Spartanburg "Wish List" for 2024

[roads-scholar]

Another year has passed and its time to wish for new urban projects for the Hub City.  But first below was my "wish list" for 2023 and their status (at least from what I can tell).  

• An announcement pertaining to the Grain District (specifically along Daniel Morgan Avenue).  Baseball stadium and "stadium district" announced.  Construction underway.  
• Construction to begin on downtown Fairfield Inn.  Underway.
• Construction will begin on the East Main Street condo/apartment development.  Nothing yet but will lower interest rates spur this forward?
• Construction will begin on the Montgomery Ward Building.  Nothing yet but will lower interest rates spur this forward?
• Construction will begin on the office building behind the Marriott.  Nothing yet but will lower interest rates spur this forward?
• Construction will begin on the old Coca Cola building.  Construction hasn't started yet but all signs point to work beginning in 2024. 
• Construction will begin on the Union Street apartment complex adjacent to the rail trail.  Underway. 
• Some news pertaining to the 3-story (or taller) "spec" office building on North Church Street.  This one is probably dead or at least on hold until the office market rebounds.  
• An announcement pertaining to the "whispered about" high-density residential development on West Main Street.   Nothing yet but will lower interest rates spur this forward?
• A timetable for West Main streetscaping project.  Construction hasn't started yet but all signs point to work beginning in 2024.
• Design renderings for the new city / county building and where it will be sited.  Everyone is waiting patiently for renderings.  
• Construction will begin on the new planetarium.  Groundbreaking is imminent.  
• An announcement regarding the future of Morgan Square (this may be more appropriate for a 2024 wish list but what the heck).   The vitriolic debates over this project's details will probably delay contruction until 2025 if no longer.  

Now for my short but ambitious 2024 "Wish List". 

• A "go / no-go" announcement pertaining to the East Main Street condo/apartment development.  
• Details regarding the hotel and office building  adjacent to the baseball stadium.  
• Renderings of the new city county administration building that will "wow" us.  
• A construction timetable for the long awaited Renaissance Park office building (behind "The George").  
• A redevelopment plan is announced for Westgate Mall. 

 

 

[Spartan]

I'd like to see some interesting results from the downtown transportation study. Like a road diet on Church Street or DMA, etc.

[Spartanburg Guy]

Good list. I’ll add that I hope for the continuation of building affordable housing in the downtown area.

[sptgguy]

Like the list. 

Would add-I really hope the City/County building is going to be something we can all be proud of. The Courthouse was classic-The Police Station.....well.....its a nice box and utilitarian. The City/County building I hope is sleek and modern. 

I would like to see more parks around downtown...like the pocket park. Small Green Spaces that people can sit and enjoy. 

More housing

[MidtownSpartanburg]

In addition to what has been mentioned: 
 

1. A plan to reimagine East Main around Converse Heights as Midtown - complete with a road diet, rezoning to allow cafes, beer/wine shop, light retail on that corridor, better walkability. I’m imagining something similar to Devine St. and Shandon neighborhood in Columbia. 
 

2. action from OneSpartanburg to invest in small business development downtown. This city is too big to have a downtown as empty as ours. 
 

3. Some new, creative restaurants! 
 

4. The city takes historic preservation more seriously (one can dream..) 

[mainonmain]

What is this recent fixation on layering in an unoriginal and certainly inauthentic brand/label of "midtown" to the east main corridor? Juxtaposed with a desire for more historic preservation makes an unoriginal name with no local resonance really, really bizarre.

"Where is that place?"
"On East Main. Between Mills and Connecticut on the right."
"Where? I can't place it."
"You can't place those two blocks?"
"Wait ... are you talking about MIDTOWN?!!!"

Edited December 19, 2023 by mainonmain

[roads-scholar]

1 hour ago, mainonmain said:

What is this recent fixation on layering in an unoriginal and certainly inauthentic brand/label of "midtown" to the east main corridor? Juxtaposed with a desire for more historic preservation makes an unoriginal name with no local resonance really, really bizarre.

"Where is that place?"
"On East Main. Between Mills and Connecticut on the right."
"Where? I can't place it."
"You can't place those two blocks?"
"Wait ... are you talking about MIDTOWN?!!!"

I think giving the area a "name" near Pine  & Main or wherever makes a lot sense.  Didn't someone tag South Daniel Morgan Avenue the moniker "The Grain District"?  Brave MidtownSpartanburg for making this suggestion.  

[mainonmain]

Why does it make sense? And why does Midtown make sense if giving it a name makes sense. If we're all about preserving Spartanburg's history and keeping it from being just like everywhere else. Doesn't dropping a name that means absolutely nothing and is used by a thousand other cities run counter that goal?

[MidtownSpartanburg]

On 12/19/2023 at 3:44 PM, roads-scholar said:

I think giving the area a "name" near Pine  & Main or wherever makes a lot sense.  Didn't someone tag South Daniel Morgan Avenue the moniker "The Grain District"?  Brave MidtownSpartanburg for making this suggestion.  

The name first appeared on the banner at Fairview on Main. I live nearby and think that some branding/placemaking along that corridor could go a long way. I don’t really care what we call it.