Wave of major projects to transform Greenville SC and Greenville SC real estate
Greenville Sc Real Estate and PROPERTY SEARCH
It might have been the revamping of Greenville South Carolina's Main Street more than 25 years ago, which narrowed the road, planted trees and angled parking spots.
Or maybe it was the arrival of the Hyatt Regency - a deal between the hotel and the city shortly after the streetscaping that brought an anchor to downtown.
Whatever started it, last week's announcement by the Salvation Army of a $46 million Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center near downtown Greenville South Carlina was just the latest in a recent string of developments that are transforming the city and the lives of people in the community.
"I think that it's a great thing," Greenville SC native Tina Jones said. "To me, this town's turning into a little Atlanta."
For Mayor Pro Tem Lillian Brock Flemming, the key has been residents, community leaders and the city working together.
"If the key leaders try to do it without involving other people, then you don't get much," she said. "We have been aspiring to have what's called a livable city, one in which people can work and live and play comfortably."
The announcement of the Kroc Community Center joins Falls Park, RiverPlace, a downtown baseball stadium, the $20 million redevelopment of Jesse Jackson Townhomes and a $45 million to $50 million McBee Station project that will include a grocery store, luxury apartments, condos, a bank branch and offices.
That development, which officials and residents say will add to the city's quality of life, has cities up and down the Eastern seaboard taking note and seeking Greenville's secret to success.
Just last week, Greenville Mayor Knox White was in Greensboro, N.C., to share with city officials there some of the keys attracting investment.
Frank Contreras, who works in downtown Greenville SC and plans to open his own business, said Main Street is a unique place that drew him to the area. Contreras has been in Greenville for two years after he came as part of an auto show and decided to stay.
"I fell in love with Main Street, went back home, sold my house and moved here within six months," he said.
Contreras said he loves the individuality of Main Street, the preservation of buildings and the beauty of the trees. "There's so much energy down there," he said. "The potential opportunities are absolutely incredible."
For Flemming, a major concern is making sure that there is equitable housing in all areas and that officials aren't spending all of their time trying to attract upscale housing.
And she said it's important the city keep an eye on the problems that can come with growth: traffic, crime, growing in the wrong way and straining resources, such as parking.
City Manager Jim Bourey said the development represents "an unprecedented transformation of downtown."
"I have worked all over the country and traveled all over the country, and Greenville is quite unique," he said. "For a city our size to have such a thriving downtown with retail and residential is pretty unprecedented."
Bourey said that over the years the city has worked with projects and offered packages of incentives to bring development. He said those public-private efforts have spurred growth and preservation.
"I think it has been essential over the last 25 years for the city to be in partnership with the private sector in fostering that growth and new development downtown," he said.
He said key additions have been building downtown parking garages with more than 7,000 public parking spaces, welcoming the Peace Center and bringing in Mast General Store.
"RiverPlace, which is more than $50 million in private investment leveraged by public funds for the parking structure, a fountain and a plaza, and of course the Falls Park" have been more recent sparks, Bourey said.
Falls Park, including the Liberty Bridge, was a $13 million investment by the city.
Bourey said all of this development touches not only people in Greenville but throughout the region. He said the city has fewer than 60,000 residents but an estimated 200,000 people are in the city during the day.
Max Heller, who served as mayor from 1971 to 1979 and is often cited as laying the groundwork for much of the city's growth, said he is excited to see the attention Greenville SC real estate is getting. "In my opinion, it's that we care about everybody," Heller said.
He said the Bi-Lo Center was a project that serves the whole community, not just those interested in one thing. The Peace Center, he said, offers the arts, but also provides education. And Falls Park serves the larger community.
"I think people look at that and say, 'Here's a government that cares and a private sector that cares,'" Heller said.
"The Main Street revitalization, the urban renewal projects that we had, they all improved the quality of life," he said. "And that has a ripple effect. It gives more employment. It also gives younger people an opportunity to use their free time in a positive way."
Heller said the Kroc Center will improve the quality of life for every sector of the community, regardless of financial status or station in life.
"This size project was beyond our means at that time and would be beyond our means even today if we did not have a private angel, so to speak, to do this," he said.
Bourey said he expects the significant influx of residential development over the past two years to continue. He said a greater mix of retail development downtown also is being encouraged. "We've had announcements for a couple of large mixed-use buildings," he said.
"In a matter of less than 10 months, we're going to have a baseball stadium built, and that's going to spur development even more," he said.
Ruthie Millar works in Greenville SC's West End as manager of The Emporium, one of the small, eclectic retail shops gravitating toward the growing area.
She said she has spent part of her life watching the metamorphosis of Greenville SC and seen how it has affected not only the living environment but also the recreational environment.
"The West End is just blossoming," Millar said. "The West End is a mecca for artists, for individualism, for people who think outside the box."
Millar said she hopes that the green stays in Greenville and the city doesn't get too populated. For her, Greenville is a charming, manageable size.
"The city was progressive in their thinking," Millar said.
"They had a beautiful town setting. They maintained the old structures. They didn't just come in and level everything and put up strip malls. They maintained the character. The city showed amazing foresight in the development of this area."
By Julie Howle and John Stevenson
STAFF WRITERS Greenville News
Holly Tree Plantation still going strong
Carol Rabel recalls when she and her husband, Chip, bought their first house - a cozy two-bedroom bungalow off Parkins Mill Road in Greenville.
"We bought just a tiny little house, just the two of us," Mrs. Rabel said. "But once we were pregnant, we moved to Holly Tree, and we've been here ever since."
Since their move, they've expanded their family and the square footage of their home. "It was about 2,400 square feet when we bought it. Now we are probably about 3,200." The traditional, brick two-story home is equipped with four bedrooms, 3 baths, and a bonus room - enough elbow room for their four small children.
"We had to have more room."
On any given sunny afternoon, the Rabel children roam around freely in their spacious back yard - swinging, sliding, running or bouncing on a trampoline.
"You can't beat the neighborhood," Mrs. Rabel said. "We love it. We love our big yard, the trees."
The streets in Holly Tree are lined with mature oaks, poplars, pines and maples. Many of the streets have nature-inspired names such as Chestnut Oak Court, Fishbrook Way, Holly Tree Lane, Red Oak Court and Pecan Hill Drive.
Holly Tree is a beautiful, quiet neighborhood that's close enough to major roads but far enough away to feel that you're in the country, said resident Colleen Rostek. "It's relaxed, and I like the country feel, nice trees."
Aside from aesthetics, residents cite other attractions, such as good schools, the market values of the homes and convenient access to medical offices, Woodruff Road and Interstate 85.
Resident John Cummings said he appreciates the fact that Holly Tree is an established community with a valued history.
"You can get the most amount for your money," said Cummings, who is first vice president of the Holly Tree Homeowners Association. "To me, it's somewhat of a secret in Greenville, and I suspect it will continue to improve. And the entrances are all being revitalized with plants, irrigation has been added and new light fixtures have been added just in the last year."
The neighborhood has roughly 520 homes and several entrances that feed into State 14, Bethel Road and Adams Mill Road in Simpsonville.
One of the nice aspects of Holly Tree is the diversity of home designs, said Pat Perkins, president of the homeowners association. They range from traditional ranch styles with stone and vinyl siding to two-story Colonials with spacious porches.
"It's not cookie-cutter," Perkins said.
And despite its size, Holly Tree is still a closely knit community with pockets of residents who look out for each other, Perkins said.
"It's fabulous. It's a very strong community even though it's all these different sections and entrances. You don't have our street against your street or our section against their section."
Activities go on throughout the community - from block parties and potluck socials to Fourth of July barbecues and Easter egg hunts.
"It's just really neat," Perkins said.
Rabel said she belongs to a neighborhood playgroup that meets every Friday morning.
"The kids love it. A lot more young people are moving in," said Rabel, a 35-year-old mother of four.
Residents get a directory that's updated every year. Two Web sites post a quarterly newsletter and a photo album and list information about upcoming events in the neighborhood.
There's also a yard-of-the-month award, Perkins said.
"We actually give out three. Since the area is so large, we divide it into three sections. It's a nice honor, and people really do strive for it."
The neighborhood has an 18-hole golf course, a 25-meter Olympic pool and 10 tennis courts. For a fee, residents have access to these amenities and other programs through the privately owned Holly Tree Country Club. Costs vary depending on the type of membership purchased. There's also a swim team and a junior sports camp during the summer.
"We're very value-oriented in what we offer our members," said Ron Hakala, general manger of the country club.
The clubhouse, which was built in 1973, has a lounge, a bar, an upstairs ballroom that seats 250 people, a golf pro shop and men's and women's locker rooms. There's also a spacious courtyard where members can enjoy live entertainment on the weekends, Hakala said.
"It's a very family-oriented, casual, fun club."
By Cheryl Allen
STAFF WRITER THE GREENVILLE NEWS
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