Morgan Square Redesign

[westsider28]

If approved and funded in March or April, construction on the Morgan Square redesign could start in Fall 2024 and would likely take about 8 months to complete Phase 1.  Cost would be ~$15M and would be funded by the hospitality tax and private donations.  https://www.postandcourier.com/spartanburg/news/spartanburg-morgan-square-redesign-project-2024/article_41d13c58-a022-11ee-90bd-cbd5c2eccb8f.html

Edited December 26, 2023 by westsider28
Added details

[drexel]

 

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.

[mainonmain]

Well you're going to be disappointed because that abomination is going somewhere else.

Also - you keep referencing tax dollars. Do you know which "tax dollars" are being used for this project?

[Spartan]

On 12/29/2023 at 8:41 AM, mainonmain said:

Well you're going to be disappointed because that abomination is going somewhere else.

Also - you keep referencing tax dollars. Do you know which "tax dollars" are being used for this project?

Per westside's post above, the P&C states that it will be funded by hospitality tax dollars.

 

 

On 12/29/2023 at 8:41 AM, mainonmain said:

Well you're going to be disappointed because that abomination is going somewhere else.

Also - you keep referencing tax dollars. Do you know which "tax dollars" are being used for this project?

Per westside's post above, the P&C states that it will be funded by hospitality tax dollars.

 

Re: clocktower - would like to see them spend some $$ (probably privately funded) to rebuild the clocktower to resemble the opera house spire that used to hold the bells. 

[westsider28]

P&C article about the redesign.  Not much new.  Final review of design this spring, with potential completion in early 2025.  "The city is also working with New York-based Bierdman Redevelopment Ventures to develop a programming plan for the square to attract more visitors with new events and activities."  Surveying to happen in the next few weeks.  Some quotes of trepidation on certain design elements from a few interested parties.

[MidtownSpartanburg]

18 hours ago, westsider28 said:

P&C article about the redesign.  Not much new.  Final review of design this spring, with potential completion in early 2025.  "The city is also working with New York-based Bierdman Redevelopment Ventures to develop a programming plan for the square to attract more visitors with new events and activities."  Surveying to happen in the next few weeks.  Some quotes of trepidation on certain design elements from a few interested parties.

One way to attract visitors is to have shops and restaurants for them to visit. However our city and OneSpartanburg chose to court multi-million dollar corporations over small businesses, which has created the underwhelming downtown we have now. We are a city with a metro population of over 300k and our downtown commercial is essentially two blocks.  

[mainonmain]

1 hour ago, MidtownSpartanburg said:

One way to attract visitors is to have shops and restaurants for them to visit. However our city and OneSpartanburg chose to court multi-million dollar corporations over small businesses, which has created the underwhelming downtown we have now. We are a city with a metro population of over 300k and our downtown commercial is essentially two blocks.  

You have no idea what you're talking about. The city has disbursed dozens of small business grants and tax breaks to restaurants wanting to locate downtown. Literally have paid for the cost of installing hoods and fire supression systems that account for a big chunk of the cost of getting a restaurant open. They've given millions in property tax abatement to developers building or renovating buildings downtown to enable them to house small retail and/or add apartments. How do you think the city has gone from roughly 50 downtown residential units in 2010 to the hundreds that are there now, which should create the demand for the small businesses you're talking about.

What do you think spending $15 million on Morgan Square is all about, or the record tax incentives for the AC Hotel and the ballpark development are all about?

Cribb's Kitchen, the brewery, Delaney's ... literally name a restaurant that moved downtown this century and they received money from the city. 

Is downtown where anyone wants it to be? Nope.

But get out of here with that nonsense that the city hasn't done anything to encourage small biz development downtown. A horrendously poorly informed take.

Edited January 26 by mainonmain

[spartanburgh]

I think the intersection of St. John St and N Church St. has great potential to house ground floor small shop space and expand the

options for small business to locate.  I would like to see the QS1 clock and landscape area developed into a mixed use multi story

building  with options for "small" business. The same goes for the surface lot the City is acquiring from the Federal Building and the

hotel site that was going to be the Cambria.  This intersection can be a strong anchor for small business if done correctly. 

 

In my opinion the AC Hotel site plan is a disaster.  The street frontage should have been small shops along Daniel Morgan and W

Main St. with a 2 or 3 level parking deck behind. This would have greatly expanded the options for small retail/restaurants and

eliminated the dead area where the concrete wall and swimming pool are.  How the DRB let the existing happen is disappointing. 

This would have really livened up the W Main corridor entering downtown. 

[westsider28]

UBJ article about the Square renovations.  It talks about the idea of connecting the Square to the baseball stadium and adjacent development.  Phase one designs should be finalized by late March or early April and, if approved, construction could begin this fall.

Also, a City podcast with Biederman Redevelopment Ventures on future programming on the Square.

[westsider28]

Lots of survey markings all over the Square.  It's interesting how several buildings have basements that protrude ~6 feet out under the sidewalk.  Apparently it was pretty common back in those days.