Spartanburg City News

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Taking a look back at the last decade in Spartanburg Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

It's become an annual holiday tradition on the City Podcast to take a look back at the previous year in Spartanburg, but with the 2010s winding down, this year we decided to dial that up a bit. Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager, Chris Story about what we believe has been the most transformative decade in living memory. From the hundreds of millions invested in Downtown Spartanburg, to the combined public, private, and nonprofit efforts on our city's Northside, the city we had in 2010 was in an enormously different place from the one we call home today. How did that transformation happen? What work remains to be done? What will the next 10 years bring? We do our best to answer those questions on today's podcast, which also serves as a conversation starter for our new #Spartanburg2020 initiative, a community listening project that will ask Spartanburg residents to answer question: What is the most transformative change Spartanburg has seen in the last decade? Listen to learn more, and to get inspired to share those #Spartanburg2020 answers!

Hub City Press releases 'Above Spartanburg' Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

It started as an Instagram account that burst onto the local scene late last year with some stunning aerial photos of Spartanburg. Right from the start though, it was clear that Above Spartanburg wasn't your typical drone photography page. The shots are taken with an artist's eye, with the lighting and the symmetry of each one clearly reflecting the amount of planning and forethought going into each one. That attention to detail wasn't lost on the folks at Hub City Press, and after admiring the new mystery Instagram account feed for a while, they decided to reach out to its creator, Kavin Bradner. Now that Instagram account has spawned a beautiful book by the same name. Above Spartanburg, features photos previously seen in the account as well as dozens of new shots of both local icons and lesser-known corners of our community. With a release event planned for this Saturday, November 23 at 4 p.m. at Fr8yard (RJ Rockers in the event of rain) this week on the podcast we're talking with Bradner and Betsy Teter and Kate McMullen from Hub City Press about the new book. Listen below for more!

Explaining the plan to replace and redevelop Highland's Norris Ridge Apartments Oct 23, 2019

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It's the first step in a process that will take at least three years to complete, but at their most recent meeting, Spartanburg City Council took the first steps towards tearing down and replacing Norris Ridge Apartments, a privately owned substandard section 8 apartment complex in the Highland neighborhood that has long been a site targeted for redevelopment by the City and Highland residents. Under the approved agreement, the City will transfer 10 properties—totaling around 25 acres—along Wofford St. in the Mid-towne Heights area to Mississippi-based firm EquityPlus, LLC for construction of a mixed-income development that will serve as a replacement for the 190 units that will be lost with the eventual demolition of Norris Ridge Apartments. EquityPlus, LLC has an agreement in place with the current owner of Norris Ridge to purchase the property and has agreed to redevelop the site in accordance with the Highland Transformation Plan, currently underway in the neighborhood. The developer plans to construct the Mid-towne Heighs project in three phases, with the first creating the 190 affordable units needed to house families that will be displaced by the demolition of Norris Ridge Apartments, which will take place after the new units are completed. EquityPlus, LLC is expected to work with the Spartanburg Housing Authority to assist in relocation of tenants. Construction on the Mid-towne Heights development is expected to begin within a year, and it is expected to be up to three years before Norris Ridge residents can begin relocating to the new units. Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager, Chris Story and Neighborhood Services Director, Martin Livingston about the development plan and what this means for the residents of Norris Ridge, the ongoing Highland Transformation Plan, and the City as a whole.

Walkability expert Jeff Speck to hold free event in Spartanburg, November 7 Oct 16, 2019

Show notes

Walkability. It's one of the keys to future prosperity in every city and has been a crucial lens to help focus downtown development in Spartanburg in recent years, and at a free event next month, area residents will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of walkability from the person who literally wrote the book on the topic. Walkability expert Jeff Speck will share his thoughts on creating a more walkable Spartanburg at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church on November 7 at 5:30 p.m. Jeff Speck is a city planner and urban designer who advocates internationally for more walkable cities. As Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 through 2007, he presided over the Mayors' Institute on City Design and created the Governors' Institute on Community Design. Prior to his federal appointment, Mr. Speck spent ten years as Director of Town Planning at DPZ & Co., the principal firm behind the New Urbanism movement. Since 2007, he has led Speck & Associates, an award winning private design consultancy serving public officials and the real estate industry. He is a co-author of Suburban Nation, which the Wall Street Journal calls "the urbanist's bible." His 2012 book, Walkable City was the best selling city-planning book of 2013-2016. Just released, Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places, takes Walkable City from ideas into action, and was named a Planetizen "Top Ten Book of the Year." His TED talks and YouTube videos have been viewed more than 4.5 million times. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Speck to get a taste of what attendees can expect at this exciting event.

Homebuyers Seminar & Expo at C.C. Woodson, Oct. 15, 6 p.m. Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

It's the most important purchase most of us will ever make, and navigating the home buying process can feel overwhelming for folks taking those first steps towards homeownership. Fortunately, help is out there, and on Tuesday, October 15, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at the C.C. Woodson Community Center, future homeowners looking for some guidance will have an opportunity to learn how they can take that next step toward the American dream from professionals in all aspects of the real estate world. Today on the podcast, we've got details on what you can expect at the Homebuyers Seminar and about the overall housing market in our city.

Spartanburg Science Center enhances offerings, inspires excitement for science Oct 02, 2019

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It all started with John Green, a man with a vision and passion for educating children about the wonders of science, and today the Spartanburg Science Center continues that mission and is expanding its presense in the community. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Mary Levens and Kathryn Harvey about that expansion, including a new aviation program the organization has spearheaded in partnership with our Downtown Memorial Airport.

Countywide 32-mile trail network to be called 'The Dan' Sep 18, 2019

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It's been years in the making and still years to go until the 32-mile network linking disconnected trails throughout Spartanburg is completed, but now the vision has a brand, The Dan. The eventual network will link popular trails such as the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail, Cottonwood Trail, Glendale Shoals, and Wadsworth Trail together into a system that will allow users to travel across our city and beyond. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Laura Ringo and Ned Barrett with Partners for Active Living about the newly branded trail network and about their plans to see it completed.

Spartanburg Municipal Judge seeks to establish Homeless Court Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

For those experiencing homelessness, even a minor criminal charge can have a major impact, leaving individuals trapped deeper in a cycle of poverty and addiction that becomes even more difficult to break. Spartanburg City Municipal Judge Erika McJimpsey has a plan to offer some of our community's most vulnerable members a different path by starting a homeless court in our city. Homeless courts were founded as an alternative legal process for homeless people, who come into contact with law enforcement more often, that centers on rehabilitation rather than incarceration. The idea is to connect a qualified person with service providers who would establish a treatment plan with goals the homeless court participant would need to meet. Once the process is completed, convictions for minor offenses on the participant's record could be expunged, replacing a punitive approach to a vulnerable population with one focused on restorative justice. Today on the podcast, Judge McJimpsey joins us give details about the new homeless court proposal and why it matters for Spartanburg.

What is a comprehensive plan? Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

Today on the podcast, we've got an overview of the City's upcoming Comprehensive Planning process. Replacing the City's current Comprehensive Plan, which was crafted in 1999, the new plan is expected to govern the CIty's path for the next 20 years, guiding our strategies on areas as wide-ranging as racial equity, housing, economics, health and wellness, parks and recreation, public facilities, infrastructure, traffic, and the overall livability of Spartanburg for decades to come. With City Staff expecting to finalize recommendations to Council for a contract with a planning firm to create the Comprehensive Plan in the coming weeks, and the process is expected to take nearly two years to complete, today we're laying the groundwork by trying to answer a few very simple questions: What is a Comprehensive Plan? Why does our City need one? How does it shape future City policy? Check out our conversation with City Manager Chris Story and City Planner Natalia Rosario for answers to those questions as well as why it's important for you to be involved in this crucially important process for Spartanburg.

First Highland Neighborhood Transformation Plan public meeting, August 13, 6 p.m. Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

The City of Spartanburg and its partners are inviting the public to join us at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church (502 S Daniel Morgan Ave.) on August 13, from 6-8 p.m. for the first public meeting to help create a new transformation plan for the Highland Neighborhood. The Highland Neighborhood Transformation Plan will create a vision for the growth of the community, and this is the first of multiple public input sessions planned throughout the process. The transformation plan process seeks to evaluate Highland as a whole, both its assets and its challenges, ultimately creating a blueprint for everything from housing, public spaces, and transportation, to education at all levels and job training programs. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Highland Neighborhood Association President Leroy Jeter, Community Outreach Advocate Wilma Moore, and Bethlehem Center Director Patrena Mims about their impressions of the process so far and their hopes going forward. For more on the Highland transformation planning process, listen to our podcast with City Neighborhood Services Director Martin Livingston and City Planner Natalia Rosario, and to learn more about Highland and its residents' perspectives as the planning process began, listen to our two-part conversation with community leaders and stakeholders. Part one can be found here. Part two can be found here.

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