Last week, Jordan and I attended (a publicly open) Design Review Board round table surrounding the upcoming Camperdown project. We learned there is a huge amount of planning + preparation that goes into all of the projects happening around Greenville.

Just imagine doing a project at your home and visiting multiple cities for inspiration, consulting design specialists, and receiving approval for just about everything from lighting, materials, walkability and green space. (All within budget.)

All that to say, here’s a huge shoutout to 5 projects, currently underway in Greenville that will change the way this city functions. Thanks to the Greenville Journal, who put together updates on these, plus five more you should be paying attention to.

Cancer Survivors Park - Official grand opening planned for spring 2018

The Cancer Survivors Park, which connects Cleveland Park to Falls Park via the Swamp Rabbit Trail is currently only open on the weekends (6–9 p.m. on Fridays and 5 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays), but should be completed by mid-fall. See our video of the renovations here.

The $7.5 million park will include a “survivorship education center”, a children’s garden, a grotto with benches, a sculpture, a small amphitheater, and a man-made waterfall. (Plus, no more grated, scary bridge.)

More than $7.3 million has been raised for the park so far, which will have a grand opening in the spring.

Dig Greenville’s largest-ever underground sewer tunnel project

Dig Greenville is a $46M, 1.3 mile sewer line upgrade that will be paced 100 ft. underground. The project is planned to be kick off in January, but first, the surrounding community + Dig Greenville is meeting later this month (August 29) to discuss the current noise ordinances and project completion time.

A 24/7 work schedule has been proposed, to cut the project timeline in half, with obvious backlash.

City officials are still working to bridge the gap (literally) between Laurens Rd. and the other side of Cleveland Park, but also plan to build bridges over Haywood and Verdae Blvd for safe travel over the busy intersections.

City Park - Greenville’s most anticipated project

City Park is Greenville’s next huge expansion project in the West End, which will be located behind the Kroc Center, across the Reedy, where the current Public Works building sits currently.

Next month, Public Works will begin moving to its new facility at Fairforest Way, which is the first move towards really starting the project.

The park plans to include a great lawn, a “sprayground” water feature, a picnic area, basketball courts, a pedestrian promenade, and could also include an eight-story tower, and a veterans memorial. The city has committed up to $2 million per year for 10 years for the project.

Nearby project, the Commons foodhall + marketplace, 159 Welborn St. will include a second Community Tap, Due South Coffee, a butcher shop, and more.

Camperdown - This will change the way you experience downtown.

That huge pile of rubble that sits in the former Greenville News lot? It will soon be home to a brand new –

🌳 Public plaza

🏢 Hotel (140 rooms)

🏘 Apartments (217 units)

🏷 📠 Retail/Office space (230,000 sq. ft. combined)

🍽 and (hopefully) multiple restaurants (one of which plans to face Main St.)

🗞️ Greenville News’ current building

If you’re having trouble imagining the scale of this project: The plaza area is planned to be roughly 3X the size of One Plaza (home to Caviar & Bananas, The Bank of America Building, The Clemson MBA building, Cantina 76, etc.)

Plans for the project go in front of the DRB *officially* this November. We should see building being constructed as early as next fall with an estimated completion date of Q2 2019.

Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail Expansion

City officials are still working to bridge the gap (literally) between Laurens Rd. and the other side of Cleveland Park.

Work on the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail is planned to extend Cleveland park (around the zoo) to Verdae Blvd. Contractors are working to remove old railroad tracks (which will become the new trail path) that run between Pleasantburg and Verdae behind Laurens Rd. (on the right side if driving towards downtown).