Spartanburg City News

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.

Whatever your taste in the arts, visual or musical, theatrical or literary, mainstream or alternative, Spartanburg has something for you. Today on the podcast, we're exploring a relatively new piece of the local arts puzzle, the . Based at the West Main Artists Co-op, the group is preparing to launch its second season with The Boys in the Band ​on Friday, October 26 at 8 p.m.   Today on the podcast, we're talking with Sandy Staggs, Proud Mary's Artistic Director, about the upcoming season and about the organization's place in Spartanburg's arts scene. Listen below for more.

The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Development Partnership has announced a new way for downtown business owners, employees, and residents to come together to learn, share information, and stay in the loop about the rapidly changing face of Downtown Spartanburg. The newly created Downtown Business Council is meant to offer a space for businesses and downtown stakeholders to share their perspectives and to hear information on the wide range of issues that impact those who work and live in Downtown Spartanburg. The group's first meeting is scheduled for October 15, 8:30 am–10 am at the SMC Studio space at the Aug Smith on Main building (). Today on the podcast, we're talking with Jansen Tidmore, Executive Vice President of the Downtown Development Partnership about the new business council and an overview on data coming in from downtown pedestrian counters. What do we know about foot traffic along Main Street, and how can we use the data and the patterns they reveal to grow Downtown Spartanburg in

As you might imagine, in his 21 years serving in Spartanburg City Government, outgoing City Manager Ed Memmott has seen our city go through some drastic changes. Coming to the the City in 1997 to serve as Community Development Director, Memmott then served as Assistant City Manager for five years before becoming City Manager in 2009 and has overseen one of the most important development periods in Spartanburg's history.   The list of projects speaks for itself. During his tenure, Ed Memmott led City efforts on the Advance America headquarters building, One Morgan Square, QS/1, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, the University of South Carolina Upstate - College of Business and Economics, Spartanburg Community College Downtown Campus, South Church Street Plaza, CC Woodson Community Center, AC Hotel, Montgomery Building, Aug. W. Smith, and the Northside Initiative. Beyond the impressive list of accomplishments that have shaped the present and future of our city, Memmott's true strength as City Manager was al

As you might imagine, in his 21 years serving in Spartanburg City Government, outgoing City Manager Ed Memmott has seen our city go through some drastic changes. Coming to the the City in 1997 to serve as Community Development Director, Memmott then served as Assistant City Manager for five years before becoming City Manager in 2009 and has overseen one of the most important development periods in Spartanburg's history. The list of projects speaks for itself. During his tenure, Ed Memmott led City efforts on the Advance America headquarters building, One Morgan Square, QS/1, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, the University of South Carolina Upstate - College of Business and Economics, Spartanburg Community College Downtown Campus, South Church Street Plaza, CC Woodson Community Center, AC Hotel, Montgomery Building, Aug. W. Smith, and the Northside Initiative. Beyond the impressive list of accomplishments that have shaped the present and future of our city, Memmott's true strength as City Manager was alw

If you've spent any significant amount of time in Downtown Spartanburg in the last decade, there's a pretty good chance that you've encountered work created by one of the 33 artists brought to Spartanburg through HUB-BUB's celebrated Artists-in-Residence program. Over the years, the program's artists have created lasting impacts that are both physical (like Sparkle City Mini Putt) and cultural. Now, through a merger last year with Chapman Cultural Center, the former HUB-BUB Artists-in-Residence program is back, and the retooled 11-month residency recently welcomed two new artists to live and work in Spartanburg, Marisa Adesman and Ambrin Ling. Adesman was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She recently graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting. Through her artistic practice, she examines the impact of femininity and modern culture in order to open up a conversation on gender politics with a strong emphasis on awakening the female self-hood.   Ling receiv

At their last meeting, Spartanburg City Council unanimously approved a funding plan for the future T.K. Gregg Community Center to be built on the former site of Oakview Apartments on our city's Northside. The new center will feature an indoor aquatics center with two pools—one for competitive and exercise lap swimming and one for water therapy and swimming lessons—as well as an indoor gymnasium, fitness center, walking track, and community rooms. In all, the project is expected to cost around $16.6 million. The City hopes to earn New Markets Tax Credits for the project, which along with other outside funding sources as well as funding banked away for the project in previous years, would bring the City's outstanding portion down to $9.1-$9.4 million. The financing plan includes issuing bonds covered by future City Hospitality Tax revenue. No tax increase is planned to cover the project. Construction is expected to start later this year. Today on the podcast, we're talking with with Assistant City Manager, Chr

It's an arts institution with a storied 90-year history in our community, and for the first time since 2005, there will be a music director at the helm of as they enter a new season. After a two-year search process that brought three guest conductors to Spartanburg, Stefan Sanders was named Music Director in March. Sanders comes to Spartanburg after five seasons as resident conductor of the Buffalo (New York) Philharmonic Orchestra. He also serves as Music Director for the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra in North Carolina and Music Director for the Round Rock Symphony in Central Texas. He recently concluded a one year appointment as Principal Conductor for the Hot Springs Music Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Sanders about the new position, his new home in Spartanburg, and about his passions as a musician, conductor, and lifelong fan of music. Listen below for more!  

The summer heat is still here but summer for our city's children is about to come to an end as school begins next week, so today on the podcast, we're doing something a bit different. We packed up the recording equipment and set up shop at the Downtown Memorial Airport Park, which opened this spring, looking to get some thoughts from our local children on what they're looking forward too this upcoming school year. What did we learn? Listen to find out.