CU-ICAR/Millennium Campus

[gman430]

[GvilleSC]

Lookin' good!

[vicupstate]

The Greenville County School District is reviving the idea of collaborating with Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research on an engineering-themed academic program and putting it in a new middle school that’s planned to open in 2014.

No decision has been made on what kind of academic programs the school will offer, but the ICAR idea was put forward as a possibility when the School Board was asked to approve the construction, which will begin this summer.

The ICAR school concept was hatched in 2006, although at the time it was envisioned that a K-8 program would be based at the ICAR campus and a high school program developed at J.L. Mann and Carolina.

From the Gville News

[gman430]

[gman430]

[gs3]

Love the subtle use of Clemson orange on the newest building:

[vicupstate]

from the Gville News:

Clemson University President James Barker will kick off the Automotive Transatlantic Summit on Monday with the announcement of a “significant new initiative” dealing with automotive industry education and training at the International Center for Automotive Research.

The initiative has funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Barker’s announcement at 9:30 a.m. will be made during remarks opening the second annual summit. His remarks will be webcast live online.

The two-day automotive conference will bring together an international group of political and industry leaders in the Upstate to look at competitiveness, economic development and the future of the global auto industry.

Hosted by CU-ICAR and the Automotive Intelligence Center of Bilbao, Spain, the conference will feature a number of international experts in the automotive field. They will address issues in American and European automotive competition, including smart innovation processes, new trends in mobility and the implications for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers.

The conference will move to the Zentrum at BMW Manufacturing Co. on Monday afternoon, with U.S. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt discussing the state’s economic development strategy

Also, I read somewhere that the new ICAR building was 100 % full.

Edited September 23, 2011 by vicupstate

[vicupstate]

Clemson University’s automotive engineering program has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to create a Center of Excellence for research and education in “sustainable" vehicle systems.

President James Barker announced the grant today at the Automotive Transatlantic Summit at ICAR in Greenville

The goal is to have 25 students involved in program within two years. Recruitment starts immediately.

[GvilleSC]

I'm not sure what exactly Proterra's plans are for building their manufacturing plant, but Context Design Group of Greenville is the architect. You can find their renderings for the new plant here: http://www.contextdg.net/#/proterra/

[GvilleSC]

I'm not sure what exactly Proterra's plans are for building their manufacturing plant, but Context Design Group of Greenville is the architect. You can find their renderings for the new plant here: http://www.contextdg.net/#/proterra/

The front page story on Proterra this morning answered this question. They aim to start on their CU-ICAR home when they reach the point of making 300-400 buses/year. This is expected to be roughly three years out. I think this is a smart financial move.

[vicupstate]

http://www.journalwatchdog.com/business/1259-proterra-powers-on

Here is a different article in the Journal. Sales and prospects seem to be picking up. BTW, I think the Gville News article mentioned that Proterra was leasing the entire building were it is leasing now, whereas it has not previously.

It looks like things are moving along. Hopefully the plant will come sooner than later, but it is wise to wait for demand to require it.

[GvilleSC]

Geolas, the head of CU-ICAR, is leaving to become the CEO and President of the Research Triangle Park. CU-ICAR must have been a nice boost to his resume. The research park is certainly doing well.

[gman430]

JTEKT/Koyo Bearings Inc. will be expanding at ICAR with a new $3 million investment according to the Greenville News. The money will be used for new equipment but new jobs might also be created.

[gman430]

From the Greenville News:

Greenville County’s next new middle school will be built on property adjacent to Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Rearch, rather than at the site of the old J.L. Mann High as had been planned.

The school board approved the purchase of 26.8 acres contiguous to ICAR on Millennium Boulevard for $2,011,350.

The new school has been envisioned as an engineering-themed school that would serve as a continuation of the program at A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering downtown.

[GvilleSC]

From the Greenville News:

Greenville County’s next new middle school will be built on property adjacent to Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Rearch, rather than at the site of the old J.L. Mann High as had been planned.

The school board approved the purchase of 26.8 acres contiguous to ICAR on Millennium Boulevard for $2,011,350.

The new school has been envisioned as an engineering-themed school that would serve as a continuation of the program at A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering downtown.

This is VERY odd. They've gone to great lengths to appease neighbors of the old JL Mann. I can't imagine them having done all this for nothing. We shall see.

I think it's a shame that the amount of land that a school needs will come out of this territory when they already own ample land near by... Furthermore, they've done some serious design work already; work that should NOT be transferable to a new site.

[vicupstate]

Sounds forward-thinking and progressive to me. Whittenburg is one of only 5 schools of it's kind nationally. I assume that a similiar situation exists at the middle school level. How many cities would have BOTH?

If this location is truly superior to the old JL Mann one, what is a few hundred thousand dollars in design work, against a $15-25 mm budget for a school that will be there 50 years at least. With the Hollingsworth plant closing, that land will probably end up being added to ICAR anyway. That is 77 acres, nearly three times the size of the parcel in question.

I haven't follwed the JL Mann neighborhood issues at all, but if there have been lots of concessions to the neighborhood, then that may have driven up expenses too.

Edited December 14, 2011 by vicupstate

[GvilleSC]

I haven't follwed the JL Mann neighborhood issues at all, but if there have been lots of concessions to the neighborhood, then that may have driven up expenses too.

The only concessions to the neighborhood were with the athletic fields which will rid the homes of their thick, forested buffer from the interstate. The result was a landscaped mound between the homes and the fields. Not a huge deal. No problems were brought up with the actual design of the school. I think they welcomed it over the empty, old high school.

Sounds forward-thinking and progressive to me. Whittenburg is one of only 5 schools of it's kind nationally. I assume that a similiar situation exists at the middle school level. How many cities would have BOTH?

The middle school has always been a STEM school (though they called it STEAM to incorporate Art), no matter which site it was to be located at.

[gman430]

New apartment complex slated for Laurens Road within Millennium Campus right near BMW's dealership:

http://www.greenvillesc.gov/PlanningZoning/PlanningApplications/Applications/2012/FEBRUARY/PlanningCommission/02-9-2012/Z-06-2012-LaurensRoad-TheVinnings.pdf

[GvilleSC]

I like the addition of residential units in the city limits of Greenville. This area has seen a lot of multi-family growth over the last several years with Millennium Apartments on Fair Forest Way, the Verandas at the Point, the newly proposed units at Verdae along Woodruff Rd, and now this. I hate to say it, but the look of these is absolutely horrendous. They look like the love child of a Microtel Inn and an assisted living facility. Something really contemporary could have been phenomenal in this location. But, really anything would be better...

It'd be nice to see infrastructure improvements brought to this stretch of Laurens. Curbing and sidewalks would be nice.

Edit: I just saw the Verdae thread's post that actually adds another apartment complex to the list in the area. So, make that 5 new complexes.

Edited January 10, 2012 by GvilleSC

[johnpro318]

I like the addition of residential units in the city limits of Greenville. This area has seen a lot of multi-family growth over the last several years with Millennium Apartments on Fair Forest Way, the Verandas at the Point, the newly proposed units at Verdae along Woodruff Rd, and now this. I hate to say it, but the look of these is absolutely horrendous. They look like the love child of a Microtel Inn and an assisted living facility. Something really contemporary could have been phenomenal in this location. But, really anything would be better...

It'd be nice to see infrastructure improvements brought to this stretch of Laurens. Curbing and sidewalks would be nice.

Edit: I just saw the Verdae thread's post that actually adds another apartment complex to the list in the area. So, make that 5 new complexes.

These complexes are helping to create density but I also hope they take this opportunity to improve infrastructure to this area. Sidewalks are missing in much of this part of town and people in multifamily buildings seem to be more willing to walk if they could get anywhere without huffing it through grass and trash alongside the road.

[Danmire]

I just hope the trees in the rendering grow to big enough to hide the elevations. Not very exciting.

[vicupstate]

From the Greenville News. Sounds VERY cutting edge;

A startup company that makes a system for wirelessly charging electric vehicles has picked the International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville as a test site.

ICAR will be one of the first five participants in a program to test the Plugless Power technology by Evatran, the Clemson University research park said in a news release.

The technology enables hands-free recharging and eliminates the need to plug in an electric vehicle. Evatran was formed by MTC Transformers of Wytheville, Va.

Joachim Taiber, a Clemson professor who conducts electric vehicle technology at ICAR, said faculty and employees will test the Evatran system using a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle. ICAR students will be allowed to drive the vehicle with special permission, he said.

In a separate project, Taiber is working to develop a test bed at the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center in southern Greenville County to study ways of re-charging electric vehicles while they are being driven.

[GvilleSC]

Oh boy... The School Board is balking over the new middle school planned at CU-ICAR. Their issue: the building looks too good. Dead serious! They're afraid of a political backlash if they approve the new facility as it was presented this week. The building is suppose to be three stories and have a "gleaming glass facade"- according to the Greenville News. The facility and curriculum will be one-of-a-kind in South Carolina.

I can understand hesitation if they were to make Riverside High a posh campus and neglected Carolina High, or something similar to expressing favoritism based on money or performance. However, it is my understanding that this will be akin to AJ Whittenberg and have no attendance zone. Thus, if someone is frustrated that their middle school is 5 years old and not newly built with a very innovative curriculum, they have the right to pull their child out of that school and send them to this yet-to-be-named facility.

The board members' arguments would also seem to suggest that we would never see progress towards a more radical facility, because someone would always feel left out. I don't want to see them over-spend on this facility, but if they're keeping costs roughly in-line with many of their other middle schools, then I don't see an issue. They're afraid of perceptions and their jobs. Grow a pair, school board.

Grow a pair GCS Board.

[gs3]

Grow a pair GCS Board.

I believe many pair in Greenville have been lost, stolen, shrunk in the wash, sold to the highest bidder or maybe the mistress just won't unlock them.

The info you posted about the school is beyond belief. Let's average everything out to make everyone feel OK.....don't worry about being the best. Where did this mentality come from?

[gman430]

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