Fifth Third Park | $425 million MiLB Stadium + Mixed-Use Development

[mainonmain]

$305 million not counting the ballpark itself and three parking garages ($35-50 million). This is a $400 million project, easy. 

An incredible accomplishment.

[spartanburgh]

That's an incredible investment and I don't think that number represents the new City/County administration building 

does it?

[mainonmain]

1 hour ago, spartanburgh said:

That's an incredible investment and I don't think that number represents the new City/County administration building 

does it?

No. Totally different project.

The $305MM figure includes 2 new office buildings, 2 new multi-family buildings, and a hotel. It does not include the parking garages (which are estimated at $35-50MM) or the ballpark itself, or any of the other public infrastructure work, roadwork, etc. There is a mention of doing some kind of rework of West Main at Spring, which is interesting. 

Edited September 25, 2023 by mainonmain

[Spartan]

Dang. 1600 parking spaces? That is insanity. 

[mainonmain]

4 minutes ago, Spartan said:

Dang. 1600 parking spaces? That is insanity. 

Not if some existing parking lots, street parking, and maybe even an existing garage (at some point) goes away.

This is a transformational project that is designed to remake downtown for the next 30-50 years, not the next 5.

[Historyguy]

I don't think 1600 spaces is insane, particularly given that one garage is not slated to be completed until January 2028 - the one that is listed as W. Broad.  I would bet that it would service anything developed on the Herald-Journal block redevelopment.   The other two garages - Grain 1 and Grain 2 - total 950-1200 spaces, but remember, those would likely have to serve people in an office building or residences or the hotel - and maybe the existing AC as well, and not just baseball stadium parking.  That also does not include the roughly 600 spaces in the new city-county building garage.  So that's potentially 2200 new spaces on the south and west end of downtown.  

Will be interesting to see if anything else comes out of the council meeting on Monday.  

[westsider28]

The City approved first reading of the development agreement with JDA.  The project is pegged at $425M now (almost a half-billion!)  There was some consternation about the limits to incentives for future projects and the lack of any affordable apartments, but the councilors who were concerned voted to approve anyway.  New renderings could be released in the next month or so.

Post & Courier article

Herald-Journal article

WSPA story

Edit: ( @Spartan maybe we should edit the thread title?)

Edited September 26, 2023 by westsider28

[NotNotSanti]

A LOT to digest! I need to take a closer look at the boundaries for the project. For those who were there, there is the block to the west of City Hall, and the block where Spartanburg Herald is at. Are both of those being devoted to this project? Or is the possible development there going to be for different projects? Trying to figure out where the new Hotel might go.

[Sparkleman]

Somebody better start moving some dirt...like now!

[gman430]

I don’t like how no other hotels can get built downtown for three years. That’s silly.

[hub-city]

3 hours ago, gman430 said:

I don’t like how no other hotels can get built downtown for three years. That’s silly.

Agree, but with the Fairfield Inn about to start construction and the hotel associated with this project, I would imagine that a developer might would wait about that long to check market conditions anyway…

[spartanburgh]

I think it may be okay if they only limit incentives for a Hotel in the same category. For example, if it's a Limited service

such as a Hampton Inn you should still be able to build an extended stay product such as a Home 2 Suites or a full service

Hilton or any other market segment that doesn't compete directly with the brand the developer chooses.  If a developer is 

not  seeking incentives, I don't know how you could stop them from developing a Hotel. 

[westsider28]

@spartanburgh@gman430 Yeah, I read it as no incentives for a hotel for 3 years.  A developer would be able to build one themselves without incentives, as I interpret it.

[camtology]

15 hours ago, hub-city said:

Agree, but with the Fairfield Inn about to start construction and the hotel associated with this project, I would imagine that a developer might would wait about that long to check market conditions anyway…

If there is a hotel within the stadium development and a Fairfield inn coming on the other side of downtown I don't really think Spartanburg would be missing out on many downtown hotel developments for just three years, the city needs more apartments in the area more than anything but they would still be tripling the amount of downtown hotels in the next few years with this deal

[mainonmain]

Correct - it's a moratorium on incentives for hotel development in the downtown district. So a hotel within the downtown district could still be developed within the moratorium timeframe, just not receive incentives. Or, a hotel could be developed elsewhere in the city and potentially be incentivized, though I don't think that is likely.

Also, the moratorium is in effect from the date of the agreement being signed (theoretically in two weeks) to 3 years from the date of the new hotel opening, which is pegged at 2028. 

Which means this moratorium on hotel incentives in the downtown district will actually be in effect for the next EIGHT years (2028 hotel opening + 3 years) unless the hotel development gets moved up.

 

Edited to add: If you buy the developer's contention that new hotels need about 3 years to stabilize, this makes sense. The new Fairfield will probably open in 2025. Three years later, the new hotel in this development will open. Three years after that, incentives become available again for another downtown hotel. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by mainonmain

[mainonmain]

Speaking of hotels elsewhere in the city, I've often thought some kind of quality mid-range hotel (think Holiday Inn Express or even a La Quinta) near the hospital would make sense, potentially as an anchor to a redevelopment of the awful strip shopping center where Wade's is located. Easy in/out off 85 for people visiting folks in the hospital or doing business there, easy access to both the Eastside and downtown, etc. I know we want to drive all those types of visitors downtown, but not everyone wants to or can spend upwards of $150-200/night when grandma is in the hospital or pops is having surgery.

Edited September 27, 2023 by mainonmain

[NotNotSanti]

There are those car dealership lots for sale. Wonder if that wouldn't work for something along those lines. 

[westsider28]

That reminds me: does anyone have a map (or know where one is) that shows the exact boundaries of this "Downtown Development District"?

[timbach]

22 hours ago, westsider28 said:

That reminds me: does anyone have a map (or know where one is) that shows the exact boundaries of this "Downtown Development District"?

Not a map but during the meeting Chris Story described it as being bounded by Pine Street to the east, Daniel Morgan Avenue to the north, Henry Street to the south, and the train tracks to the west.

Edited September 28, 2023 by timbach

[hub-city]

5 hours ago, timbach said:

Not a map but during the meeting Chris Story described it as being bounded by Pine Street to the east, Daniel Morgan Avenue to the north, Henry Street to the south, and the train tracks to the west.

Can’t visualize Pine Street being a boundary.  That’s hwy. 9/176 way up at QT, Converse College, new Wendy’s etc….  Maybe he meant West Main….

[westsider28]

21 minutes ago, hub-city said:

Can’t visualize Pine Street being a boundary.  That’s hwy. 9/176 way up at QT, Converse College, new Wendy’s etc….  Maybe he meant West Main….

They're talking about the Downtown Development District (not just this project).  Seems like a logical boundary that covers most of what is considered downtown.  If accurate, that means a hotel at the current County Admin site (which has been rumored) could receive incentives...

Edited September 28, 2023 by westsider28

[hub-city]

1 hour ago, westsider28 said:

They're talking about the Downtown Development District (not just this project).  Seems like a logical boundary that covers most of what is considered downtown.  If accurate, that means a hotel at the current County Admin site (which has been rumored) could receive incentives...

Gotcha.  Thanks.

[camtology]

16 hours ago, westsider28 said:

They're talking about the Downtown Development District (not just this project).  Seems like a logical boundary that covers most of what is considered downtown.  If accurate, that means a hotel at the current County Admin site (which has been rumored) could receive incentives...

I think a big reason we have a hard time picturing all of this as the downtown area is because not all of it is a comfortable walk. I've walked from Cribbs to Fretwell but as it gets later thats just no longer a walk I am comfortable with, this boundary will make more sense in a decade or two when everywhere in yellow is more lively than it is right now

[Historyguy]

Post and Courier story on the new GM of the baseball team being named, largely an interview with him. 

https://www.postandcourier.com/spartanburg/news/spartanburg-baseball-team-s-new-gm-talks-new-role-new-team-name/article_f72e79e2-6122-11ee-9f13-d3cd51788fa7.html/?tpcc=sptsocial&fbclid=IwAR1tph3NwxCzdP2qFkSZFBVVZsjtgPJekBvMd-QJHyPbe6SGvw7RVzjWq6Q

Highlights - the name and mascot have been selected, it's something based on community input, but won't be revealed until spring 2024.

Diamond Baseball Holdings is, sort of as I expected, planning many other events for the stadium when it's not being used for baseball games.  

They recognize that there's a lot more to baseball games than baseball. 

Groundbreaking on the stadium should occur within the next month or two.

[hub-city]

Construction fencing going up.  Might get to see some dirt being moved soon!!