VET - "THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES AS TO THE CLIMATE OF EACH TOWN."

Vet 
This is one time I must disagree with you....this is like comparing a grape to a watermelon.
It ain't even close. 

Greenville attendees hope to start working soon

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

GREENVILLE, S.C. — 

Posted: 12:00 a.m. Sunday, April 27, 2014

Revitalizing downtown will take time, money, commitment

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

GREENVILLE — The “before” and “after” pictures flashed on the screen almost didn’t look like the same place, except to those in the audience, the photos were believable because they’ve seen dilapidated buildings before.

During a three-day tour of Greenville, S.C. last week, about 25 Middletown officials and business leaders were shown black-and-white pictures of downtown Greenville from the late 1970s and more recent color pictures from the same locations. The photos from nearly 40 years ago looked eerily similar to how parts of downtown Middletown look today.

There were boarded up businesses and sparse shoppers, a far cry from how Greenville looks today.

Since Greenville started revitalizing its downtown, the city and its investors — through private and public partnerships — have spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 35 years. Greenville officials and residents said the money was well spent. And a local group, part of Middletown Moving Forward, which organized the tour, agreed after staying three days in the city, meeting with officials and walking downtown.

The lessons learned were many, they said, yet simple too: It took time and money — and lots of both — to turn Greenville from a dying city to a vibrant community that attracts 5.3 million visitors a year.

If Middletown hopes to accomplish the same, financial support and patience are paramount, the leaders said.

Since 1979 — one city official called Greenville a “35-year overnight success story” — the city has completed about 15 major renovations, five more projects are under way and five more are on the drawing board. And about every project was funded through public and private partnerships, city officials said. Today, it appears that most of a one-mile stretch of Main Street downtown was just constructed, and the countless retail shops, restaurants and bars that line the street were crowded last week. Those from Middletown said Greenville felt and looked like a college town, which was odd considering there are no major universities in the city.

The two downtown anchors are the Hyatt Regency Hotel that received an extensive renovation in 2012 and Fluor Field, which opened in 2006 after a record 10 months of construction. Public investment of $8.5 million coupled with private investments of $20.7 million made the baseball project a reality, and today it’s home of the Greenville Drive, a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. It resembles a smaller Fifth Third Field, home of the Dayton Dragons.

Between the hotel and ball park are numerous structures, probably none more impressive than the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, which was constructed in 1990 for $42 million — $13 million from the Peace family led the significant private sector contributions, $6.5 million from city funds, $6 million from a state bond issue and $1.5 million from Greenville County. The majority of city funds were from tax increment financing, officials said. The city provided all land assembly, utility work and landscaping. The park encompassing the grounds of the Peace Center is linked by a pedestrian bridge to the historic Reedy River Falls Park and then to Cleveland Park, the city’s major recreation park.

Downtown is dotted with water features, sculptures, historic markers, directional signs, while most of the parking lots are hidden by retail businesses or apartments/condominiums. Only a few of the businesses downtown are national chains.

“We wanted what was unique to the area,” said Nancy Whitworth, deputy city manager and economic and community development director.

Throughout the rebirth process, Greenville officials said it was “critical” to maintain a balance of retail, restaurants and bars, entertainment venues, hotels, apartments and condominiums. They didn’t want downtown to turn into an entertainment district, Whitworth said.

Hank Hyatt, from the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, said it’s important for the city to have a “consistent look and feel to attract businesses and residents.” From 2000 to 2012, Greenville’s population increased by 3,260, from 56,001 to 59,261. During that same period, Middletown’s population dropped by nearly 3,000.

Whitworth said Greenville has made its downtown “a major destination.”

She added the city has become “the place where people want to be.” She credited the success on a vision from previous city officials and qualified leaders who had to ability to convert those ideas into reality.

City Manager John Castile admitted Greenville caught “lightning in a bottle.” He said it was a combination of good timing and the city, its leaders and residents all coming together. He encouraged those from Middletown to “take risks” and then celebrate those successes when they happen.

Some of Greenville’s successes have been unique. The city’s struggling mall — those on the trip said they immediately thought of the Towne Mall Galleria — was converted into classrooms for several college branch campuses. Once known as the “Textile Center of the South,” Greenville now is home to innovation, higher education and technology.

T. Duane Gordon, president of the Middletown Community Foundation, said after three days in Greenville he realized “there are success stories out there.” He said the trip gave the group guidance how Greenville turned its downtown around.

Not surprising, he said Middletown’s biggest hurdle will be money. He said Greenville officials repeatedly told the group the importance of public and private partnerships to fund the projects.

“That’s an obstacle that has to be overcome,” Gordon said.

Middletown economic developer Denise Hamet agreed. She said the city can’t do it by themselves; and they don’t want to do it by themselves.

“It takes a team,” she said. “We have to look at our assets and see what we can achieve.”

Greenville still has its struggles. During a driving tour of the event, those from Middletown saw pockets of rundown neighborhoods, and they were told one of the goals of the city is to expand the renovations off Main Street. They were surprised to hear that Greenville has as many as 1,500 homeless people living there, and it’s a constant struggle to divert them off the business district.

Russell Stall, executive director of Greenville Forward, a visioning organization, said he was raised in the city, but moved his family to Atlanta in 1978 because his hometown had become “a horrible place.” He moved back 18 years later, a decision he never regretted.

“It’s easy to have pride in a place you love,” he said.

Mike Stautberg, president of Atrium Medical Center Foundation, spent time in the Greenville area when he worked for a healthcare company there. He remembers back 25 years ago when Greenville was beginning its improvement process.

“They were tired of the decline they were in,” he said. “Now it’s a very vibrant, very wonderful city. I knew they were going to improve, but I didn’t think they’d get this far. They are moving at paces that are hard to understand. Things are happening, things are coming after them.”

As for attracting new businesses, Stall said it’s all about perception. He said with a chuckle that some outsiders say they don’t know where Greenville is located, or if its residents wear shoes.

“But if we get them here, we got them,” he said.

Anita Scott Jones, a Middletown council member, said she left Greenville inspired because she knows “we can turn our city around; we are turning our city around, one piece at a time.”

Terry Sherrer, director of the Middletown Area United Way, added that if a community comes together with “a common cause anything is possible.”

Rick Pearce, president of the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, said the group needs to hold community meetings and discuss where residents want the city to go next. That’s only the first step, he said.

“We are not going to duplicate what they have done here,” he said. “We need to take ideas back to see what will work.”

Whatever is done will take time, warned Ken Cohen, president of Cohen USA and Middletown Moving Forward.

“We are starting 30 years behind them,” he said of Middletown’s plan to revitalize its downtown. “We have the resources and the abilities and it’s going to be a long struggle.”

Then he added: “Everybody has to be in. It starts with the first step.”