Mary Black Rail Trail Archives

May 2019 Newsletter

I couldn’t help but notice that GSP development headlines are fewer and farther between these days. I still see plenty signs of activity (i.e. construction), but I wonder if backlogs are continuing to grow or if we are just working our way though projects already in the pipeline. I’d be interested in your feedback.

Spartanburg
Glendale Mill site is for sale. (GoUpstate) This site has tremendous potential. I’d like to see a much scaled-down version of the US National Whitewater Center (USNWC) take hold here. For those needing help visualizing this, watch this video.

Greenville
Work begins on Unity Park. “On Thursday, May 2, the City of Greenville began what may go down as the most ambitious endeavor in its history–the construction of the 60-acre Unity Park on the city’s west side…” (Greenville Business Magazine)See also, 10 images of Unity Park (Greenville Online)

Upstate
The city of Greer uses VR to show off a downtown streetscape project. (WSPA) H/T Greenville Business Mag. On a slightly related note, here’s a fly-over tour of Ancient Rome. (Smart History) H/T Ben Evans

The State
A space in which industrial property and public recreation (think nature trail) are combined. (Post and Courier)
The tax break for the Panthers nears passage. (AP News)

The Bigger Picture
The WSJ has an interesting piece on site selectors: “As communities across America race to win such marquee projects, these middlemen have quietly become some of the most powerful consultants in corporate America.” (WSJ)

Guess what? When sugary drinks cost more, people buy less sugary drinks. RE: soda tax. Evidence that taxation can influence consumer behavior. (JAMA) H/T Morning Brew

Street lights reduce crime (by 36% in this study). (National Bureau of Economic Research) H/T The Collaborative Fund

On voting for the least bad option (Seth’s Blog)…And while we’re on the topic, Microsoft released a tool to allow voters to track their ballots. (NPR) H/T TCF

The Great American Rail Trail plans to connect Washington (DC) to Washington (state). (Rails to Trails) Think Mary Black Rail Trail, but longer….like 3,700 miles longer.

My Blog
How we spend our lives. Making every day count. (jpfaris.com)

March 2019 Newsletter

Spartanburg

Video | A first look at the new proposed Courthouse in Spartanburg (WSPA)

Two locals reboot a trash business. (GoUpstate)

Video | One Spartanburg Report Card shows “significant gains in things like tourism, per capita income, and perhaps most importantly attracting and keeping a skilled workforce”. (WSPA) See also, young workers are flocking to Spartanburg (GoUpstate)

The Noble Tree Foundation plants 42 trees on the MBF Rail Trail (PALS Podcast)

A peek inside a new apartment in the Montgomery Building (Facebook) H/T Greenville Business Magazine

Will the Panthers make a move? (The State) See also, Gov. Henry McMaster and Legislators try to bring the Panthers HQ to SC (Greenville Business Magazine)

The Upstate

Charleston billionaire Ben Navarro has partnered with the Hincapie brothers in Hotel Domestique. (Upstate Business Journal)

The Cliffs have been acquired by a Charlotte investment firm. (Greenville Online)

The State

An international megasite (1,500 acres), hoping to lure the next BMW or Volvo to the state, is coming to Interstate 77, just south of Chester County. (The Herald)

International Trade Report | Exports are up 7.5% to a total $34.6 billion, a nine year upward trend for the state. (SC Commerce)

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie become National Parks. (Post and Courier)

Charleston’s Cooper River Bridge Run wins the Governor’s Cup for the top tourism event in South Carolina. (Post and Courier)

Food Hubs Connect Local Farms & Restaurants – “GrowFood, which is part of the Coastal Conservation League, began operations in 2011 and currently works with 85 farms and 300 restaurants across Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, S.C. and Savannah, Ga.” (Greenville Business Magazine)

The S.C. House has passed the Energy Freedom Act, a deal that eliminates caps on solar power for two years. (Greenville Business Magazine) See also, A coalition of businesses in SC urge the Senate to pass it. (Solar Power World)

The Bigger Picture

Zillow on housing affordability – the 30% rule is not just an adage. (Zillow)

The problem with high speed rail in the US. (WSJ)

Photos | A European city – in China? Worth a look. (Bloomberg)

My Blog

But what if you didn’t pay cash? A tribute to a mentor. (jpfaris.com)

February 2019 Newsletter

Spartanburg

A lot is happening downtown…

Koch and Gray jewelers to be redeveloped. (GoUpstate)

The Cambria Hotel appears to be getting the green light. (GoUpstate)

Raising the roof at the old Social Security Building for a mixed use development. (GoUpstate)

The Snyder Electric property could be sold. (GoUpstate)

And not too far away…

UCB opens at Main and Pine. (GoUpstate)

The Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail surpassed 100,000 annual uses in 2018. (PALS)

Development with apartments, retail, and a hotel has been announced near the Star Center. (GoUpstate)

Ten residential projects, ~1,300 new units in Spartanburg County may address the need for more housing. (GoUpstate)

The Upstate

Has the wind shifted? Economic development in GVL fell from $336 million invested / 1,800 jobs created in 2017 to $151 million invested / 1,500 jobs created in 2018. However, Spartanburg County saw several new projects in 2018: Keurig ($350 million), Grupo Antolin ($150 million) and Draexlmaier ($42.7 million). (Greenville Online)

Too much of a good thing? This restaurant found that a lot of traffic didn’t equal a lot of business (on Woodruff Rd). (Greenville Online)

Solar is booming….in Spartanburg (GoUpstate)…and the rest of the state. (Columbia Business Monthly)

GSP Airport sets record with 15 consecutive months of increased passenger activity – a 10.3% increase in passengers for December 2018. (Greenville Business Magazine)

And in dining news…

Spartanburg-based Eggs Up Grill has started construction on its flagship restaurant at 551 E. Main St (Converse Corners shopping center). (Upstate Business Journal)

Rick Erwin Dining Group unveils its Saltwater Kitchen for Haywood. (Greenville Journal)

The State

Why do inland ports exist? (DC Velocity)

Tourism is $22.6 billion industry in South Carolina. (SCPRT)

Train service for tourists? Carolina Special: ASH > SPA > COL > CHS (Columbia Business Monthly) H/T Greenville Business Magazine

The Southeast

Two regional lenders will combine to form the 6th largest US retail bank, a move that sounds like it was mainly driven by the need for scale to deploy new technologies.
Interesting facts: BB&T encourages employees to keep gratitude journals and SunTrust held the recipe to Coke in its vault from 1925-2011. (WSJ)

The Bigger Picture

The world’s busiest ports. (Visual Capitalist)

Could textiles make their way back to the US? (Sourcing Journal)

Bio-waste to bricks? (NYTimes)

Thanks for reading!