Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Last Remaining Corner at Fairview and Harrison Bridge Rds

If you live in Simpsonville and shop along Fairview Rd, then you have likely seen that big pasture with cows just across from Target and TJ Maxx.  Seems kinda out of place since the rest of Fairview is well developed with commercial businesses and all sorts of shopping.  Well, that 22 acre parcel has been getting some consideration from the city of Simpsonville as they are looking at annexing it and rezoning to general business.  It is just the first reading of the proposal, so there is still a ways to go, but perhaps that corner will anchor a grocery store in the future.

That crossroads is a gateway into residential areas of Simpsonville that tend to be more rural in nature. There are, however, many subdivisions along Harrison Bridge Road as it wraps back toward W. Georgia Rd and the Greenville Tech Campus.  There are several new real estate developments along that stretch that will certainly add customers to the Fairview Road commercial district.  All those businesses are to quick reach and there is also good access to I-385 at two interchanges. Simpsonville real estate is growing!

Friday, January 15, 2016

Greenville SC West End Park

We have heard a lot of intermittent news about a park near the Kroc Center and the Reedy River that will transform the West End of downtown Greenville. The latest update is that the City of Greenville has selected an urban design company to develop the master plan for the park. But first they need to negotiate fees for this consultation process and then get to work on the master plan.  There is still no real certainty that this park will come to exist, but there is a lot of excitement associated with a new public park in town.

But even if progress on the park along the Reedy River is painfully slow, development along Academy Street and out toward the Pendleton Art District has certainly picked up.  Several commercial and residential projects are in full swing, as developers have been quick to jump on opportunities in a transition area of town.  Much of the residential structures in this area are tiny and old mill homes from the textile era of Greenville; these are either getting fixed up or demolished to make way for new dwellings.  A couple of the old mills have been converted to stylish apartments or condos and offer a different type of living experience that utilizes the old buildings.

All the activity in the West End comes as pressures to live near the downtown area have mounted and available space in the more traditional areas of Augusta Road and North Main areas have dwindled. Residential real estate development and renovation  in those areas has been on fire in the past year, with an emphasis on creating high end homes from small existing homes that have a few years on them.  Regardless if the new park makes it or not, changes are coming to the West End and you will see a big change in housing there in the next few years.