Spartanburg City News

Latest Episodes:

Discussing the new Morgan Square design Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

On the heels of the recent Council update on the City's plan to enhance Morgan Square, we recently sat down with representatives from the design firm responsible for creating the square's new design, Brenda Diaz-Flores and Darren Meyer with MKSK, to discuss how the design was created and what residents can expect before construction on the new square begins next year. Development of the Morgan Square plan was guided by a select steering committee of local leaders, downtown stakeholders, and area residents, representing the culmination of nine months of sustained public outreach and engagement. Enhancements envisioned by the plan include permanently pedestrianizing the sections of W Main and Dunbar streets along the square, creating festival streets that will both increase the functional size of Morgan Square and create a cohesive feel across the entire space. Additionally, an enlarged performance lawn at the square's eastern end would have adjacent public restrooms and a staffed visitor center, and a new stage orientation would allow upwards of 800 audience members to enjoy performances. Other highlights include lounging terraces, bench swings, an outdoor dining zone for adjacent restaurants, a 70 percent increase in Morgan Square's total green space, and potentially a programmable water feature.

Getting to know new Assistant City Manager, Kevin Limehouse Aug 23, 2023

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Recently, we welcomed new Assistant City Manager, Kevin Limehouse to the City's leadership team. In a move designed to grow the City's leadership capacity, Limehouse's emphasis will be on innovation and operational efficiency, joining City Manager Chris Story and Mitch Kennedy who has been promoted to Deputy City Manager. Limehouse comes to Spartanburg from Charleston, SC where he has worked in state and local government for 17 years, most recently as Strategic Partnerships Manager for Public Services with Charleston County and Program Administrator for CORE SC. Today on the podcast, we're getting to know our new City teammate and learning more about what motivates his work in local government and why he and his family have chosen Spartanburg.

Discussing the 2023 fiscal year budget with City Manager, Chris Story Jul 12, 2023

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It's the most important statement of values for any government, and for the City of Spartanburg, the 2023-2024 annual budget is about investing in our city's future. With the largest outlay of capital expenditures in recent memory and a new compensation system designed to attract and retain talent for Spartanburg's municipal team, the focus on adapting to meet the challenges of our rapidly growing community. Approved unanimously by City Council in June and having taken effect on July 1, the $51 million operating budget includes no tax increases, but does include an increase to the City's solid waste fee. The $45 increase brings the total households pay for curbside garbage, recycling, and green waste pickup to $153 annually, still well below a number of nearby communities such as the City of Greenville ($204 annually) and the City of Rock Hill ($247 annually). Local residents outside the city limits must contract with a private service for garbage and recycling collection, with a cost of approximately $500 annually. On the expenditure side, the budget includes allocations of federal ARPA funding for renovations for the new Fire Department headquarters at 450 Wofford St. and large investments in affordable rental housing and homeownership support. Additionally, around $2 million is allocated to implement salary adjustments and a new classification system for the City's 425+ employees. The adjustments come after the conclusion of a salary study conducted earlier this year. Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager, Chris Story to get more details on the fiscal year budget and its impact on our city.

New River Birch trail extension to feature 'Creativitrees' public art installation Jun 28, 2023

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Another important piece of "The Dan" trail system is ready for its official ribbon cutting. A new segment of the River Birth trail will celebrate its opening on Thursday, June 29 at 4:30 p.m. (Parking for event attendees will be available at Bells Hill, 961 East Main St.). Thanks to a partnership between PAL: Play Advocate Live Well and Spartanburg Art Museum, the recently opened trail extension along Lawson's Fork Creek will also feature the new "Creativitrees" public art installation. This week on the podcast, we're talking with Spartanburg Art Museum Executive Director, Elizabeth Goddard and PAL Executive Director, Laura Ringo about the new tree-themed public art installation and the new trail that will house it.

Next steps in bringing minor league baseball back to Spartanburg Jun 07, 2023

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Local baseball fans were so excited last month with the announcement that the Down East Wood Ducks would be moving to Spartanburg from their current home in Kinston, NC that they could practically smell the hot dogs. Once here, the team will play its games in the 3,500-seat centerpiece of a $250 million development that will fill the 16-acre site immediately behind the AC Hotel along S Daniel Morgan Ave., which in addition to the ballpark will feature tens of thousands of square feet of residential, office space, and retail. A lot of work is still yet to be done before the stands are filled for the first pitch of a minor league baseball game in Spartanburg since 1994. The City, County, developer, and team will need to approve agreements to bring the development to fruition, designs for the stadium and nearby developments will need to be approved, and then the largest construction project in Downtown Spartanburg history will get underway, transforming the vast and vacant site that exists today into a hub of entertainment and commerce unlike anything our community has ever seen. Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager Chris Story about those next steps and about the impact this transformational investment will have in Spartanburg.

Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful takes on litter, beautification in Spartanburg May 31, 2023

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It's never hard to find folks willing too share their opinions about litter, and thankfully for those of us in Spartanburg, it's also not hard to find folks willing to put their time and energy into combatting it. Thanks to the work of Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful, those efforts are more organized than ever throughout Spartanburg County. Founded in 2018, our local Keep America Beautiful affiliate works not only to combat litter in our area. The organization also works to engage residents in recycling, beautification efforts, and environmental education. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful Coordinator, Claire Roussos about the organization and how they're helping to improve our local environment and quality-of-life for our residents.

City Boards and Commissions offer residents an opportunity to serve May 17, 2023

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One of the most overlooked ways a civic-minded Spartanburg resident can choose to get involved in shaping the future of our city is by serving on one of our City Boards and Commissions. Maybe you're a local architect interested in helping to ensure that new downtown developments follow the City's design standards or a local cycling enthusiast who'd like to have a say in expanding opportunities for our citizens to get active. Perhaps you're a member of one of the city's neighborhood watch organizations, and you'd like to help influence crime prevention efforts citywide. Whatever the case, odds are there's a City Board or Commission that could use your input, and with vacancies just announced for the upcoming fiscal year (beginning July 1), now would be a great time to step up and help us continue to improve our great city. Today on the podcast, we're talking with new City Clerk, Christie Lindsey about our Boards and Commissions vacancies and her other responsibilities assisting City Council and connecting our residents with their government.

Urban tree health and the future of Morgan Square's canopy May 11, 2023

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If you've had the opportunity to view the three preliminary design options for the enhancement of Morgan Square, you've likely noticed that all of the proposals include an abundant amount of tree canopy. Owing to feedback from residents and stakeholders throughout the process so far, it's clear that the importance of natural shade and the welcoming feel provided by mature trees will certainly be a major factor in whatever shape the final enhancement design takes. While placing trees in many parks can be as simple as selecting the right tree and the right location to plant it, the challenge is much greater in a bustling city center where the regular thumping of tens of thousands of footsteps compresses soil, where surrounding hardscape limits the amount of rain reaching tree roots, and where well over a century of underground infrastructure creates a tangle of sometimes unknown obstacles and complications. What does a sustainable canopy for Morgan Square look like when the lifespan of urban trees is often 10-20 years? What do we know about the conditions of the trees currently on and around Morgan Square, and what remains hidden underground? What strategies and new technologies can help extend the lifespan of new trees, and what can be done to improve conditions for existing trees that remain after the redesign? Today on the podcast, we're talking with ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and consultant for Morgan Square enhancement process, Jonathan Simmons about his assessment of the square's trees and what our city can do to create a sustainable canopy for its future.

Noble Tree Foundation brings expertise, biodiversity to Spartanburg's urban canopy Apr 26, 2023

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If you've walked down Wall Street in Downtown Spartanburg lately, you've likely noticed the new tree plantings installed earlier this year. While you may have admired the new trees and considered the shade they'll one day provide for visitors to one of Spartanburg's most picturesque pedestrian gateways, you wouldn't have learned the full story behind those hand-picked Chinese Pistache trees and how they found a home in our community. Today on the podcast, we're telling that story along with our friends from the Noble Tree Foundation who made it all possible.

Exploring the new City of Spartanburg website Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

It's been over 10 years since the last significant update to our website, which is something close to a century in website years, and while the launch of a new municipal government website isn't going to reach many people's threshold for important breaking news, we're pretty excited about it anyway. That excitement comes from all the new ways our updated site will allow residents throughout Spartanburg to better connect with their local government and find the information they're looking for. From the ability to sign up for automatic email or text alerts when new calendar events or City Council agendas are posted, to the prominent and usable search function, to the important government transparency shortcuts on our homepage, this new site was conceived from the ground up as a tool to make connecting with us and staying involved much easier. Today on the podcast, we're discussing the new site's features and how we hope you'll find them useful.

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