Anderson Developments

[GSP Tiger]

Are you speaking of turning the East-West Connector into an expressway?

As more industry and residential communities locate between exits 21 (US-178) and 27 (SC-81), it will be necessary to add an exit. Do you have any idea which road would serve as the possible exit?

[interestedexpat]

Are you speaking of turning the East-West Connector into an expressway?

Oops. Sorry for being unclear. No. I was suggesting that it could have gone from 81, crossed the expressway then curved to the west and run parallel to 85, crossing liberty hwy and ending at Clemson blvd just past the commercial area at exit 19.

As more industry and residential communities locate between exits 21 (US-178) and 27 (SC-81), it will be necessary to add an exit. Do you have any idea which road would serve as the possible exit?

Yes. I would love it to have been my vision for an east-west connector. But since that's probably out of the question... I'll have to check the name of the road, but there is one which curves off of Concord right around Cathy's Egg Farm which crosses 85 and goes on toward the Five Forks community. It is right in the middle of a great deal of residential development. I think it's the most logical one (it might be the only one) without making a new road.

[GSP Tiger]

In simplicity, a road from SC-81 near Hopewell to US-76/SC-28 near Sandy Springs is what you're thinking of. I doubt it is a bad idea.

Does Scott Bridge Road cross I-85 somewhere?

[interestedexpat]

a road from SC-81 near Hopewell to US-76/SC-28 near Sandy Springs is what you're thinking of.

Pretty close. I would probably cut in toward US-76 before Sandy Springs. But yeah. That's the idea.

Does Scott Bridge Road cross I-85 somewhere?

Don't know.

You mentioned expressway. If Anderson was to look at that, I would think we could turn 29 into an expressway from 85 into south Anderson. It would really open up a lot of area for better access and development.

To me, the real challenge is that people in those communities would resist the idea of more development pretty strongly. That would be a big problem with my road proposal too. Many of the rural communities in Anderson resist anything that might bring them new neighbors. Even people living closer in put up a fight whenever something is proposed. I wonder how much of that complaining keeps development from happening. People see a potential project and then shelve it thinking, "it's just not worth the fight."

[interestedexpat]

Two businesses are opening up this week in downtown Anderson.

Kitchen Emporium is reopening. The name speaks for itself.

Fire Up! is opening their downtown location. Fire up is a pottery shop where you create your own art.

Not big announcements but every little bit helps.

Unfortunately, on another note, local county politics in Anderson are so nasty right now that I'm afraid sane people will be scared away. At lot of good and a lot of evil can be done in the June elections. If the wrong people get elected Anderson county will move back 20 years in terms of progress.

[Spartan]

I never knew that the connector was an option Anderson needs a project like that though. I've always thought that the eastside of town was not very easy to access.

[GSP Tiger]

You mentioned expressway. If Anderson was to look at that, I would think we could turn 29 into an expressway from 85 into south Anderson. It would really open up a lot of area for better access and development.

That is a good idea. From I-85 to the jockey lot, you may have to convert some at-grade intersections to grade separation interchanges, build frontage roads for businesses with direct access to US-29 and replace/redo bridges at SC-8, the Williamston exit and the US-29/US-20 connector. (The Y-interchange at Esit 34 could be modified to something like Exit 42 should the road be extended northward to Easley.)

From Anderson to the jockey lot, the road is finalized to be widened to four lanes.

[interestedexpat]

Blue Ridge Security started installing security cameras and free wireless internet access along Main Street this week.

Anderson Independent Mail

June 3

Anderson Rides Wireless Wave Downtown

[interestedexpat]

Anderson is in the process of passing regulations for street vendors downtown. I thought that was interesting. Apparently they are trying to limit it (at least initially) to the Court House square. There is an ice-cream stand currently run by Main Street Deli. They use it for advertising. And at least one guy is bringing a hotdog stand. Should add a little cosmopolitan feel to things, don't you think?

I can't wait to set my laptop up on a bench and have a hotdog!

[GSP Tiger]

Wireless internet in the downtown area would be beneficial. Does anyone know where the coverage area is contained to?

[interestedexpat]

Ashton Park just opened. 216 luxury apartments in the city of Anderson (off of Greenville Street behind Anderson Pavillion). What caught my attention are the amenities... 24 seat theater, coffee & tea bar with free wireless internet, and then a lot of the usual stuff....

Any time Anderson gets more multifamily housing it's news, but this has to be a place apart.

[Tennesseestorm]

I have relatives in Anderson, SC - but I have never been there. My aunt, her husband and kids live there. They lived in Easley for awhile. I think they have lived in upstate SC since 1985.

We are considering going for a visit next week.....

[MAJIKMAN]

I have relatives in Anderson, SC - but I have never been there. My aunt, her husband and kids live there. They lived in Easley for awhile. I think they have lived in upstate SC since 1985.

We are considering going for a visit next week.....

Where are you in Tenn.?

[goodbye]

Where are you in Tenn.?

Look under his name. Bristol, Tennessee.

[socaguy]

Dirt is being turned behind the Hardees and the hotel on Clemson Blvd. near 85....right behind the Watermarke sign so I guess it is already under construction. They also have put up billboards along 85 northbound. Does anyone know who the developer of this is? There is a project that was just announced the other day for Augusta Ga. called the Watermark with twin 8-12 floor buildings on the riverfront. I wonder if it is the same developer?

[interestedexpat]

I made my yearly trip to visit the parents in Anderson last week. A couple of things I noticed.

There is a lot more residential development going on than I thought. As I poked around town, I continually discovered new neighborhoods and neighborhoods under construction. This was true both in the city and in the county. Just for example, there is a huge amount of dirt being moved behind the Publix on Clemson Blvd.

I was also surprised by how many new apartment/condo developments had sprouted up in the last couple of years. I, too, saw the dirt being moved behind the Hardee's at exit 19. That's for the highrise apartments referred to in the previous post. A significant apartment community being finished across Clemson blvd from that and another upscale one on the building blocks on the old Katherine's Kitchen site. And that's just at that one exit.

The other thing I noticed is that more is going on downtown than what I was aware of. There were four or five new restaurants downtown that I'd heard nothing about... and they were full at lunchtime. There was also a very nice looking renovation going on across the square from the old Belk Building. It looked almost finished. I didn't see anything telling what it is. There is actually about a 6 block stretch along main street which is re-developing in a charming way with some spillover onto side streets.

Speaking as someone who only travels to the upstate once a year, but who follows the news regularly - Anderson is making visible progress toward becoming a much more comfortable, mature and charming city.

[Spartan]

Indeed it is. Anderson has come a long way in just the past 8 months or so since I've been going there on a semi regular basis. Main St has lots of great things going on- the problem they are having is that they can't keep people down there after 5 very well. McGee's is pretty cool, but other than that there isn't much to do in terms of casual dining. I think that the new condo units that they are creating will help downtown a lot, particularly since they are so close together.

Just out of curiosity, do you think you will ever move back to Anderson?

[goodbye]

Indeed it is. Anderson has come a long way in just the past 8 months or so since I've been going there on a semi regular basis. Main St has lots of great things going on- the problem they are having is that they can't keep people down there after 5 very well. McGee's is pretty cool, but other than that there isn't much to do in terms of casual dining. I think that the new condo units that they are creating will help downtown a lot, particularly since they are so close together.

Just out of curiosity, do you think you will ever move back to Anderson?

You gave a pretty good description of downtown Greenville in the 1980s. Until people realized downtown could become a place to stay well after dark, it was dead after working hours. And now take a look...

[Spartan]

Also Spartanburg in the early 1990s

[interestedexpat]

Just out of curiosity, do you think you will ever move back to Anderson?

It's hard to say. I probably wouldn't keep up with local news if it wasn't a possibility. I still have a lot of love for the upstate and I have family in the area still. Who knows.

[interestedexpat]

A couple of stories in todays Independent Mail.

First Citizen's opened their office downtown recently. It's only two stories but it is a new bank building downtown. I saw it when I was in town recently. It looks good for a two-story building. The article also talked about their old building (on Earl Street) being one of the biggest building available now. The realtor said they'd had a good amount of interest.

Also - I reported on the City Council's discussion of street vendors last month. Well Anderson officially has a hotdog vendor in front of the Court House. He says business is great. So much so that he quit another job to focus his efforts! That's good news.

Downtown Anderson might not have much going on after dark, but it seems to be picking up during the day, which is a great step forward. I'm looking forward to the studies due out soon regarding what's missing. From what I've seen written there are people waiting to make investments in a couple of downtown properties. The old Belk's building being hte most promenient.

[Spartan]

That building is still large though, and more importantly, it fits in. Something much taller would have stuck out. Anderson still has some small town charm left, so I think that it doesn't need a lot of towers. You don't need them to have a great downtown and urban experience.

[goodbye]

That building is still large though, and more importantly, it fits in. Something much taller would have stuck out. Anderson still has some small town charm left, so I think that it doesn't need a lot of towers. You don't need them to have a great downtown and urban experience.

That is very true, but I also recall hearing people in Greenville and Spartanburg dream of towers. Anderson has an equal right to hope for a few, and hopefully one will not be far off. Downtown Anderson is a nice enough place for a company headquarters to move in and build a tower. Maybe something similar in height to the Denny's Tower in Spartanburg wouldn't stick out too much, and would get the ball rolling on more high density projects. It is a dream, but I think there is reason to be hopeful.

[Spartan]

I think that all of us in the Upstate are too stuck on getting towers.

[goodbye]

I think that all of us in the Upstate are too stuck on getting towers.

As I said, I totally agree with your statement above, but you know deep down inside that you'd love to see at least one new tower in your hometown, as would I. Listen, Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Florence don't have to be the only cities in South Carolina with high density towers in their urban centers. As you have said multiple times, the towers in Columbia and Greenville have not hampered these cities' ability to thrive on the street-level, so I would hope for similar success in our smaller cities as well. If a company comes along with plans to build a tower in Anderson, I will be thrilled.

With that said, just a quick glance at Greenville would show you how low-to-medium-rise mixed-use developments can have an equally important impact on the quality of life. Obviously I am not in favor of a high-rise simply because it is a high-rise. However, if planned properly, it offers the opportunity for more people to live, work, shop, and stay in one location in the urban core, then spill out into the nearby streets, creating more activity overall.

Edited July 14, 2006 by Skyliner