Spartanburg City News

At a recent City Council meeting, City Manager, Chris Story gave an overview of , a proposed collection of support systems that would seek to improve outcomes for young children and their families by providing a continuum of evidence-based services for all children born in the City of Spartanburg from prenatal care through age five. Designed to significantly improve child wellbeing, boost future prosperity, and provide quantifiable financial benefits to our community well in excess of its cost, Hello Family would bring a number of existing services in the city under one umbrella in order to link their efforts and produce verifiable results by focusing on early intervention strategies. Based on the work of James J. Heckman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist who found that investing in programs targeted at the earliest years of life yield the most lasting and cost-effective results, Hello Family seeks to improve birth outcomes, reduce child abuse and neglect, and improve kindergarten readiness throughout the City

It's the oldest home in the city limits of Spartanburg, and for for most in town, that's all they know about the Seay House—if they know anything at all. However, there's a lot more to this old farm house than meets the eye, and the is hoping that the home can shine a light on the stories of women and their lives in 19th century Spartanburg. Originally built by Kinsman Seay around 1831, the home was later owned his three unmarried daughters, Ruthy, Patsy and Sarah Seay. The sisters have a story that's unconventional for the period in Spartanburg, owning property on their own and making a living by selling produce and most unusually, lending small sums of money at interest. In fact, the sisters were successful enough in their endeavors to provide donations for the establishment of Central United Methodist Church, the oldest church in the city.  Today on the podcast, we're learning more about the Seay sisters and their unique Spartanburg story with Colleen Twentyman, Collections and Educations Coordinator with

It's an event that grows in popuarity each year, and on April 13, returns to Barnet Park in Downtown Spartanburg. The free international kite festival fills the sky with hundreds of colorful flying works of art and features live music, food trucks, and a makers market with wares from local artisans. The event also features a “rokkaku” kite battle, where teams battle to down the kites of other competitors. A City team will be competing this year, so come out and meet your humble podcast hosts (and cheer us on!). Today on the podcast, we're talking with Melanie Terry, Special Events Coordinator with Chapman Cultural Center, about the festival. Along the way we also talk about the return of the organization's , which brings musicians and performers to the streets of Downtown Spartanburg every Wednesday–Saturday during the warmer months.     

It's the latest and by far the largest development along Magnolia Street, creating new residential and commercial space from the bones of a long-vacant former Social Security building and adding two floors in the process. 142 Social is the latest renovation project to add to Downtown Spartanburg's residential and commercial boom, bringing an additional 18 apartments and more than 7,500 square feet of retail space to our downtown core.   Today on the podcast, we're talking with developer Andrew Babb about the project, and we're getting his perspective on this historic period of growth and development in Downtown Spartanburg.

A recent reorganization of Spartanburg Urban Mission CDC with Ruth’s Gleanings healthy food rescue—in partnership with FoodShare South Carolina in Columbia and funding from Mary Black Foundation—has created an innovative approach to tackling problems of access and affordability for healthy, fresh produce. Foodshare Spartanburg has recently launched its affordable bi-weekly produce box service targeting needy families in our area. Based on FoodShare South Carolina, which began in Columbia in 2015, the proven, evidence-based model provides families with fresh food boxes filled with around 12 varieties of top-quality fruits and vegetables, along with recipes and tips for their use. The group says that all of its boxes include no markup for the customer and the cost is $15 per box, or only $5 if using SNAP benefits. FoodShare Spartanburg sources produce locally as harvest season allows, helping both the local farmer and the local economy. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Tonja Smith, Executive Director of

One of the hottest new trends fitness trends in America is about to have a home in Downtown Spartanburg. CycleBar, a premium indoor cycling fitness center, plans to open this spring at 120 W. St. John St., near the newly opened, renovated Montgomery Building. Featuring premium amenities, stadium-style setting, and instructors that the company calls "equal parts DJ, drill sergeant, motivator, and friend" the high-energy boutique group fitness concept is set to add something entirely different to the gym landscape in Downtown Spartanburg.   Today on the podcast, we're talking with Simone Mack-Orr, General Manager of CycleBar Spartanburg about the new concept. Listen below and be sure to check out their , , and accounts for more information.

Plenty of people in Spartanburg believe they know the story of our city's Highland community. Long one of the most challenging areas of intergenerational poverty Spartanburg County, the struggles of Highland and its residents are seemingly well-known by locals but most often completely misunderstood. Lost in the decades-old local narrative of crime and poverty are the stories of the people who call Highland home, who love their community and work every day to see it thrive. The story of Highland that we don't often hear is one of community cohesion, of neighbors coming together in fellowship and in support of each other in times of need, and of a fiercely proud neighborhood that rightly views itself as vital to Spartanburg's future.   The fuller picture of what really happened in Highland during the 20th century is also lost in that well-worn local narrative, a story of longterm, systemic racism, the thoughtlessness of paternalistic local government officials, and the heavy-handedness of misguided federal Urb

 Plenty of people in Spartanburg's believe they know the story of our city's Highland community. Long one of the most challenging areas of intergenerational poverty Spartanburg County, the struggles of Highland and its residents are seemingly well-known by locals but most often completely misunderstood. Lost in the decades-old local narrative of crime and poverty are the stories of the people who call Highland home, who love their community and work every day to see it thrive. The story of Highland that we don't often hear is one of community cohesion, of neighbors coming together in fellowship and in support of each other in times of need, and of a fiercely proud neighborhood that rightly views itself as vital to Spartanburg's future. Also lost in that well-worn local narrative is the fuller picture of what really happened in Highland during the 20th century, how systemic, multi-generational racism, the thoughtlessness of paternalistic local government officials, and the heavy-handedness of misguided federal

Back in 2013, , widening sidewalks and enhancing the pedestrian experience in some of the areas that City Staff then believed would be keys to driving future growth and development in our urban core. So now, four-plus years after the plan was passed and after nearly all the proposed streetscaping projects have been completed, how did we do? With downtown's boom showing no signs of slowing down and with developments like the Aug Smith building renovation, Fr8yard, the Children's Museum of the Upstate, 142 Social, the Peddler, Farmer's Table, Miyako's/Bar 1884, and a slew of other openings and investment, we'd say the whole thing has been a pretty amazing success. Today on the podcast, we've got City Manager Chris Story on to tell us why the City believes in the idea of downtown streetscaping as both a way to improve the experience for downtown visitors but also as a means of fertilizing the soil for private investment.

Among last year's dizzying number of fantastic Downtown Spartanburg announcements was a plan to create 28 new homes on a long-vacant parcel behind Barnet Park. Located next to another planned downtown residential project—Florida-based Forge Capital's 200-unit apartment complex—the Silver Hill development will feature 18 single-family homes and 18 townhomes on the long-vacant 4.5 acre parcel. Construction on the project is expected to start this spring.   Today on the podcast, we're joined by Jennifer Evins, partner on the Silver Hill development and President of Chapman Cultural Center, about her first foray into the development world and what this new neighborhood will offer for those looking to call Downtown Spartanburg home.

Last fall, we met HUB-BUB's latest pair of artists-in-residence, Ambrin Ling and Marisa Adesman and had a great conversation about the residency, Spartanburg, and what they planned to do with their time while here. Today on the podcast, we're here to find out how it's going so far and to get details on a wonderful new project they'll be working on during the remainder of their time in Spartanburg. Called “A Mosaic Portrait of Spartanburg,” the project will feature Ambrin and Marisa creating 200 small paintings for a single series portraying the many, diverse visions of home as contributed by individual citizens in our area. From January to July, they will engage residents of Spartanburg county with an evolving series of prompts distributed through a diverse range of platforms—from social media to the Creative Placemaking Studios to a potential walking tour of Spartanburg—that focus on encouraging residents to envision the individual’s notions of home as a space for defining their lived-experience in Spartanbu

Are you a dedicated Dowtown Spartanburg visitor looking for a way beat those post-holiday winter doldrums? This week’s podcast is very much for you. For the first time ever on the podcast, we’ve got the entire City Communications Department team here to tell you about a pair of social media projects that might just make this January and February a bit more exciting.  First in January, thanks to an overwhelming response from local businesses, we’ve got an entire month of daily giveaways featuring many of your favorite downtown hotspots, ranging from small gift cards for a few tastey bites all the way up to a staycation package that will completely blow away all your notions about how fancy a night in Downtown Spartanburg can be. Then in February we’ve got the first ever ”Sparkies” Downtown Awards, which will give you the chance to weigh in on your favorites in 20 categories, featuring everything from best ”grab & go” lunch spot to best piece of public art.  How about that for a way to kick off 2019 in Down

As we head into the holidays and many of us prepare to enjoy family, friends, and fellowship, what better time to take a look back at 2018 in Spartanburg? It's a year that saw the completion of the largest historic renovation in Downtown Spartanburg's history, cap-stoning yet another year of unprecedented growth in our city center. It's a year that saw leadership changes for City Government, with two new City Council members and a new City Manager. It's a year when the City's commitment to equity and fairness received a vocal boost, with the groundbreaking of a new Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center, the launch of a new master planning process for the Highland neighborhood, and the City's decision to join the Government Alliance on Race and Equity. This week on the podcast, we're taking a look back at all of that and a lot more of what 2018 brought to Spartanburg and offer a peek at some of what the next year will hold for us. Listen below for more!

It's one of the most concentrated areas of poverty in our City and has the lowest median income of any neighborhood in Spartanburg County, all of which makes Highland the ideal place for a City intent on improving the lives of its residents to do its most impactful work. On December 7, three finalist firms competing for the opportunity to craft a redevelopment master plan for Highland gave presentations to neighborhood residents gathered at the Thornton Center. The master planning process, still very much in its early stages, will ultimately lead to a holistic blueprint for Highland's future, covering everything from housing and transportation, to education and job training programs. So what is a neighborhood master plan exactly, and how will one be developed for Highland? Moreover, once that plan is developed, what options do the City, Highland, and other community stakeholders have in implementing what will surely be a mammoth undertaking to improve the lives of some of our most needy residents? Today on th

Do you have relatives or friends coming to town this weekend? Looking for a way to show off the coolest unexpected treasures Spartanburg has to offer after everyone awakens from their annual turkey-induced coma? This week's podcast is for you! Today we're talking about the new edition of the Underground Guide to Spartanburg, published by our friends at . Hub City's founder and Director of Development, Betsy Teter and Assistant Press Director, Kate McMullen join us to give you the ideas you're looking for to be your family's Thanksgiving weekend hero. Listen below for more and be sure to grab a copy of the new Underground Guide from Hub City Bookshop () and check out their and pages to stay updated on the latest from Spartanburg's literary powerhouse.  

  It's been , and in the intervening time all of us who spend time in Downtown Spartanburg have watched our city's most iconic historic building slowly return to its 1920's glory. Now, after an incredibly extensive historic renovation, N Church Street is about to see something most of Spartanburg's residents have never seen, a 10-story bustling skyscraper that will serve as a crucial nexus of activity on downtown's northern end. A total of 63 apartments will occupy floors 4-10, with office space on floors two and three, and ground-floor retail space that is already slated to house a second downtown location for Little River Coffee Bar and a first Spartanburg location for the popular Greenville-based Sidewall Pizza. Recognizing the Montgomery Building's enormous importance to the Spartanburg community, developers James Bakker and Tom Finnegan of BF Spartanburg are inviting the public to come see the restored icon for themselves, with public tours planned as part of a grand opening weekend on December 7-8. Toda

  A got its first overview from the City's Design Review Board (DRB) on Tuesday. The proposed 119 room hotel includes a ground-floor restaurant and bar with outdoor seating, an outdoor pool, and a two-level parking deck. The board, citing the developer's plans to use nonconforming EFIS (exterior insulation and finish system) to clad the exterior of the hotel's upper floors, sent the project back to the developer for revision before preliminary approval will be granted.   So what does that mean? What is EFIS and why would the DRB care about its use on a downtown building? Why regulate the form and materials used in downtown construction projects at all? Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager Chris Story about the new hotel project, the importance of the DRB process, and the other big downtown projects that were reviewed by the board at its last meeting. Listen below for more.

Spartanburg has been around for a long time (1787, 1789, or 1831...whatever date you choose, it's been a minute) long enough to have its fair share of creepy history and lore, perfect to explore on this Halloween edition of the City Podcast. We're talking with our friend Brad Steinecke, Spartanburg County Public Library Assistant Director of Local History, to hear some terrifying local tales. Happy Halloween!

He's new to the job but definitely not new to Spartanburg and its people's aspirations and challenges. City Manager Chris Story is through his first couple of weeks on the job after Spartanburg City Council voted 7-0 to award him the position after the retirement of former City Manager Ed Memmott. Story had served as Assistant City Manager since 2009 and held the position of of Assistant County Administrator with Spartanburg County for nine years before that.   Today on the podcast, we're diving deep with our new City Manager, getting his take on the role his leadership position plays in the larger Spartanburg community and discussing the biggest challenges he and the rest of our team will be tackling during his tenure. Listen below to learn more!

He's new to the job but definitely not new to Spartanburg and its people's aspirations and challenges. City Manager Chris Story is through his first couple of weeks on the job after Spartanburg City Council voted 7-0 to award him the position after the retirement of former City Manager Ed Memmott. Story had served as Assistant City Manager since 2009 and held the position of of Assistant County Administrator with Spartanburg County for nine years before that. Story is certainly no stranger to City Podcast listeners, but today, on part one of our conversation, we're getting to know the person behind the wonk we've all gotten used to hearing break down those complex local issues over the years. Along the way we learn about Chris's early days in Spartanburg, his college experience at Wofford, and the path that led him to the leadership role he holds today. Listen below for more.