Everything Greenville SC BLOG

RE/MAX's Simpsonville, Greer, Greenville real estate update 3/26/07

Greenville

engineers should be excited about the recent boom in business for large engineering companies in the area.  Fluor has announced that they are tracking 35 nuclear power plants to be built in the

US

from 2010 to 2020, which makes it the first ones to be seriously considered since the Three Mile accident in 1979.  Fluor expects to hire more engineers to meet this demand, and follows a recent 200 employee addition in response to increased demand on other sectors.

After a lot of debate, the Greenville County Offices won't move to the new Magnolia Mall on

Woodruff Road

after all.  Canyon Gulfside Greenville LLC was unable to come to terms with County Council over how they would develop the aging mall bought last year.  The plan kept changing until there was no residential housing included in  the mix of commercial and retail.  Also, at stake was the 33 acres of prime downtown land where the County buildings now sit. Gulfside wanted to develop the downtown site with high-end office, retail, and commercial if they could move the offices to Magnolia Point.  Lacking a satisfactory agreement with the County, Gulfside has now sold Magnolia Point to Menin Development Companies while in the middle of a demolition project.  We'll have to wait and see how Magnolia Point plays out for high end residential real estate that is surrounded by a burgeoning commercial and retail district.

It's full speed ahead for the Carolina Swamp Rabbit Tram Trail, which will connect downtown

Greenville

and Travelers Rest with a running-biking corridor.  After crews remove the steel from the old railway this summer, recreational district employees and volunteers will move the wooden crossties.  With funds from the 2% hospitality tax available in the fall, paving should begin.

Unseasonably warm this week with highs around 80 and lows in the mid-50s.  Some clouds are expected but no real rain is in the forecast.

Source: 

Greenville

News

GreenvilleOnline.com -Local News-Fluor focuses on nuclear plants - (3/23/2007)

Greenville engineers are happy about the recent boom in business for large enginnering companies in the area.  Fluor has announced that they are tracking 35 nuclear power plants to built in the US from 2010 to 2020, the first to be built since the Three Mile accident in 1979.  Fluor expects to hire more engineers to meet this demand, and follows a recent 200 employee addition in response to increased demand on other sectors.

Link: GreenvilleOnline.com -Local News-Fluor focuses on nuclear plants - (3/23/2007).

GreenvilleOnline.com -Local News-Mall site changes hands - (3/22/2007)

After a lot of debate, the Greenville County Offices won't move to the new Magnolia Mall on Woodruff Road after all.  Canyon Gulfside Greenville LLC was unable to come to terms with County Council over how they would develop two sections of Greenville real estate.  The plan kept changing for Magnolia Mall until there was no residential housing in the mix of commercial and retail.  At stake was the 33 acres of land where the County buildings now sit...prime Greenvillel real estate near the downtown area...where Gulfside wanted to develop high end office, retail, and commercial if they could move the offices to Magnolia Point.  Gulfside has now sold the Magnolia Point to Menin Development Companies while in the middle of a demolition project.  We'll have to wait and see how Magnolia Point plays out for high end residential real estate that is surrounded by a burgeoning commercial district.

Link: GreenvilleOnline.com -Local News-Mall site changes hands - (3/22/2007).

GreenvilleOnline.com -Local News-Target out; 500 homes in - (3/20/2007)

Looks like the proposed Super Target on Pelham Rd and I-85 if off the books.  Instead, the developer has proposed a smaller commercial strip and residential units.  While this is a better proposal, there will still be a traffic issue at that interchange which will need big bucks to fix.  Greenville County is still looking at options with the developer.  Also, the proposed retail will probably look a bit like apartments, which is not surprising due to the proximity to the freeway.  Commercial space is the best use for that piece of land, but congestions needs to be avoided.  We'll see whap happens.

Link: GreenvilleOnline.com -Local News-Target out; 500 homes in - (3/20/2007).

Greenville RE/MAX Real Estate Update Week of March 5th

Link: Blogging Software, Business Blogs & Blog Services at TypePad.com.

Clear weather this week as spring is headed our way.  Highs in the low 60's with nighttime lows around 40 degrees.

One year after the opening of the

West End

baseball stadium, the

Greenville Drive

is already looking at a $1 million renovation package that will focus on cosmetic and access-related enhancements.  The Bi-Lo playground in left field will be enlarged and above it will be a "party porch" able to accommodate 50 at a time for $1,950 per game.  In right field, the area originally intended to be bullpen seating will become the 20 person Coca-Cola dugout which will rent for $600 per game.  You will also see changes to the Spinx 500 club, picnic area, concourse, and the

Field Street

entrance.  Attendance in 2006 for the 5,000 seat stadium was 330,078 fans which averages 4,783 per game.

As the Golden Box controversy over annexation to Greer versus sewage service subsides after last week's agreement, developers are clamoring for land and projects in that area south of I-85.  A $290 million project is proposed at the southeast corner of I-85 and Hwy 14, just into

Spartanburg

County

.  The 175 acre site would house a large complex with commercial and retail space, plus a cinema and hotel conference center.

Furman Company's commercial report for 2007 highlights trends in that sector for the Upstate market.  Salient points include: The performance of the Publix and Staples at the upcoming McBee Station will demonstrate whether the national retailers can succeed in downtown Greenville; the vacancy rate for office condos in the Upstate is greater than 40% but available class A office space is scarce; textile industry employment has dropped 50% in the last 5 years and the resulting empty mill buildings are not very marketable although a few have been converted to residential condos;  construction of commercial retail space should boom after a lull in 2006; the warehouse space market will see a boom as more goods produced overseas are imported into the US and staged for distribution.

Source:

Greenville

News, GSA Business

Greenville RE/MAX Real Estate Update Week of Feb 27th

Clear this week with highs in the mid 60s and lows in the 40s.  There might be some precipitation later in the week with moderate temperatures in the 60s.

Vision 2020 for Science is about to reinvent The Roper Mountain Science Center by putting 14 high school students on a research project to determine how the center can position itself as a leading science education facility.  Opened in 1985, the

Science

Center

quickly became a state of the art training destination for science teachers in

South Carolina

.  As technology has advanced, the need to update the facility has led to the student think tank, where participants can earn college scholarships for their efforts. The 64-acre site located near I-85 & 385 currently houses an observatory, planetarium, earth and marine science centers, and a colonial era living history farm. 

Roper

Mountain

is open to the public on the second Saturday of each month; March 10 is Space Day and always sees a big public turnout, so get there early! Click here for more info. Click here for Lee's personal virtual tour of the living history farm on Second Saturday.

Traditional neighborhoods are the latest buzz with housing developers and feature a variety of homes situated around a central park area with select retail businesses to support the community.  A new 777 acre development has been proposed in the southeastern section of

Greenville

County

near Five Forks and will be centered on

Lake

Ottaray

. The tract lies between Lee Vaughn and E. Georgia Roads east of

Scuffletown Rd.

  A County Council public hearing on rezoning the land will take place at 6:30 p.m. on March 19.

The

South Carolina

legislature is trying to provide a free, state-wide wireless broadband network.  While only in the feasibility study stage, the goal is to provide basic service to schools, homes, public safety & health care workers, municipalities, and businesses anywhere in the state.  It's futuristic, but maybe not impossible using the state's network of educational television towers.  Click here for more details.

And, our homegrown singer Chris Sligh is still in the running for "American Idol" after surviving last week's challenge and trading one-liners with judge Simon Cowell.  The 28 year old is the music worship leader at the

Seacoast

Church

in

Greenville

.

Source:

Greenville

News,

Greenville

Journal