Spartanburg City News

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Melting Pot Music Festival coming to downtown Spartanburg, Sept 30 Sep 20, 2017

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It was one of last year's unexpected downtown hits and on September 30, the Melting Pot Music Festival will return to downtown Spartanburg for an encore. Featuring a diverse lineup of funk, folk,hip hop, reggae, indie rock, and much more, the festival is set to include three packed stages. Melting Pot will also include art vendors and live art demonstrations, a craft beer garden, street performers, and an instrument petting zoo. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Anthony Sartor, Executive Director of Melting Pot Music Society.

City's Design Review Board approves plans for Main and Pine development Sep 06, 2017

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A crucial corner at one of the city's most important downtown gateway intersections is set to get a huge makeover with construction of a new 19,000 square foot development on the southeast corner of E Main and Pine streets. Anchored by United Community Bank, the two-story building will feature new office and retail space and is set help transform one of the busiest intersections in Spartanburg. On Wednesday, the City's Design Review Board gave final approval to the project after initially requesting some changes to the design at their meeting in August, clearing the way for development to move forward. In addition to being a huge win for Spartanburg, the Main and Pine development is also a good test case for us to get down to the nitty-gritty on a few of our weightier local government topics, planning. What was the reasoning behind Design Review Board's requested changes in their previous meeting? How does working with developers on their designs fit in with other improvements the City undertakes downtown? What is the overall goal in regulating the design of structures built in the downtown area in the first place? To the layperson, the deliberation between regulating bodies and developers might seem unnecessary, perhaps even an example of government overreach, but the underlying reason behind all if it couldn't be simpler: thoughtful planning ensures that the individual pieces of our city fit together to form a better whole than if each piece were considered solely in isolation. Today on the podcast, we've got City Senior Planner, Natalia Rosario to help us answer those questions.

Discussing next downtown steps with Spartanburg Chamber's Jansen Tidmore Aug 23, 2017

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It doesn't take long in conversation to figure out that Jansen Tidmore understands that downtown development has some pretty serious differences with other kinds of commercial development. "Downtowns are an emotional investment," he says, and the factors that go into creating a vibrant downtown that serves as a showcase for its city aren't often the sorts of things that fit neatly on a spreadsheet. Hired in May to serve as Executive Vice President of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Development Partnership, Tidmore came to Spartanburg from Dothan, Alabama where he served as head of the city's Downtown Redevelopment Authority. Today on the podcast, we sit down with Tidmore to talk about his experiences in Dothan, what led him to Spartanburg, and what he sees on the horizon for our city.

New development projects, residential rental property registry highlight busy Council meeting Aug 17, 2017

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When the roman numerals on a City Council agenda reach high enough for folks to have to think back on their school days to remember what item number is up for discussion, you know it's a busy night. Such was the case this past Monday, as Spartanburg City Council gave unanimous approval to three new major developments. The projects include two on the city's Northside, a new 16,000 square foot mixed-use development on the corner of College and Howard Street and redevelopment of the historic Fremont School into 41 market rate apartments, and a new 19,000 square foot mixed use development at a major gateway into downtown on E Main and Pine streets. Council also heard from city residents and rental property owners about a proposed registry program for the city's 7,000+ residential rental properties. Under the plan, residential rental property owners pay a $25 per-unit fee (maximum $250, waived if the property owner holds a city business license). The plan also would include periodic inspections to ensure rentals meet city building codes. The objective of the registry program would be to, over time, reduce the number of unsafe and unlivable rental units currently in the city, thereby reducing neighborhood blight and improving overall housing stock within the city. Council made no decision regarding the registry proposal and will take up the matter at a later meeting. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Assistant City Manager Chris Story to give you the details on all the action from Monday's meeting.

Spartanburg residents taking food waste out of the garbage can with Compost House Aug 09, 2017

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It's a huge part of the garbage every household produces and unless you've got the time and space for a compost pile or bin of your own, there haven't been many options for city residents to deal with food waste besides throwing it into a bin destined for the landfill. One Spartanburg company though, co-founded by a Wofford College graduate, now offers a simpler solution. Compost House, the residential arm of food waste recycling firm Atlas Organics offers an easy doorstep pickup option for residents throughout the city. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Leslie Rodgers, Education Director and Compost House Coordinator with Atlas Organics, about the wonders of organic waste and why turning it into piles of miraculous, black, plant happiness-boosting good stuff is a lot better than burying it in a landfill. Listen below and enjoy!

Affordable housing, inclusionary zoning, and a look at Spartanburg's downtown housing landscape Aug 03, 2017

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A recent bill in the state General Assembly sponsored by Sen. Marlon Kimpson of Charleston that would allow cities to require a percentage of apartment units of any new development to be priced as affordable housing, with below market rate rents specifically targeting residents with incomes below 80 percent of the local median (around $42,000 per year for a family of four in Spartanburg). The bill is a response to the rapidly developing downtowns of South Carolina cities like Charleston and Greenville and their corresponding rapid growth in rental rates, and a recent article in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal brought the issue local attention. So, is inclusionary zoning something Spartanburg should consider? Is our downtown far enough along to worry that spiraling rents will threaten the socioeconomic diversity of our city's most important neighborhood? What does the overall housing landscape in Spartanburg look like in 2017 and what steps are we in the City taking to address housing issues? Today on the podcast, we're taking a deep dive on those questions with Assistant City Manager Chris Story and Neighborhood Services Director Martin Livingston.

Discussing the 'Spartanburg movement' with Betsy Neely Sikma Jul 27, 2017

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It's been just a little more than a month since Betsy Neely Sikma assumed her role at the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, serving as Director of Entrepreneurial Development for the Economic Futures Group, but in that short time, but she's already managed to make a splash in Spartanburg, penning one of the most inspirational stories of a native daughter's return home in recent memory. If you haven't read it, you should. Today on the podcast, we're sitting down with Sikma to hear more of her story and more about her important work with the Spartanburg Chamber.

A year in Spartanburg with Hub-Bub Artist-in-Residence, Lydia See Jul 19, 2017

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For years now, Hub-Bub's artist-in-residency program has inarguably been, for many in our city, one of the Spartanburg's most beloved arts programs. Through the program, artists come to our city to work on their own projects and to embed themselves in our community, often leaving lasting positive impacts in their wake, with each year's artists helping Spartanburg to see itself from their fresh, and very often novel perspectives. While the impact this year's artist, Lydia See had on Spartanburg is undeniable, her 11-month residency was a bit different from what Hub-Bub had done in the past. For the first time, the residency was done through a partnership with Spartanburg County Public Libraries, growing the community impact of the program in new ways, Throughout her residency, See spit time between her own art projects and community work centered around creating inclusive, accessible programs that introduced the artistic process to those who aren't often exposed to art in their everyday lives. So, how did it go? Today on the podcast, we've got the artist herself, Lydia See to tell us about her time here, her work, and some of her impressions of the community she's gotten to know.

'Ban the box' passage shows importance of citizen engagement Jul 12, 2017

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When Spartanburg City Council voted unanimously to "ban the box" at a meeting in June, it was the culmination of a lot of groundwork from an involved local citizen, Meghan Smith The measure, which eliminates the criminal history question from City job applications, was a move councilmembers agreed was about fairness, removing the stigma some applicants may face in the hiring process and encouraging an evaluation of all applicants based on qualifications rather than having prior convictions automatically cloud the process. Under the changes, applicants will still have their backgrounds checked during the hiring process, but potential hires with a criminal record could have a better chance to earn a position with the City if they aren't asked about their past from the beginning of the process. For Meghan Smith, seeing "ban the box" pass was evidence that well-intentioned regular citizens, working with their local officials, can affect real change and solve problems in their communities. Today on the podcast, we're talking with her about the details of "ban the box" and the work she did to bring the issue to Council's attention and ultimately win its passage.

Carolina Panthers Training Camp returns to Spartanburg, July 26 Jul 06, 2017

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The July heat is upon us again here in Spartanburg and that means it's almost time to welcome the Carolina Panthers back to town for training camp 2017 at Wofford College! The camp is set to start July 26 with the annual Kickoff Party getting things started at 4 p.m. Events include the Mayor's Ball Delivery, on-field performances by the TopCats, Sir Purr, PurrCussion and Black & Blue Crew, face painting, food, and interactive games. As always, admission to the kickoff party and all 14 Panther practices is free. Follow this link to view the full schedule for this year's training camp. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Riley Fields, Director of Community Relations for the Carolina Panthers to give you the details.

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