The Team Blog

The local manufacturing base continues to grow in Greenville County as well as the Upstate of South Carolina.  Stuken has some precision  deep draw metal  technology that is in demand for automotive fuel injection and braking system; and local auto manufacturer BMW probably likes that.   Fountain Inn has a fair number of industrial plants that serve the automotive  and other industries and these cutting edge processes will demand more skilled labor as time goes on.  Look to the Fountain Inn and Simpsonville area to continue growth in the residential housing market as more jobs are created.

Wow, the Superbowl of Fishing is coming back to Lake Hartwell in 2015. That is pretty big deal for the area with all the TV coverage and business brought into the hotel industry.  The event was here in 2008 and they used the BiLo Center in downtown Greenville to host the nightly weigh-ins.  We were in the middle of a drought back then and the lake levels were really low; fortunately, all the lakes are back to full pond right now. Hopefully they will be that way for next year.

Corner of Stone Avenue & North Main

The big open lot at the corner of N. Main and Stone Avenue is under consideration for development by The Beach Company, who are out of Charleston.  They have proposed a multi-use plan that includes 226 apartments adjacent to commercial / retail space and a three-story parking deck.  The plan also includes a community pool and park that will diversify the area where the downtown Historic District begins to edge up against the commercial space of the city.  The project is still in design phase, and there is a lot of discussion with the North Main Community Association, who would like to see softer transitions between the apartments and single family residential on Rowley St.  The community would also like to see a high-end market that would anchor the retail space.  The association represents residents in a trendy area of older homes, very popular for the proximity to the downtown attractions. Stone Ave is located just off the north side of downtown Greenville and certainly needs an new look to make it more attractive.  Its redevelopment has been hot topic over the last few years as the City proposed a Stone Avenue Plan which called for a narrowing of the road to two lanes and more parking.  However, Stone has plenty of traffic since it shunts drivers around the city center; this has caused concern from local business owners.  The Plan is still a work in progress, so time shall determine how the new look will progress.

Swamp Rabbit Trail Subdivision

With the decline of the recession, new home building is rolling strong again in the Greenville area. There are plenty of new homes to choose from, however, one unique subdivision is the first to provide direct access to the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which has been huge draw for pedestrians and bicyclists.  Running from downtown Greenville out to Travelers Rest, there have been limited land opportunities for development, but Addison Homes has managed to offer home sites directly on the trail, just south of Furman University off Watkins Bridge Road.  Their homes will feature “energy smart” homes which will be solar capable and able to produce more energy that they consume.  The Swamp Rabbit Trail has seen a tremendous increase in usage, but many people must drive to access it. Studies have shown that traffic on such metro trails depends on how close residents are to the trail.  In response, Greenville County has added spur trails, links and sidewalks for resident to gain easier access without the drive.  An interesting proposed side trail will link to a new park and amphitheater at the old Travelers Rest High School. 

Wet Summer Weather

It’s been one of the wettest summers in history, with 53 inches of rain at GSP airport year to date.  That’s enough for the Upstate to be declared a primary natural disaster by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The excess rain has certainly wreaked havoc on crops this year as well slowed new home construction. But, Labor Day is behind us, the rainfall has eased off, the days getting shorter, shorter, and pleasant fall weather is setting in. We are all grateful for a respite from the daily cloudbursts. Highs this week in the 80s with lows in the 60s.

Patients First, a nonprofit, is spearheading the Cancer Survivors Park to be built in downtown Greenville. The park will be located between Church and Cleveland Streets (see map)

The park will have it's blessings-of-the-grounds ceremony on June 1st (tomorrow) and groundbreaking in the fall of 2013. The park will go up in three phases. The total cost will be 4.5 million built with private donations. The park will be turned over to the city of Greenville as part of the swamp rabbit trail upon it's completion. 

The park was conceived as a place where people affected by cancer, survivors, current sufferers, and family can come for solace. The Greenville park will feature a labyrinth (popular for calming the mind and body) created out of stone similar to the rock used in other parts of Falls Park. A bell will be mounted that anyone can ring to celebrate joyful moments - cancer free reports to birthdays. 

The website will be up soon at this addresshttp://www.cancersurvivorspark.org/

View Larger Map of downtown Greenville SC

To VOTE just go straight to this facebook page: VoteGreenville Greenville SC is in the running with Outside magazine for the nation's best active town. You can make this happen. Every year Outside magazine allows people to vote on the "Best Active Town" in the nation after selecting the top ten. This year Greenville has made the top 10 and now it's up to us. Outside magazine is a nationally known magazine covering outdoor activities, gear, sports and the environment. The magazine is a must have for outdoor enthusiasts and one we have subscribed to for years. For more details go to http://www.outsideingreenville.com. It has details about not only voting, but sending in photos when you are around town by using #OutsideinGville. The added detail might weigh in more then just the number of votes since we are up against cities like Boston. To VOTE just go straight to this facebook page: VoteGreenville Here are just a few of the reasons we love living in Greenville SC

  

Downtown Commercial Space The new Project One high rise in Greenville is nearing completion and several companies already located in the city’s center will relocate to the new site.  That means that about 250,000 square feet of office space will be vacant in the next 12 months and although vacancy rates will rise initially, City officials are excited about the level of interest from businesses considering a move downtown.  Downtown Greenville is seen as the regional hotspot and many suburban tenants are eying the possibility acquiring more space downtown that was previously unavailable and where the number may have not worked before.  The City’s grown has been pushing away from the North end of Main Street toward the West End over the past few years, but Project One and the re-branded Hyatt Hotel as part of the NOMA (North Main) Tower have pushed the attention back up to North Main.  The city also hopes to expand westward out toward Heritage Green and the main library, but that will probably be a few years out.

Inland Port Jim Costelo of Americas Research CBRE predicts that growth in Greenville will exceed larger metro markets such as Atlanta and Charlotte, partially due to the manufacturing base in the Upstate.  The Upstate has more industrial retail space than Columbia and Charleston combined, with about 60% of that being used for actual manufacturing rather than distribution. To assist the local manufacturing community, the South Carolina Ports Authority is establishing an “inland port” in Greer, which is scheduled to open later this year near GSP International Airport.  Its purpose is to speed up delivery of goods by creating a contain transfer station between rail and trucks 200 miles inland from a congested port.  It has major implications for goods being shipped around the entire Southeast region, especially as ports receive increased traffic when the Panama Canal expands.

Current Weather Spring is here! After unseasonable sunny highs in the mid to high 70s this past weekend and scattered thunderstorms Monday night, we are expecting mostly sunny conditions with highs in the 60s the next few days. A chance of rain on Friday will bring a drop in temperature for the upcoming weekend.

Corner of Stone Avenue & North Main

The big open lot at the corner of N. Main and Stone Avenue is under consideration for development by The Beach Company, who are out of Charleston.  They have proposed a multi-use plan that includes 226 apartments adjacent to commercial / retail space and a three-story parking deck.  The plan also includes a community pool and park that will diversify the area where the downtown Historic District begins to edge up against the commercial space of the city.  The project is still in design phase, and there is a lot of discussion with the North Main Community Association, who would like to see softer transitions between the apartments and single family residential on Rowley St.  The community would also like to see a high-end market that would anchor the retail space.  The association represents residents in a trendy area of older homes, very popular for the proximity to the downtown attractions. Stone Ave is located just off the north side of downtown Greenville and certainly needs an new look to make it more attractive.  Its redevelopment has been hot topic over the last few years as the City proposed a Stone Avenue Plan which called for a narrowing of the road to two lanes and more parking.  However, Stone has plenty of traffic since it shunts drivers around the city center; this has caused concern from local business owners.  The Plan is still a work in progress, so time shall determine how the new look will progress.

Swamp Rabbit Trail Subdivision

With the decline of the recession, new home building is rolling strong again in the Greenville area. There are plenty of new homes to choose from, however, one unique subdivision is the first to provide direct access to the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which has been huge draw for pedestrians and bicyclists.  Running from downtown Greenville out to Travelers Rest, there have been limited land opportunities for development, but Addison Homes has managed to offer home sites directly on the trail, just south of Furman University off Watkins Bridge Road.  Their homes will feature “energy smart” homes which will be solar capable and able to produce more energy that they consume.  The Swamp Rabbit Trail has seen a tremendous increase in usage, but many people must drive to access it. Studies have shown that traffic on such metro trails depends on how close residents are to the trail.  In response, Greenville County has added spur trails, links and sidewalks for resident to gain easier access without the drive.  An interesting proposed side trail will link to a new park and amphitheater at the old Travelers Rest High School. 

Wet Summer Weather

It’s been one of the wettest summers in history, with 53 inches of rain at GSP airport year to date.  That’s enough for the Upstate to be declared a primary natural disaster by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The excess rain has certainly wreaked havoc on crops this year as well slowed new home construction. But, Labor Day is behind us, the rainfall has eased off, the days getting shorter, shorter, and pleasant fall weather is setting in. We are all grateful for a respite from the daily cloudbursts. Highs this week in the 80s with lows in the 60s.