Spartanburg City News

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$2.3 Million in planned streetscaping to increase connectivity in Downtown Spartanburg Jul 23, 2014

Show notes

So far on in our series exploring the economic power of Downtown Spartanburg, we've talked about the economic importance of the area around Morgan Square, and spent some time discussing the large investments that have transformed one section of our city's downtown. But what about the walk between those sections of Downtown? Isn't there something the City can do to make that experience simpler and more pleasant? What about the family enjoying a walk down the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail only to get to the corner of Henry and Union streets and find the trail ending, and a daunting crossing and an unpleasant walk standing between them and all that Downtown Spartanburg has to offer? How might improving the walkability along Church Street encourage visitors to the Marriott to take a stroll down to Morgan Square. As it happens, we think about those questions all the time, and rather than just pondering the possibilities, last year City Council voted to do something about it. That plan promises to touch nearly every part of Downtown Spartanburg. Projects include: extending the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail into Downtown and through to Barnet Park (building South Carolina's first curb-protected bike lane in the process), straightening the chicanes along E. Main Street, and improvements to the sidewalks on Magnolia Street between St. John and W. Main streets and Church Street from the Marriott into the heart of Downtown. Make no mistake, this isn't just a beautification project. These infrastructure improvements are meant encourage development and growth by connecting people with the businesses and amenities that make Downtown Spartanburg great. In other words, it's all about increasing the economic power of Downtown Spartanburg, and today on the podcast, we sit down with Partners for Active Living Trails Coordinator, Ned Barrett to talk about some of the ways these projects are going to improve both the quality of life for our residents and the bottom line for our businesses.

Marriott, Chapman Center, The George represent $110 million investment in Downtown Spartanburg Jul 14, 2014

Show notes

It's tough to miss the three anchor developments in Downtown Spartanburg's northernmost reaches. The Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, the Chapman Cultural Center, and USC-Upstate's George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics might not have all been built at the same time, but combined, these crucial pieces of Downtown Spartanburg's renewal represent an enormous investment. How enormous? Check out the infographic below: Aside from being an enormous figure all by itself, the figure above barely scratches the surface. Additionally, the developments along that block provide jobs for educators, artists, hospitality workers, and others, helping to provide a customer base for other downtown businesses, and the success each of these major developments has enjoyed encourages new development, like the kind recently approved by City Council for a parcel behind the Marriott. It also helps make the Montgomery Building — long the most important potential redevelopment project in Spartanburg — more attractive for potential future owners. What's next for this example of the economic power of Downtown Spartanburg? Recently we sat down with Assistant City Manager Chris Story to talk about this crucial part of our city.

City News Podcast: How Downtown Spartanburg leads the way on jobs Jul 07, 2014

Show notes

Do you work in or near Downtown Spartanburg? If you do, you're definitely not alone. It might not make headlines the way our county's industrial titans (justifiably) do when they announce an expansion, but thousands of people spend their workdays in and around Downtown Spartanburg. How many? Check out the infographic below to get a little perspective. Pretty impressive, right? And it's not just the numbers; it's the economic diversity. Many folks in the private sector such as attorneys, accountants, and executives spend their days working within a stone’s throw of artists, educators, nonprofit, and public sector workers. Employees and business owners of all types create and share in the web of activity our downtown offers. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Assistant City Manager Chris Story to get a little perspective on those numbers. What do those thousands of workers bring to Spartanburg, and why is it important that we not only celebrate the economic success of Downtown Spartanburg today, but also that we continue to add to that success? Listen to the podcast to find out.

City News Podcast: Celebrate Independence Day at Barnet Park with Red, White & Boom! Jul 03, 2014

Show notes

Barnet Park is the perfect setting for Spartanburg's Independence Day celebration, Red, White & Boom! On the stage at the Zimmerli Amphitheater starting at 6 p.m., visitors can enjoy patriotic music by the Spartanburg Community Band starting, and then at 8 p.m., it's time for a set from one of the best up-and-coming guitarists in country music, as Nashville recording artist, Lindsay Ell takes the stage. Don't forget to come early and come hungry to enjoy some great food before the skies darken and we light them back up again with our spectacular fireworks show! Today on the podcast, we're talking with Special Events Manager Mandy Merck to get the details.

City News Podcast: City Manager Ed Memmott explains plan to daylight Northside creek Jun 12, 2014

Show notes

At their meeting on Monday, City Council gave approval to a plan to daylight Butterfly Branch, a spring-fed stream that has been piped underground through the neighborhood for decades. An important part of the Northside Initiative, plans call for the creek to run through the neighborhood from VCOM to the proposed site of the new TK Gregg Center, currently the location for Oakview Apartments. Ninety percent of funding for the project would come from the Federal Aviation Administration, as part of the environmental impact mitigation required by the City's planned runway extension at the Downtown Memorial Airport, which will require a nearby creek to be piped and covered. Federal wetlands protection regulations require the City to mitigate the impact to this stream by purchase of mitigation credits or by the construction of a qualifying offsite stream protection project. What does all that mean? Today on the podcast, we've got City Manager Ed Memmott on to give us the details. Listen below and enjoy!

City News Podcast: Spartanburg Philharmonic to play free concert at Barnet Park June 14 Jun 10, 2014

Show notes

In recognition of Father’s Day, Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra will present a free concert-in-the-park Saturday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Zimmerli Amphitheatre in Barnet Park in downtown Spartanburg. It will feature one of the hottest and most-promising vocalists currently making international headlines in both classical and pop music — Kaitlyn Lusk, a 25-year-old soprano. This pops concert — Father’s Day Concert: A Hollywood Celebration! — will offer a wide variety of music from patriotic songs Armed Forces Salute and American Salute to Disney tunes from The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, and Aladdin; and the classics Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Moon River, The Sound of Music, and Singin’ in the Rain. Lusk will also sing songs from the Lord of the Ring movie series, including May It Be, Breaking the Fellowship, and Into the West, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song for a movie. Today on the Podcast, we're talking with SPO Music Director Sarah Ioannides about this great free event. Listen below for more details.

City News Podcast: Craft Beer and Downtown Development with RJ Rockers' John Bauknight Jun 03, 2014

Show notes

It's been called the "Stone Bill" owing to its association with the well-known San Diego craft beer maker, but for craft breweries throughout South Carolina, a bill on its way to Governor Nikki Haley's desk could transform their industry. Under the new law, breweries that bottle and sell beer offsite will now be allowed to sell unlimited quantities on site so long as it is in conjunction with restaurant service, something many craft beer makers say is crucial to growing their brands. The new law allows the state to attract large craft brewers from elsewhere (like Stone) that typically have restaurants attached to their brewing operations, potentially bringing millions of dollars in economic development along with hundreds of jobs. It also would allow potential entrepreneurs to grow their businesses from small brewpubs to lager operations that can sell their beer offsite through distributors, something previously illegal in South Carolina. But what does it mean for the homegrown craft brewers already up and running here in SC? Today on the podcast, we sit down with John Bauknight, one of the owners of Downtown Spartanburg's RJ Rockers Brewing Company, to find out.

City News Podcast: Hub City Farmers' Market kicking off 2014 season, May 17 May 13, 2014

Show notes

The growing season is well underway here in Spartanburg, and that means it's time for the Hub City Farmers' Market to kick off it's 2014 season at the Magnolia Street Train Depot on May 17 at 8 a.m. (click here for directions). Now entering its ninth year, the market routinely draws hundreds of people out to the old train depot looking to buy everything from local vegetables like kale, cabbage, and broccoli, to fruits like peaches and strawberries, to animal products like local honey, eggs (chicken and duck) and grass-fed beef. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Hub City Farmers' Market Interim Executive Director, Brendan Buttimer about the upcoming season, as well as their upcoming move into a new space at the Northside Healthy Food Hub, which is under construction now. Be sure to like the Hub City Farmers' Market Facebook page to stay in the loop on all of their latest news.

City News Podcast: Deal paves way for $7M mixed-use development behind Marriott Apr 30, 2014

Show notes

At their most recent meeting, Spartanburg City Council gave unanimous approval to a measure paving the way for a new $7 million mixed-use development behind the Downtown Marriott. The hotel's owners, Jimmy Gibbs and Andy Cajka, have plans for a new, complimentary project on the adjacent property, though no specifics are yet being disclosed. Under the approved agreement, the City will sell the lot to SMR Hospitality II for $1 if a development assessed at least $7 million is constructed. While full details on the project aren't yet finalized, today on the podcast, we're talking with Assistant City Manager Chris Story to get the details on deal and what this latest development means for the continued momentum around Downtown Spartanburg.

City News Podcast: Blighted motel to be demolished to provide gateway to Northside Apr 02, 2014

Show notes

At a workshop held after their most recent meeting, City Council voiced support for demolishing the Sunshine Inn, a blighted motel across from Wofford College, and a crucial piece of the Northside Initiative. On the heels of recent news of the Northside Development Corporation's nearly finalized purchase of the property for around $600,000, staff recommended to Council that the City allocate $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding toward demolishing the dilapidated motel. Once demolition is complete, the site will become a new gateway into Northside redevelopment area, with plans calling for Evins Street to be extended from Wofford College into the neighborhood (click here to view a map). Today on the podcast, we're talking with Assistant City Manager Chris Story about the nuts and bolts of this important project, and what it could ultimately mean for connecting the Northside redevelopment area with the rest of the city.

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