybe it 's a great game, but it seems like sort of a lazy man's tennis...

That's exactly why it's popular. It's a game that people can play into their old ages, as well as children. In a way, similar to golf.

[distortedlogic]

5 minutes ago, NewlyUpstate said:

That's exactly why it's popular. It's a game that people can play into their old ages, as well as children. In a way, similar to golf.

Tennis was already that... this is just a lazier version!

But whatever, I'm sure its fun. (But I can' help but wonder if the craze dies in a few years and we have all these empty little courts everywhere...)

Edited December 1, 2023 by distortedlogic

[Gville2012]

5 hours ago, distortedlogic said:

Tennis was already that... this is just a lazier version!

But whatever, I'm sure its fun. (But I can' help but wonder if the craze dies in a few years and we have all these empty little courts everywhere...)

The social aspect of it also lends itself to a wide audience. I liken it to Top Golf.... 'Real' goffers generally hate Top Golf, but Top Golf has still been wildly successful and expanding/growing. Tennis players generally hate Pickleball, but it continues to grow. If the Top Golf craze dies, we end up with a bunch of overbuilt driving ranges just like it Pickleball dies we end up with a bunch of little courts. My comparison and generalizations aren't 100% comparable but I think my point is valid as it relates this particular development.  

[gman430]

Belladina’s next to Miracle Hill has stalled. No work done in months. 

[GvilleSC]

1 minute ago, gman430 said:

Belladina’s next to Miracle Hill has stalled. No work done in months. 

They've been doing small piecemeal components for a while now. It would appear that they're  getting creative with how they're spending their money and performing the work. Seems like they're committed to finishing the job, but maybe facing financial constraints (?). This is all speculation and rumors that are floating around the community. 

[rabbit seisin]

18 hours ago, GvilleSC said:

They've been doing small piecemeal components for a while now. It would appear that they're  getting creative with how they're spending their money and performing the work. Seems like they're committed to finishing the job, but maybe facing financial constraints (?). This is all speculation and rumors that are floating around the community. 

This is second-hand info so take it with a grain of salt, but my understanding is that the owner is self-financing. So, like you said, they are completing the project in a piecemeal fashion as cashflow permits.  It looks like a lot of the interior work has been done and they are waiting to do some paving and runoff remediation in/around the parking lot area. 

[gman430]

The restaurant was announced 3.5 years ago. LOL.  Maybe they’ll open in another decade…maybe not. I guess they like paying property taxes on a site they aren’t making any money on. 

[gman430]

Looks like the pickleball thing or whatever it is has stalled. No work done in weeks.