Roads, more traveled

Since the 1970s the city has spent millions on streetscaping downtown

FEBRUARY 23, 2010 7:05 p.m. (0)

The city of Greenville has spent more than $12 million since the late 1970s on street beautification along Main Street, an investment city leaders say has paid off handsomely in new businesses and developments such as River Place.

The original work on Main in 1979 cost $2.5 million and was paid for through revenue sharing funds, said Nancy Whitworth director of economic development for the city. Those improvements included narrowing the street, widening the sidewalk and planting hundreds of trees and bushes.

Since 1987 the city has funded streetscape programs in the downtown area with Tax Increment Fund (TIF) bonds that use increases in property tax values to repay bonds issued for public improvements, said Mayor Knox White.  Continue reading...

 

Upstate firm takes on BP

Spartanburg law office joins lawsuit against oil giant

MAY 11, 2010 7:46 p.m. (0)

A Spartanburg law firm has become a player in the flurry of lawsuits stemming from the fire and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that has spawned an ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

John White, a partner in Harrison, White, Smith and Coggins, said the firm was asked to take part in a Florida lawsuit against all of the major parties to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Continue reading...

 

City knew trees were coming down, developer says

MAY 20, 2010 11:15 a.m. (0)

City officials knew, or should have known, that five heritage trees on the fringe of the controversial Brookside development would be coming down, David Douglas manager of Douglas Development told the Journal.

City officials issued a stop work order at the site located just off Wade Hampton Boulevard last month, charging removal of the trees violated the city’s conditional use permit.  Continue reading...

 

City Council notes

From the Aug. 23 meeting  

AUGUST 26, 2010 10:19 a.m. (0)

A law governing signs in Greenville’s city limits won’t be as restrictive as once proposed.

The first sign ordinance proposed by city planners would have restricted permanent window signs to 10 percent of the window space, down from 40 percent.

The restriction was one of several that business owners had raised concerns over earlier this month. Changes were made to the ordinance after meetings with business owners.  Continue reading...