Unity Park (New 160 Acre West End Park)

[JohnSmith99]

3 minutes ago, gvegascple said:

You seem oddly over passionate about spending money on this park.   Money spent on the tower will be  more than just made back in tourism and tax revenue and nearby development.   The land the tower is being built on is being built up so its not the lowest spot in the city not that it matters, it is for views of the park, the skyline, and the mountains which it will do.   So if its not about money or the views, what is the real reason you don't want money spent on this park?

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. 

[gman]

1 minute ago, JohnSmith99 said:

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. 

What other assets are not being maintained?

[gman430]

25 minutes ago, gman said:

What other assets are not being maintained?

This article goes into good detail about what other assets are not being maintained: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/11/greenville-sc-tension-builds-weighs-supporting-tourism-residents/7139897001/ 

In my opinion, this “tower” or whatever you wanna call it is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars and is a pointless endeavor by the mayor just to make his ego look bigger than it already is. There’s a reason they haven’t been able to raise the private money needed for it yet. Personally, I hope the whole thing falls flat on its face and the $5.5 million ends up going where it’s actually needed instead of here.

Edited May 6, 2022 by gman430

[vicupstate]

1 hour ago, JohnSmith99 said:

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... 

1. It is built on a mound so to speak, not a hill.  The video clearly shows the view is far better than the third floor of the Hyatt, which shows literally nothing other than the third floor across the street. 

2. Your second point is ridiculous.  Two entirely different things. Visiting and exploring a city vs driving 45-60 minutes north to take a hike on a mountain trail.

3. They will not just give money to something else.  This is the first time I recall BMW doing anything like this other than their Golf event.  

[gman]

1 hour ago, gman430 said:

This article goes into good detail about what other assets are not being maintained: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/11/greenville-sc-tension-builds-weighs-supporting-tourism-residents/7139897001/ 

In my opinion, this “tower” or whatever you wanna call it is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars and is a pointless endeavor by the mayor just to make his ego look bigger than it already is. There’s a reason they haven’t been able to raise the private money needed for it yet. Personally, I hope the whole thing falls flat on its face and the $5.5 million ends up going where it’s actually needed instead of here.

That article is much to do and say about nothing. Disgruntled employee. 

[rabbit seisin]

There’s  nothing wrong with the tower, at least in theory. There are plenty of examples of places with beloved towers that serve no practical purpose other than as landmarks. 
 

What worries me however is that all of the renderings of Honor Tower are ugly.  I don’t understand why we can’t build something in harmony with the culture and character of Greenville’s existing architecture, but I’m willing to concede that my good taste is not universal. The other problem I’ve noticed over the years is that the tower’s dimensions seem to be shrinking with each proposal. By the time we break ground I worry we’ll be left with the Stonehenge set from Spinal Tap. 

[distortedlogic]

2 hours ago, JohnSmith99 said:

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 

 

You're forgetting Truth, Justice, and The American Way!

 

Sorry, couldn't resist...

[JohnSmith99]

1 hour ago, vicupstate said:

1. It is built on a mound so to speak, not a hill.  The video clearly shows the view is far better than the third floor of the Hyatt, which shows literally nothing other than the third floor across the street. 

2. Your second point is ridiculous.  Two entirely different things. Visiting and exploring a city vs driving 45-60 minutes north to take a hike on a mountain trail.

3. They will not just give money to something else.  This is the first time I recall BMW doing anything like this other than their Golf event.  

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. 

[gman]

2 minutes ago, JohnSmith99 said:

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. 

As for point #2. I live at the foot of Paris Mountain. I would rather have the view of the mountain than be on the mountain. It's like driving Highway 11 to get a view of the mountains and the leaves. It is much prettier looking at it from a distance than from being in or on it. 

[JohnSmith99]

5 minutes ago, gman said:

As for point #2. I live at the foot of Paris Mountain. I would rather have the view of the mountain than be on the mountain. It's like driving Highway 11 to get a view of the mountains and the leaves. It is much prettier looking at it from a distance than from being in or on it. 

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. 

[victory]

1 hour ago, rabbit seisin said:

There’s  nothing wrong with the tower, at least in theory. There are plenty of examples of places with beloved towers that serve no practical purpose other than as landmarks. 
 

What worries me however is that all of the renderings of Honor Tower are ugly.  I don’t understand why we can’t build something in harmony with the culture and character of Greenville’s existing architecture, but I’m willing to concede that my good taste is not universal. The other problem I’ve noticed over the years is that the tower’s dimensions seem to be shrinking with each proposal. By the time we break ground I worry we’ll be left with the Stonehenge set from Spinal Tap. 

This is hilarious! I love the Stonehenge scene from Spinal Tap.

[gman430]

Honestly, I think the city should just wait for this crazy inflation to end before trying to build the tower. They could get more bang for their buck and go with what was originally planned. 

Edited May 6, 2022 by gman430

[NewlyUpstate]

3 hours ago, JohnSmith99 said:

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. 

The BMW funding is for the restoration of the wetlands, not the Reedy.

About half the funding for Honor Tower has been raised so far and all funding is expected prior to November

[olrob]

I'm kinda curious if JohnSmith99 is just an alt account for gman430....(actually not curious, I'm convinced)

[gman430]

47 minutes ago, olrob said:

I'm kinda curious if JohnSmith99 is just an alt account for gman430....(actually not curious, I'm convinced)

Definitely not.  I don’t hate this park and tower THAT much.  If it was the original proposal, I would actually support the $5.5 million going towards it. Everything from the tower to the visitors center to the footbridge has been changed and downgraded. All one has to do is look at the original renderings compared to what is planned now to see that. I have no idea who JohnSmith99 is.  

Edited May 7, 2022 by gman430

[GVLover]

We need this at 200 feet minimum, and for it to be an autograph of our skyline. Where's that darn billion dollar lottery winner when we need them? In all seriousness, the current design is a let down compared to this design. Can we at least maintain or improve upon at least *one* of the original amenities of the park?  Because the new design is frankly pathetic.

Also, is the Auro Bridge considered to be completed? I haven't been by in a while, but I was hoping it would be painted.

Edited May 7, 2022 by GVLover

[gman430]

Several new??? renderings of the tower along with site plans for it can be seen here: The Observation Tower | Greenville, SC - Official Website (unityparkgreenville.com)

Edited May 7, 2022 by gman430

[distortedlogic]

8 hours ago, GVLover said:

We need this at 200 feet minimum, and for it to be an autograph of our skyline. Where's that darn billion dollar lottery winner when we need them? In all seriousness, the current design is a let down compared to this design. Can we at least maintain or improve upon at least *one* of the original amenities of the park?  Because the new design is frankly pathetic.

Also, is the Auro Bridge considered to be completed? I haven't been by in a while, but I was hoping it would be painted.

The original is far superior IMO, but even that one was only slated to be 120 feet tall; though the rendering makes it look a lot taller.  The new one is just ok; could be worse but could certainly be better. My main concern remains with the height; I agree it needs to be around 200 or more to be effective. I wish the city and mayor would go back to the original concept,  make it taller, and bank the money for it until it can be done right.

The link g-man provided gives some good visualizations; I didn't realize it was going to be right at the end of the bridge. In truth, I'm as disappointed with the bridge as I am the tower. The first bridge was much prettier and visually interesting. The one we have now is nothing of note. Just my opinion.

Edited May 7, 2022 by distortedlogic

[vicupstate]

19 hours ago, JohnSmith99 said:

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. 

1. A mound implies a gradual rise,  as opposed to a steady and more vertical incline that the word hill implies.  Obviously a mound is more accessible. The point being that the tower will not be in a 'hole' as much as you are implying. It will begin from a point more in line with the general city elevation. 

2. There is no comparison to the view from this tower versus even the roof of the Hyatt.  Drop this strawman. 

3. You imply that these corporate donations would be coming in regardless, which is not based on anything at all. We don't know who will be donating the $5.5 million for the tower yet, but if it does not get donated the tower will not get built. By BMW donating to the park already, we have already seen donations come in from new sources.  No reason to think the tower donations couldn't do the same.    

[GVLover]

I wish they would’ve kept them silver, but nice addition either way. 

[SVL]

1 hour ago, GVLover said:

I wish they would’ve kept them silver, but nice addition either way. 

I kind of agree with you about keeping them silver but color is always good and it's a nice entryway sign to the park.  A lot of pictures will be taken here. Does anyone know if this will be lit up at night?

[bikeoid]

It's going to be a challenge to get dog owners to clean up after their pets - stepping off the trail is an exercise in danger.  The likelihood of stepping in a 'bomb' is pretty high, as the dotted tracks show on the concrete.   There are already 3 bag dispensers along the trail.  But the rest of the park is coming together well for the opening...

[GvilleSC]

17 minutes ago, bikeoid said:

It's going to be a challenge to get dog owners to clean up after their pets - stepping off the trail is an exercise in danger.  The likelihood of stepping in a 'bomb' is pretty high, as the dotted tracks show on the concrete.   There are already 3 bag dispensers along the trail.  But the rest of the park is coming together well for the opening...

It would be fantastic if the geese would pick up after themselves, too. Pet waste being left along the trail in front of Riverplace is problematic. 

View near the intersection of Mayberry & Hudson. It is going to be exciting to watch the height limit maxed out to the south of the park (left of this photo). 

Edited May 12, 2022 by GvilleSC

[NewlyUpstate]

1 hour ago, GvilleSC said:

It would be fantastic if the geese would pick up after themselves, too. Pet waste being left along the trail in front of Riverplace is problematic. 

View near the intersection of Mayberry & Hudson. It is going to be exciting to watch the height limit maxed out to the south of the park (left of this photo). 

The drive down Hudson towards Washington is a really fantastic view / ambiance. Love seeing the big park, trees, river, people on the SRT.. it's great.  I sometimes find myself going out of my way to go that way just for it, LOL.

Edited May 12, 2022 by NewlyUpstate

[SVL]

1 hour ago, bikeoid said:

It's going to be a challenge to get dog owners to clean up after their pets - stepping off the trail is an exercise in danger.  The likelihood of stepping in a 'bomb' is pretty high, as the dotted tracks show on the concrete.   There are already 3 bag dispensers along the trail.  But the rest of the park is coming together well for the opening...

The city does a good job of providing bags and trash cans to get rid of it.  I'll never understand why I see so much dog mess left behind.