Greater Spartanburg Projects & Developments

[clemsonfn]

The vacant space next to Arbys on Pine to be a shopping center with a restaurant.

Club Forest bringing shops to South Pine

1,600 square feet isn't very large for a restaurant. It would be about the right size for a Five Guys (www.fiveguys.com), as I was told last year that they are scouting out a Spartanburg location.

Also looking for a Spartanburg location is Monkey Joe's, an inflatable indoor play center. The manager of the Greenville store said they are looking at real estate, but hope to be open within two years. You can actually see a "coming soon" for Spartanburg on their website (http://monkeyjoes.com/locations.aspx?id=40).

[Spartan]

Five Guys would be nice. That would be a good location. I'd like for the Main & Pine area to become sort of a secondary restaurant/retail center for downtown (since its on the edge anyway). Would probably serve Converse Heights, North Converse Heights, Converse College, and the North Dean Neighborhood in terms of pedestrians. That area COULD be pretty cool... just need to tear down the Travel Inn and the old HoJo.

And thats a good location too. I wonder if the "L" will front the street of it it will be more of an "upside down L" with shops along the back of the lot. Hmm.....

[Spartan]

Aloha is closing to "make way for a four-unit strip-style shopping center that will offer nearly 7,500 square feet of retail space." The article in the HJ says that the traffic counts on Blackstock are about 36,000 a day, which is attractive to national retailers that want to be near the Blackstock and Ezell intersection.

[travey]

First a question. Does anyone know how much the developers paid for the 5 acres at the corner of Arrowhead Cir. and WO Ezell?

I heard something........ George D. Johnson bought the old winn -dixie (beside Blue Bay) and has swapped it for the Salvation Army? Anyone know if it is true?

[Spartan]

Welcome to the forum travey!

I have no idea how much was paid, but you could probably check with the City. Its public information.

The info about the Winn Dixie/Salvaiton Army sawp is news to me! I will tell you that I have heard a rumor that the City was looking to redevelop that site a while back. It would not suprise me if Johnson is involved with this deal. Either way, its very exciting! Please let us know if you hear anything else!

[huck94]

Never shopped at one, but I've seen plans for a Burlington Coat Factory to go in Market Square on the westside.

Edited July 10, 2007 by huck94

[clemsonfn]

Hammond Development LLC has completed it's purchase of the old Pizza Inn location on WO Ezell. No site work there yet, but a tractor that has been sitting there for a while has been moved.

Perfect location for a westside Starbucks

[Spartan]

The luxury apartment market appears to be heating up in Spartanburg. A developer has submitted plans for a new complex near Westgate Mall, at the site of the former 84 Lumber Co on Blackstock Road. Most of the site will be developed as apartments, which according to the developer will be "the nicest apartments in Spartanburg."

So, according to the article, we have the following luxury apartments planned or under construction in the greater Spartanburg area:

• Reserve @ Park West, 408 units
  
• Mayfair Mill, 112 loft units
  
• 216 unit complex on Reidville Rd near the N Tyger River (anyone know the name?)
  
• Haven @ River Falls, 232 units in Duncan
  
• Easton Apartments, 280
  
• Inman Mill, units?
  
  Total: 1,248 + Inman units
  

That just what's planned or u/c, not what's on the ground. The Reserve @ Park West will unquestionably be the largest luxury complex in town. It will also be convenient to the westside shopping. It sounds lke this will be similar to the Carlyle, near Haywood Mall in Gville.

What's really interesting to me is that this, along with Mayfair, shows a clear sign of change in the Arcadia area. I hope some other efforts are being made to improve things there. It is also further reinforcing Blackstock Rd as the prominent road on the westside over Ezell Blvd.

[lynturner99]

I think this shows the strength for potential growth on the westside of Spartanburg. The 17 proposed 3 story buildings will add great density to that area and increase foot-traffic in the mall and surrounding buisnesses. It's going to give the westside it's own mini-skyline and be a definate eye catcher for passersby on I-26. This devolpment will achieve what so many of these "lifestyly" live, work, shop developments are trying to achieve, in that people will live within walking distance of entertainment, shopping, and restaurants as well as jobs. However, this happened without a specific plan to make it happen which is pretty neat. I also think this further identifes the westside as a young-professional side of town, anchored by apartment housing as opposed to single family dwelling's. I think comparing the new proposed development to Carlyle on Halton road is pretty accurate; that area is also prodominently apartments, shopping and buisnesses. I really like the fact that Spartanburg has distinctly identifiable areas, it shows personality!

[lynturner99]

I noticed the old carwash at the corner of Fernwood Dr. and E. Main has a contract pending sign on it. Any ideas on whats coming? Also, the renovations on specialty row are looking great. That area is really taking off!

[Spartan]

According to the HJ, Burlington Coat factory has Spartanburg on its radar. It is considering the former Home Depot site in the Market Square shopping center, but has not committed to anything yet.

Here's the article.

This is further evidence of the City's commitment to reusing greyfield sites. There are hardly any left in Spartanburg where they used to be all over the place.

[Spartan]

Bi-Lo has decided to close their location on JBW Blvd in Park Hills. While not major news, this is not good for the residents of the SOuthside who use it regularly. On the otherside of the arguement, this was by far the most disgusting grocery store in the city limits, so IMO its not a major loss (though I do hate for any business to close in town).

Article

[travey]

Bi-Lo has decided to close their location on JBW Blvd in Park Hills. While not major news, this is not good for the residents of the SOuthside who use it regularly. On the otherside of the arguement, this was by far the most disgusting grocery store in the city limits, so IMO its not a major loss (though I do hate for any business to close in town).

Article

I live in what I call the Near West (Hatcher Garden Area) and would like to defend the Bi-Lo which you refer to as "disgusting". I have shopped there for years as have many members of our community of which the demographics are varied. I prefered shopping here as it was convienent, clean and friendly. I hate giving Wal-mart my money and I hate that I will be forced to drive a longer distance to shop!!!

A lot of the employees have worked there for years and gave exceptional service... Perhaps, you didn't visit enough to get a true perspective.

Would it be considered "disgusting" that you could be robbed in the parking lof of the East Side Publix or Aldi??

[Spartan]

You're right in that I made it a point not to go there. Like you, I went to the stores that were most convenient to me, and that was not one fo them. I have had friends who worked at other Bi-Lo's around town and have always referred to that one as "the ghetto Bi-Lo." Places don't get reputations like that for no reason.

That said it is not good for your area (which is either called Park Hills or Woodland Heights, depending on how far west you live) because there is now no longer a grocery store in that area. Thats now part of a large area that is now very much underservered by grocery stores. I wouldn't be suprised to see a store move back in to that area pretty soon (and probably something better than the Save-A-Lot they are putting on South Church). The old Winn-Dixie further up Reidville Rd would be the most logical spot. There is also that big empty parking lot closer to town that could be used for a store.

[Spartan]

According to this article in the HJ, hhgregg will open up on the Westside next to Hobby Lobby, in the other half od the old Walmart. It will open this fall. Apparantly Kohl's and Hobby Lobby haven't been as successful as they'd like, so the hope is that hhgregg will bring some life back into the Franklin Square shopping Center. I think that fixing up that parking lot would help. It will be interesting to see how successful any major retailers are on that side of 26, since the major retail expansion has been on Blackstock Road more than 29 in recent years.

Also, other empty big boxes that are currently being filled with other big box stores:

Academy Sports and Outdoors is moving into the former Lowe's

Burlington Coat Factory is moving into the former Home Depot

[roads-scholar]

According to this article in the HJ, hhgregg will open up on the Westside next to Hobby Lobby, in the other half od the old Walmart. It will open this fall. Apparantly Kohl's and Hobby Lobby haven't been as successful as they'd like, so the hope is that hhgregg will bring some life back into the Franklin Square shopping Center. I think that fixing up that parking lot would help. It will be interesting to see how successful any major retailers are on that side of 26, since the major retail expansion has been on Blackstock Road more than 29 in recent years.

Also, other empty big boxes that are currently being filled with other big box stores:

Academy Sports and Outdoors is moving into the former Lowe's

Burlington Coat Factory is moving into the former Home Depot

I think HH Gregg will be the traffic generator that shopping center needs. The Kohls side of the center seems busy but the Hobby Lobby side is awfully quiet. Another restaurant to sit in that parking lot would help too.

[Spartan]

They have Ezell Street pretty torn up. It looks like its some kind of utility work, but it looks like it might be a streetscape too... the only problem is that it stops at King St.

[Spartan]

Various news updates today:

• More sprawly subdivisions in the Chesnee area of Northern Spartanburg that totals 78 acres will be developed.
  
• City Council gave final approval to several projects designed to improve low income housing in Spartanburg, including plans for a mixed use development on the site of the Main Street Motel on West Main Street. The SHA director said "that 50 public housing units built in the early 1950s are being replaced with 169 homeownership and rental units inside the city."
  
• "Council also approved final reading on an ordinance that rezones 15 acres off Woodburn Road for Carrington, a luxury neighborhood of 40 single-family homes planned near Converse Heights. The area will be rezoned from R 15 single-family residential to R-8 planned development district to allow for flexibility for smaller lots and rear alleyways."
  

Council Meeting Article

[Spartan]

Another empty box is going to be filled in Spartanburg... the former Harris Teeter is going to be occupied be a store called "Surplus Warehouse" - a home improvement store out of Arkansas. Thats good news for Converse Plaza, which is going to loose its other major tenant, Regal Cinemas, in November.

Article

[Jael]

That's the old Harris-Teeter on Reidville Road that's been leased, not the one at Converse Plaza on the east side.

[Spartan]

Ah, my mistake. I obviously didn't read the entire article. Still, one more big box down

[roads-scholar]

Spartanburg keeps filling the empty big boxes but we still have some glaring ones to fill. Here's the one's I'm most familiar with:

Winn-Dixie Asheville Highway at Springfield Road

Winn-Dixie John B. White, Sr. Blvd.

Harris-Teeter Converse Plaza

Ingles East Main at Zion Hill Road

Bi-Lo Fernwood-Glendale at Clifton-Glendale Rd

Bi-Lo / Sky City Reidville Road and I-26

Bi-Lo John B. White, Sr. Blvd. at Park Hills

Ingles Hwy 29 in Lyman

It seems the old / out-of-business / corporate-downsized supermarkets are the major contributors to our big box blight. The good people of Spartanburg supported these businesses only to see them closed (Winn-Dixie & Harris Teeter) or relocated (Ingles, Bi-Lo) to more prestigious locations. In a few months the Ingles at US-221 and I-85 will be added to this list as it will relocate to the Peach Valley Golf Course site.

Edited October 25, 2007 by roads-scholar

[Spartan]

Has the Sky City on Whitney Road been filled in?

[spartanburgh]

I heard that the old Winn Dixie on Riedville Road will be the new home of the Salvation Army. The old location downtown has been bought by Johnson Development and will surely come down. This is hopefully true as it would be great news for downtown to get rid of the eyesore.

[Spartan]

Thats great news! The Salvation Army site is a great location for a nice building that compliments QS/1, but that has some shops and restaurant space on the ground floor.