what did greenville sc main street used to look like

Save Our Gateways to Historic Brunswick & The Golden Isles of Georgia

Promoting the Vitality of the Crossroads of Our Community

Source: Real Manor Review, Vol. 37, No. 1, Spring 2008.
See total illustrated article at Tourism Evolution & Economic Opportunity Case Studies, 2015/12/xv, p. 155 Greenville, SC.
See also PBS NewsHour video, viii March 2016, on Greenville, SC,
and Atlanta Mag, 2012, on Greenville, SC.

How Greenville, South Carolina, Brought Downtown Back:
A Case Study in thirty Years of Successful Public/Private Collaboration

*  Nancy Whitworth is the Director of the City of Greenville Economic Evolution Department and has over 22 years experience in the field of economic evolution.
  She is experienced in facilitating private development through negotiated participation by the urban center for major commercial developments in downtown and across the city.

** Mary Douglas Neal (now Mary Douglas Hirsch) is the Downtown Development Director in the Economic Evolution Section with the City of Greenville. She is
 directly responsible for working on a day-to-day basis with business owners and developers to promote a viable downtown district.

Having a stiff urban core is a tiptop priority for the City of Greenville, Southward Carolina. For the past 30 years, the city has teamed with the individual sector to create unique development partnerships, stimulating a major revitalization of the fundamental business district that has had far-reaching impacts.

With the most impressive strides being made over the concluding 10 years, Greenville's downtown has gone from abandoned warehouses and empty storefronts to having a thriving central business concern district, with up-scale restaurants, loftier-end residential condos and lofts, numerous events, and major new mixed-use developments, consisting of part, residential, hotel, and retail uses, scattered throughout downtown. The sustained momentum is, stunning for a small southern city of just nether 60,000 residents.

 Greenville'southward Economical Development Section has played an integral role in the downtown development activity. Focusing on key anchor developments, unique natural assets, a multitude of cultural amenities and attractions, and steady residential growth, the metropolis has utilized its economic and physical strengths, and those of the region, as critical components of the revitalization process. Both local government and private enterprise sympathize the development procedure, realizing that a partnership based on mutual respect between both private and public sectors is often the best approach to reach successful developments.

LOOKING BACK

Greenville, South Carolina is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, midway between Atlanta. Georgia, and Charlotte, Due north Carolina. The region is domicile to many national and international corporations such every bit Michelin North America, Full general Electric, and BMW. Greenville'due south industrial development has consistently been strong and growth has been sustained, simply non all of Greenville followed this tendency. As people moved away from the key city, a rapid pass up ensued. One time the unquestioned retail and business heart of the area, Greenville'south downtown languished in the 1960s and 1970s as shopping centers lured the major retailers to the suburbs, and downtown was left with countless vacant buildings and no people.

Greenville faced what other cities faced—a dying downtown in the midst of a growing region. To encounter the claiming, Greenville prepare out to remake Main Street and to create an temper that would exist conducive to office and residential uses, specialty retailing, entertainment, and the arts. Downtown'south renaissance has been an evolutionary process marked with significant achievements, and some missteps, over the by xxx years.

GREENVILLE'Due south Approach

Greenville assessed what information technology had and realized something dramatic needed to happen. With an unappealing and uninviting downtown with no peculiarly attractive buildings, downtown had to be repositioned to provide a distinctive environment and unique atmosphere.

As Greenville took steps to re-found its downtown, the city invested strategically in properties, following a plan to develop major anchors in the downtown expanse and filling in the areas in betwixt with deliberately called private sector investors. Greenville took advantage of its small downtown and expanded the activity centers in a logical and continued progression based on a formula which included retail, office, residential, entertainment, and family needs.

No simple formula for success exists. Every downtown is dissimilar. In fact, it is important to focus on differentiating one downtown from another, because it is the individual graphic symbol of a production that commands the highest value in the market place. Greenville's strategy includes a marketing line that also reflects the city'south approach to revitalizing the downtown: "Downtown is Everybody'southward Neighborhood."

The main street streetscape design, completed in 1979, marked the first physical improvement of Greenville's downtown. Although the tendency at the time was to emulate the new shopping malls, Greenville chose not to shut down its master street and rather to combine the best of vehicular and pedestrian design.

What set Greenville apart in the early days, was its commitment and agreement that there would have to be a successful alliance of public and private investment. Greenville understood, long earlier the words public private partnerships became common, that it was necessary for the public sector to stride forward to provide the impetus for private investment to occur. Greenville adopted a plan followed by a sustained commitment that led to and continues to back up a model downtown.

Greenville leaders focused on a master programme that outlined a strategy for implementation that has been modified and adapted over the years to re- fleet changing market conditions. There was a willingness to effort new approaches, take risks, make mistakes, and learn from the successes and the failures. But it was not ever piece of cake and was never without critics.

The year 1977 was a pregnant milestone. The Urban center Council, led by Mayor Max Heller, along with a contingent of philanthropic customs leaders, took steps to begin the remaking of downtown. As was reported in the Greenville Piedmont, "Council charged full speed ahead despite the cries of persistent doubters who believe that all the gilded at Fort Knox would not save downtown?' And the balance is history. Today, Greenville has transformed from an aging mill town to ane of the best downtowns in America recognized for its boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, vibrant entertainment scene, and buzzing night life. What, in hindsight, have been the fundamental factors in this remarkable turnaround.

FOCUS ON Design AND Epitome

Main Street Greenville was remade to create a pedestrian orientation without sacrificing vehicular traffic. Greenville was not blest with an bonny streetscape; instead, quite the opposite. A major thoroughfare, Main Street had overhead power lines, four lanes of moving traffic, parallel parking, and little landscaping. When the section stores and shops lined the streets, the lack of physical civilities did not seem to matter—Greenville had people and activity. When the stores left, then did the people, and the streets and sidewalks suddenly turned into vast wastelands. Information technology was often said that you could shoot off a cannon on Chief Street at night and not hit a soul! This was not an image that Greenville wanted to have.

Something had to be done, and a plan was born. Designed by Lawrence Halprin and Assembly, the streetscape programme condensed the existing Main Street from four lanes down to two lanes of vehicular traffic with costless angled parking. The vast expanse of bare pavement made mode for trees. The trees, which are now the signature element of Main Street, fabricated information technology highly-seasoned to pedestrians and also covered up some of the unattractive and vacant buildings. Sidewalks were made extra-wide to provide a festive temper and to encourage outside dining and other sidewalk activity. And that was just the start; setting the stage for future evolution. Greenville now had an identity equally a tree-lined street with a welcoming awning of lush green trees that provided cool shady spots for outdoor dining during the warm weather, an ideal that is. characteristic of S Carolina.

Further planning laid the background for investments in plazas and public spaces. Planning focused on creating and highlighting ane of the most spectacular features of Greenville's downtown—Falls Park, which features a 355-foot award winning suspension bridge overlooking a 60. foot waterfall, five stories beneath. Some cities work to maintain their unique identity; Greenville had to work to uncover its uniqueness. Long agone, the waterfall had beer covered with a state endemic, federally funded bridge, which totally obscured the view of the falls and intruded upon the park environment.

When the decision was made in early 2001 "to remove the span and free the falls," the skeptics surfaced over again. Greenville's Mayor Knox White and the City Quango led the public/private effort to remove the span and repossess the heart of the city. The park now not simply boasts the bridge, just 20 acres of gardens and amphitheaters for concerts and the summer-long upstate Shakespeare the Park performances. The park has become the urban center'southward signature public space providing a quiet respite from the urban environment and a gathering spot for people of all ages.

USE CENTRALLY LOCATED INVESTMENTS AS CATALYSTS

Developing anchor projects, through creative public/private partnerships is one approach used by Greenville to spur redevelopment activeness in downtown. An anchor can signal a rallying signal for the corn munity and serve as the goad for future complementary development. Combining the efforts of the public and private sectors tin can help ensure its success.

Tabular array I
Summary of Downtown Development Projects

Project	Year Completed	Investment Levels Public Private Total			Projection Components
Greenville Commons	1982	$10 million	$24 million	$34 million	350 room Hyatt Regency Hotel; 43,000 SF meeting space; Restaurant; 92,000 SF office space; 832 space parking garage
The Peace Center for the Performing Arts	1991	$13.nine 1000000	$28.5 million	$42.4 million	2,100 seat concert hall; 400 seat theater; ii,000 seat outdoor amphitheater; 28,500 SF part building; Restaurant; Park and public space; Cabaret theater; Former coach manufactory meeting facility
West End Market	1995	$4.16 million	North/A	$4.xvi million	35,000 SF of retail/restaurant space; 10,000 SF of office infinite
Poinsett Plaza/Hotel	1999/2000	$15.1 million	$39 million	$54.i million	220,000 SF role space; four residential penthouses; 204 room Westin Poinsett Hotel; Streetscape and park improvements; An 843-space Parking garage
West Terminate Baseball game Stadium/Field House	2006	$viii.5 million	$20.7 million	$29.2 one thousand thousand	Stadium with 4,500 fixed seats pavilion; Playground; Green Monster media board modeled   after Fenway Park; Mixed-use building with forty residential   condos and 55,000 SF
RiverPlace	2005	$13.5 million	$37 one thousand thousand	$50.5 million	Two residential condo buildings with 46   total units; 115 room Hampton inn and Suites Hotel; 87,000 SF office building; 5,000 SF artist studio spaces; 285 infinite parking garage; Streetscape and river walk improvements   and an interactive h2o characteristic
Falls Park and Liberty Bridge	2004	$13 meg	$3.iv one thousand thousand	$sixteen.4 million	Bridge demolition; Landscape and irrigation; Stream restoration; New pedestrian bridge; Hardscape and buildings and pattern and   construction management

Greenville Commons

Greenville'due south start anchor and starting time major public/individual partnership was he Greenville Commons, which incorporated a Hyatt Regency Hotel, *mention center, office complex, and parking garage. A dedicated group of Greenville businessmen put their investment at gamble to ensure that this project happened. The city purchased the land, built the convention center and parking garage and leased the air rights for the hotel and part building. The hotel atrium was considered a city park.

The success of the Commons was not simply the fiscal success of the projection, although the Hyatt is however operating, today, but rather the spillover impact of the new office buildings which were constructed nearby resulting from the renewed interest in downtown development. It too began a new way of doing business for the metropolis every bit the public and individual sectors worked together to achieve the dream. The public sector provides the spark plug, but it is the private sector that is the engine in Greenville. Still, neither works without the other.

Continuing on with its plans and focusing on the success of public/private partnerships, Greenville steadily moved in a logical progression to develop further downtown anchors, ensuring that they were strategically located in order to maximize the potential touch on.

The Peace Center for the Performing Arts

The Peace Center for the Performing Arts stabilized a less than desirable part of town and linked downtown to a subconscious asset—the river, waterfall, and park. The centre included the addition of major facilities, renovated several celebrated structures into productive space, and gave people a reason to come downtown at nighttime and on weekends. The Peace Center is a perfect instance of the beauty of a public/private partnership, with a lead gift given by a prominent local family, and the entire community lending support in a myriad of ways. For its part, the city caused the property (primarily through tax increment financing) and provided the landscaping and amenities. Eminent domain, typically used sparingly in Greenville, was necessary to secure some of the holding.

Westward End Market

Greenville's next major anchor required a dissimilar approach. The historic Westward End of downtown was fated, yet strategically connected. Even afterward completing streetscape improvements and providing low interest loans, the private sector was reluctant to invest. With a private donation of neglected, historic buildings, the city, led by Mayor Pecker Workman and City Council, took the risk of developing the West Cease Market, a major 45,000 square foot destination for residents and visitors alike. Recognizing that private investments would not be taking the lead in developing in this location, the city assumed the developer function, along with the bellboy financial and marketplace risk, to create a facility with office, retail, restaurants, artisans, and a traditional fanner'south marketplace, all in a festive and park-like setting.

The financing structure required the pooling of a number of sources: revenue enhancement increase financing, a HUD Section 108 loan, grants, city full general notice dollars, and even the auction of personalized bricks. The urban center took on a significant risk merely learned first manus the private side of a deal. The West Terminate Market was sold in 2005, yielding a net profit to the city to invest in other projects.

The establishment of the Market place led to an arts and entertainment district of restaurants, theaters, and the Governors School for the Arts, a yr circular residential school for the arts and humanities alluring high schoolhouse students from across the state.

Poinsett Plaza Hotel

Sometimes mixed-use developments include multiple buildings and developers all within the same projection. The city was working with the owner of a vacant and neglected celebrated hotel when it became apparent that a parking structure, required to support the hotel, should be sized to accommodate other potential developments also. The city approached a local depository financial institution, then housed in an bordering celebrated edifice, to inquire every bit to whether the demand for new space might get imminent. A developer was identified, who was in the vacant and neglected hotel, and the event was the Westin Poinsett Hotel, a renovated 204 room hotel. Forth with the renovated hotel came a new 220,000 foursquare-human foot role edifice with residential penthouses and 44 condominium units, which were the result of the renovation of a vacant educational wing of a nearby church building.

Tax increment financing was again used, this time to construct the parking garage with a blueprint that incorporated the architectural elements of each development (the sides of the garage match the edifice on the respective side—one side has brick and the other concrete). Even though the city'south financial participation was necessary, maybe more important was its role in bringing the various private partners together and coordinating the various contractors with tight schedules and space.

W End Baseball Stadium

More than recently, a public/individual partnership resulted in an award-winning new baseball game stadium in the West End, which was designed to experience equally if it were a long-continuing customs facility. The metropolis provided development fix country and leased the property to the owners of a new team, the Greenville Drive (an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox), who were interested in locating in Greenville.

Constructed from old brick salvaged from demolished textile mills, the Drive now play in a neo-traditional designed stadium with a left-field wall reminiscent of Fenway Park'southward Light-green Monster. A newly constructed building including offices, restaurants, retail, and residential condominiums lines i side of the baseball game stadium, and other restaurants and offices have located in nearby renovated space. Another dandy example of a public/private partnership, funding for the project came primarily from revenue enhancement increment financing, sale gain from the Westward End Marketplace, hospitality finds, and tempest water and sewer funds. The team owners constructed the stadium using all future stadium and ticket revenues.

RiverPlace

RiverPlace is the latest case of a major public/private partnership. A drove of buildings forth the Reedy River with office buildings, residential condos, restaurants, creative person studio spaces, and an interactive h2o characteristic, this complicated public/individual partnership required layers of buying over unlike elevations and a union of public and individual interests.

For many years the community had turned its back on the Reedy River riverfront. Upstream industries had been immune to dump industrial chemicals into the river, causing major pollution issues and contaminating the river. The challenges faced to develop this area were many.

The revitalization of the adjacent Falls Park provided the impetus to further the reclamation of the riverfront. For over 25 years, a 10-acre tract had been privately assembled with plans for a mixed-use development. The owners wanted to wait until the market place was ripe for a significant development. With the negotiations occurring between the city and private developers, the fourth dimension had come to revitalize this area—which sits at the literal heart of downtown. The resulting development was environmentally sensitive to the sites and established a pattern standard for the community. The metropolis constructed cloak-and-dagger parking with private development constructed above. Public walkways and plazas link to the park. Parking spaces along the riverfront were designed for artist studio spaces that are leased for the toll of a parking infinite. Eminent domain was required to assemble some of the public walkways.

ATTEND TO THE DETAILS

Details do affair.

Downtowns are not merely near the large projects and planting of trees. As in whatever major evolution, attention to the details and maintaining the value of the investment is critical. Attractive landscaping, seating, lighting, and sculpture alone will not brand things happen, merely it does provide a properties for the of import elements and gives a sense of place and identity to set the stage for a transformation. As their Mayor Max Heller was quoted at the streetscape groundbreaking in 1978, "Nosotros are delighted to make the beginning of the new downtown. Information technology will give the cadre of our city a much more cute appearance and will be its reflection of the whole surface area." The physical environs should exist designed and programmed to encourage its utilize and reinforce a sense of place with a focus always on people.

In the years since 1978, Greenville has focused its attending on a number of details in order to ensure non only that people come to downtown but that private investment comes downtown as well.

Clean and Rubber

Downtown crews provide daily clean up. Sidewalks and streets an routinely done. Seasonal plantings provide color. Constabulary officers or pes and bike patrol provide an enhanced level of service in downtown.

Signage/Wayfinding

Attractive, coordinated and easy-to-read signage pro vides pedestrians with directional wayfinding for downwardly town destinations. "More than to enjoy" signs on Main Street direct visitors to retail and restaurants on side streets.

Events

Downtown averages over 250 event days per year. Events include something for everyone, from singles to families, senior citizens to college students: weekly concerts, art festivals, moonlight movies, theatrical performances, music, festivals, holiday celebrations, and parades. Downtown events achieve a number of objectives including drawing people into downtown for entertainment, providing them with reason to dine in one of downtown'southward fourscore plus restaurants and renewing their enthusiasm for all that the urban center has to offer.

Outdoor Dining

Downtown Greenville'south original streetscape blueprint from the 1970s narrowed Chief Street and enlarged the sidewalks. The wide sidewalks provide aplenty space for downtown restaurants to add together tables and chairs for outdoor dining and the generation of additional revenues for these restaurants. The sidewalk cafes create a festive atmosphere for people watching.

Public Art

Public art fills downtown. Whether a statue of a famous Greenvillian, a juried sculpture, art on construction fencing, nine bronze mice scattered throughout Main Street with clues, quotes in the sidewalk, bells in the trees, or sidewalk performers, in that location is something for everyone, farther enhancing downtown's personality.

SHARING THE LESSONS LEARNED IN GREENVILLE

Build anchors

Anchors are not a guarantee, but they set the tone for future evolution and the standard and management for what can follow. Anchors should exist strategically located to obtain the most bear upon and should be well linked with high-quality pedestrian corridors.

Create a disquisitional mass

To be economically cocky-sustaining, a downtown must attract people non merely to live and work there, but tourists must bring their business besides. Mixed-utilise developments help to provide the multifariousness and stability for tourism and office/residential needs.

Be an entrepreneur

The public sector needs to think and human action entrepreneurially, understand and appreciate the inherent risks of private development, and be willing to assume well-calculated risks.

Bring value to the private development

The public sector's value to the individual development is non just budgetary. There are other ways to provide value including the following ideas:

• provide expedited reviews
• assist in scheduling and staging of construction, assign effective city staff to function as part of the development squad to serve as problem solvers.

Commit in writing

Agreements are essential. Expectations and responsibilities of each partner should be clearly defined. The private sector must understand the transparency of the public process and exist patient. Fourth dimension commitments must exist realistic. The city has an extensive history of writing development agreements that stipulate the duties and obligations of each sector. Both sides ofttimes return again and once again to these agreements for description as bug or questions arise.

Include residential uses

The City of Greenville realizes the importance of ensuring that downtown is everyone'due south neighborhood. Providing downtown residences is essential. It will never be enough to but get people to visit and work downtown; people demand to actually live downtown to support retail, restaurants, and cultural venues and, nigh importantly, to create an active street life. The initial focus of residential construction was mainly apartments and condos above the shops lining Main Street. Now, major residential components are included in most of the mixed-employ developments throughout downtown. Many of the residential units accept been sold by auction. Over the by 5 to seven years, approximately 500 residential units accept been constructed. Currently, there are an additional 500 units under structure and almost 1 hundred more planned.

It is important to realize a balancing human activity is needed in a central concern district every bit the introduction of residential areas into a vibrant and lively downtown can frequently upshot in conflict. Balancing the amusement with residential needs is tricky. Of belatedly, the city, through its development agreements with private developers, is requiring an acknowledgement that some areas of the downtown volition include amusement venues then equally to head off potential hereafter conflicts.

With the growth of new development activity, land values in the downtown surface area take increased, causing some backdrop to be financially out of reach of a large segment of the population. The urban center is addressing the affordability of downtown residential growth in a diverseness of ways, including the establishment of a Housing Trust Fund, land writedowns for new affordable and mixed income housing, down payment help to qualified buyers, contribution to infrastructure to reduce development costs, partnerships with not-profit and civic-minded developers and employment training programs designed to raise income levels.

Sustained public delivery and investment

Greenville's elected officials made tough decisions forth the way. It was non always easy; each project presented unique challenges. However, the city'due south leadership persevered. They studied the issues, took calculated risks, and invested in the downtown, agreement that the returns may not come up until much after. The visionary, effective and persistent public policy and investment has allowed Greenville to realize its potential.

The Greenville community supported the revitalization, which was incredibly important and provided the elected officials a prophylactic net. The leadership likewise demonstrated to the community that due to country annexation laws limiting how the corporate boundary could expand, its economic survival was going to be dependent on growing from within. This focus proved fortuitous. Not only has the downtown prospered, but so has the region. It besides allowed Greenville's Mayor Knox White and City Quango to focus on the revitalization of inner city neighborhoods adjacent to downtown.

SUMMARY

Greenville has focused on creating a place that is authentic, sustainable, and starting time and foremost for people. The city has elected to invest in public spaces, parking facilities, and critical infrastructure required for quality private development. The city's mantra has been public/private partnerships, but it has not shied abroad from solely taking on a development projection in a blighted area if necessary to describe private developers out of their comfort zone. The desire to create an award-winning city is non simply well-nigh pride; it is also virtually creating jobs. The success of downtown is a selling tool for recruiting and keeping quality employers, whether in downtown or within the region.

The success of Primary Street and downtown Greenville is a result of nearly 30 years of hard work and strong partnerships between the public and individual sectors. Together, the city along with the community has been able to realize the potential, capitalize on Greenville's uniqueness, and revitalize downtown. While the heart of the city is potent, Greenville must now focus efforts to build beyond Main Street. The city must create gateways into downtown that are aesthetically highly-seasoned and consistent with the area. Every bit the city undertakes these new challenges, Greenvillians look forrard to renewing partnerships and creating new ones.

REFERENCES

1. City of Greenville Development Planning and Economic Development Staff (1986). Redevelopment Program: Key Concern District.
2. Crane Associates Inc. (1981 ). Greenville Central Area Action Plan.
3. The Fantus Company (1987). Performing Arts Feasibility Study.
   
4. Lawrence Halprin and Associates (1974). An Urban Diagnosis for Greenville, Southward Carolina.
5. Country Design/Inquiry, Inc. (1987). Downtown Evolution Plan and Program: Greenville, South Carolina.
6. State Design/Research, Inc. (1989). Downtown Development Strategy: Greenville, S Carolina.
7. Land Pattern/Inquiry, Inc. (1998). Downtown Greenville Sector Plans. Land Design/Inquiry, Inc. (1986). Greenville Center for the Performing Arts: Site Assessment and Action. Strategy.
8. Land Blueprint/Research, Inc. (1989). Greenville Public Market: Public Market Assessment.
9. Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan, Inc. (1990). Evaluation of the Feasibility of Removing the Camperdown Mode Bridge.
10. Zuchelli, Hunter & Associates, Inc. (1977). Proposal for Greenville Commons.

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