Spartanburg City News
324 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsOfficial podcast of the City of Spartanburg
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Episodes
H.E.A.R.T program addresses needs of those experiencing homelessness in Spartanburg
March 20, 2024 20:38 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MBAs part of ongoing efforts by the City and partnering organizations throughout the Spartanburg community, the Homeless Engagement and Response Team (H.E.A.R.T) program was launched in partnership with the United Way of the Piedmont in 2022 to provide direct outreach to people experiencing homelessness in Spartanburg and to assist in connecting those residents with available service providers. Responding to the ongoing challenges related to homelessness in our community and recognizing the in...
City lead-based paint remediation program tackles dangerous health concerns in 38 Spartanburg homes
February 28, 2024 20:02 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBBack in 2020, the City was fortunate to receive a Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant from the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The purpose of these funds is to remediate lead-based paint hazards and reduce other health hazards in the homes of families with children under the age of six and to safely improve the housing stock of older homes in the City of Spartanburg. Over the last four years, the program has...
Discussing a programming approach for Morgan Square with Dan Biederman of BRV
January 31, 2024 20:45 - 19 minutes - 18.5 MBWith a redesign plan for Morgan Square poised to be taken up by City Council in the coming months, one question many may have is how the space can attract more visitors on a regular basis. Long a focal point for some of Downtown Spartanburg's most successful large events, the City's focus now turns to ways to increase Morgan Square's use as a daily communal gathering spot for less structured, smaller scale activity. In other words, what can the City do to ensure that the new Morgan Square is ...
Discussing the history of Spartanburg City Hall
January 24, 2024 15:50 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBFirst opening its doors in April of 1961, Spartanburg City Hall will soon be no more, making way for the construction of a new joint municipal government facility to be shared by the City of Spartanburg and Spartanburg County. As the City says its final farewells to the current City Hall—likely the last building to ever carry the name—Dr. Phillip Stone, Archivist at Wofford College and Brad Steinecke, Assistant Director of Local History at Spartanburg County Public Libraries join us to discus...
Discussing the new Morgan Square design
December 20, 2023 21:21 - 41 minutes - 38.7 MBOn the heels of the recent Council update on the City’s plan to enhance Morgan Square, we recently sat down with representatives from the design firm responsible for creating the square’s new design, Brenda Diaz-Flores and Darren Meyer with MKSK, to discuss how the design was created and what residents can expect before construction on the new square begins next year. Development of the Morgan Square plan was guided by a select steering committee of local leaders, downtown stakeholders, and a...
Getting to know new Assistant City Manager, Kevin Limehouse
August 23, 2023 19:01 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBRecently, we . In a move designed to grow the City's leadership capacity, Limehouse's emphasis will be on innovation and operational efficiency, joining City Manager Chris Story and Mitch Kennedy who has been promoted to Deputy City Manager. Limehouse comes to Spartanburg from Charleston, SC where he has worked in state and local government for 17 years, most recently as Strategic Partnerships Manager for Public Services with Charleston County and Program Administrator for CORE SC. Today on ...
Discussing the 2023 fiscal year budget with City Manager, Chris Story
July 12, 2023 20:10 - 42 minutes - 39 MBIt's the most important statement of values for any government, and for the City of Spartanburg, the 2023-2024 annual budget is about investing in our city's future. With the largest outlay of capital expenditures in recent memory and a new compensation system designed to attract and retain talent for Spartanburg's municipal team, the focus on adapting to meet the challenges of our rapidly growing community. Approved unanimously by City Council in June and having taken effect on July 1, the ...
New River Birch trail extension to feature 'Creativitrees' public art installation
June 28, 2023 19:39 - 22 minutes - 21.3 MBAnother important piece of is ready for its official ribbon cutting. A new segment of the River Birth trail will celebrate its opening on Thursday, June 29 at 4:30 p.m. (Parking for event attendees will be available at Bells Hill, 961 East Main St.). Thanks to a partnership between and , the recently opened trail extension along Lawson's Fork Creek will also feature the new public art installation. This week on the podcast, we're talking with Spartanburg Art Museum Executive Director, Eli...
Next steps in bringing minor league baseball back to Spartanburg
June 07, 2023 19:46 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBLocal baseball fans were so excited last month with the announcement that the Down East Wood Ducks would be moving to Spartanburg from their current home in Kinston, NC that they could practically smell the hot dogs. Once here, the team will play its games in the 3,500-seat centerpiece of a along S Daniel Morgan Ave., which in addition to the ballpark will feature tens of thousands of square feet of residential, office space, and retail. A lot of work is still yet to be done before the stand...
Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful takes on litter, beautification in Spartanburg
May 31, 2023 19:07 - 21 minutes - 20 MBIt's never hard to find folks willing too share their opinions about litter, and thankfully for those of us in Spartanburg, it's also not hard to find folks willing to put their time and energy into combatting it. Thanks to the work of , those efforts are more organized than ever throughout Spartanburg County. Founded in 2018, our local Keep America Beautiful affiliate works not only to combat litter in our area. The organization also works to engage residents in recycling, beautification eff...
City Boards and Commissions offer residents an opportunity to serve
May 17, 2023 18:16 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBOne of the most overlooked ways a civic-minded Spartanburg resident can choose to get involved in shaping the future of our city is by serving on one of our City Boards and Commissions. Maybe you're a local architect interested in helping to ensure that new downtown developments follow the City's design standards or a local cycling enthusiast who'd like to have a say in expanding opportunities for our citizens to get active. Perhaps you're a member of one of the city's neighborhood watch orga...
Urban tree health and the future of Morgan Square's canopy
May 11, 2023 15:00 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBIf you've had the opportunity to view the , you've likely noticed that all of the proposals include an abundant amount of tree canopy. Owing to feedback from residents and stakeholders throughout the process so far, it's clear that the importance of natural shade and the welcoming feel provided by mature trees will certainly be a major factor in whatever shape the final enhancement design takes. While placing trees in many parks can be as simple as selecting the right tree and the right locat...
Noble Tree Foundation brings expertise, biodiversity to Spartanburg's urban canopy
April 26, 2023 20:16 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBIf you've walked down Wall Street in Downtown Spartanburg lately, you've likely noticed the new tree plantings installed earlier this year. While you may have admired the new trees and considered the shade they'll one day provide for visitors to one of Spartanburg's most picturesque pedestrian gateways, you wouldn't have learned the full story behind those hand-picked Chinese Pistache trees and how they found a home in our community. Today on the podcast, we're telling that story along with ...
Exploring the new City of Spartanburg website
April 19, 2023 16:26 - 34 minutes - 32.1 MBIt's been over 10 years since the last significant update to our website, which is something close to a century in website years, and while the launch of a new municipal government website isn't going to reach many people's threshold for important breaking news, we're pretty excited about it anyway. That excitement comes from all the new ways our updated site will allow residents throughout Spartanburg to better connect with their local government and find the information they're looking for....
Community Health Awareness Day at Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center, April 22
April 12, 2023 19:38 - 19 minutes - 18.5 MBIt began as a way to bring people in Spartanburg together and removing barriers to health care access, and after a hiatus of several years, Spartanburg's Community Health Awareness day is back this year and coming to the Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center (650 Howard St.) on Saturday, April 22, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The free community event will offer a wide array of health screenings and health education, and will feature activities for young children, teens, and seniors. This week on the City Podcast,...
Hello Family releases first annual report
April 05, 2023 13:22 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBIt's been a little more than a year since —a unique collection of support systems for young children and their families—began operations in Spartanburg, and the capacity-building approach the initiative has brought to early childhood services in our community is already changing lives according to their . The program is a first-of-its-kind approach aimed at significantly improving child wellbeing, boosting future prosperity, and providing quantifiable financial benefits to the Spartanburg com...
Getting to know Highland Project Manager, Jamie Smith
March 29, 2023 15:27 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIf you're at all familiar with complex community redevelopment plans (or you're inclined to listen to podcasts about them) you know that an incredible plan without a strategy for implementation runs the risk of becoming little more than a document of empty promises, a recipe for disappointment and disengagement within a community. However, when a solid plan for sustainable community redevelopment becomes an actionable guide for empowered community leadership and motivated public and private s...
A new cohost joins the team
March 22, 2023 15:14 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIt's been a number of years since the City Podcast has had a cohost to share the work of keeping our listeners informed on what's going with City government and the broader Spartanburg Community. As we ramp up our podcast production this year though, we're welcoming a new member to the City's Communications and Marketing team who will join us in bringing you conversations with leaders and community members about the work they're doing in Spartanburg. Jes comes to us from Spartanburg County...
Discussing options for the City's federal ARPA funding
March 15, 2023 13:58 - 36 minutes - 34 MBIt's a level of federal funding not seen for many years in Spartanburg, and for City Council and staff, that means the task deciding how to allocate our community's $16.5 million in American Rescue Plan: Coronavirus State & Local Recovery Funds takes on a generational significance, particularly for our low income residents. To give some structure to that discussion, City Manager Chris Story presented a framework to City Council for how those dollars could be spent at their Feb. 27 meeting. Wh...
New trail extensions near completion
October 20, 2022 18:57 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MBIf you like to get outdoors to walk, run, or bike in Spartanburg, the coming weeks promise to be an exciting time as two popular local trails are set to see extensions completed soon! First, Spartanburg's most used recreational amenity, the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail, is about to see its long-awaited expansion completed, taking the trail from its current terminus near the intersection of Union and E Henry streets through Downtown Spartanburg and beyond Barnet Park to Daniel Morgan Ave. ...
The History of Morgan Square
September 15, 2022 19:40 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBMorgan Square has been the most important public gathering space in Spartanburg almost since its beginnings in 1787. Arguably the birthplace of Spartanburg County after having been selected by four state-commissioned judges as the county seat and site of the the area's first courthouse, the area that would eventually be named for the Revolutionary War general whose statue it houses today formed the core of a new frontier town, stimulating the first wave of Spartanburg's development as taverns...
Discussing Downtown Spartanburg pedestrian spaces, midcentury to present
August 25, 2022 18:48 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBWhether you're getting in some steps at the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail or strolling through Morgan Square after dinner, it's fair to say there are more pedestrians moving in and around Downtown Spartanburg than at any point in living memory, and with historic levels of private development and accompanying new infrastructure showing no signs of abating in Spartanburg's urban core, the pedestrian experience in our city is changing rapidly. So how did we get here? What was downtown like ba...
New committee to guide Morgan Square redesign process
August 16, 2022 19:13 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBAt their last two meetings, Spartanburg City Council took a pair of actions to move discussions of Morgan Square's future forward, and then voting to continue to keep W Main Street along the square closed to traffic for the next 24 months while the committee undertakes its work. The committee comprises a diverse selection of city residents and stakeholders including downtown restaurant and retail business owners, City planning board members, experts in local development and architecture, an...
Taking a look at the City's upcoming fiscal year budget
June 22, 2022 16:10 - 33 minutes - 31.3 MBAt their most recent meeting, . This year's budget includes no significant operational changes and no increases to City taxes or commonly applied fees, but as Spartanburg continues to see record growth and economic development, staff projections account for a relatively modest four percent revenue growth. Meanwhile, increases this year include $1.5 million set aside for increases to City employee compensation, representing most of that projected revenue growth. The budget includes a three per...
New outdoor gathering space, Fretwell opens along Rail Trail
June 16, 2022 13:34 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBIf you're a frequent user of the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail, chances are you've seen Fretwell's construction progress over the past year . Recently opened, the new mixed-use gathering space features a new headquarters for Little River Roasting and a concessions trailer selling sandwiches, specialty drinks, wine and beer, and snacks, along with a stage area overlooking the trail, a large grassy area for games and recreation, as well as space for food trucks and events. Redeveloped by a g...
Discussing Spartanburg's planned joint City-County government complex
June 08, 2022 18:31 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBIn April, both Spartanburg County Council and Spartanburg City Council approved the site of the current City Hall on W Broad Street for construction of a new joint city-county local government complex. Expected to be around 180,000 square-feet and to stand 4-6 stories, the building will serve as a replacement for both City Hall and the Spartanburg County Adminstration Building on N Church St. that also funds construction of the new Spartanburg County Judicial Center, the new facility will al...
Discussing the 2021 crime stats report and the City's innovative approach to policing
April 06, 2022 20:34 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBLast week, Spartanburg Police Chief Alonzo Thompson and department leadership on the latest report on . Mirroring a similar nationwide uptick in violent crime over the past year, Spartanburg saw an increase of 5.2 percent above our 10 year average, while the overall trend remains on a downward trajectory, dropping 14.5 percent over the past decade. Property crimes have also fallen in our city, dropping more than 19 percent in the past 10 years. Beyond those top-line numbers though is a much ...
Community planning process to create vision for Duncan Park improvements
March 17, 2022 18:58 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBLast month, Spartanburg City Council approved a resolution authorizing the City to pursue $300,000 in federal Land and Water Conservation Fund matching grant for improvements to trails and clearing of invasive species in wooded areas of Duncan Park, an opportunity identified as an early opportunity by a new community steering committee working with the National Park Service, the City, and to create a plan for improvements to the park that will increase its use and provide new recreation oppo...
Proposed apartment project would be first affordable housing development in Downtown Spartanburg
March 03, 2022 16:21 - 22 minutes - 21 MBAt their last meeting, Spartanburg City Council gave approval to a property sale that could pave the way for Downtown Spartanburg's first-ever apartment development composed of entirely affordable units. Located adjacent to the Kennedy Street parking garage on the corner of Kennedy and S Converse streets, the 2.6 acre site will be sold to developer Blue Wall RE LLC for $4,500, well below market value, in the hopes that the developer will be able to secure state Low Income Housing Tax Credit...
A look at the biggest decisions ahead for the City in 2022
January 26, 2022 21:16 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBWe've been recording podcasts previewing the year ahead for the City and for the Spartanburg community for a long time now, but even a short glance at that list for 2022 would make it clear that this year will be filled with more significant decisions that will have more generational impact than any in recent memory. Whether it's welcoming a new Mayor for the first time in 12 years, a redistricting process that will set local representation for the next decade, decisions around millions of do...
A look at Downtown Spartanburg development in 2021
December 21, 2021 14:40 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBWith its restaurants routinely filled and its sidewalks bustling with activity, it's not hard to see these days that Downtown Spartanburg is on an upswing. Explaining just how large an upswing though takes some contextualizing, especially in a record-breaking year for downtown development that capped off with an announcement of the , a massive redevelopment planned by Greenville's M Peters Group along E main that will transform seven properties and reshape a high-profile portion of our city's...
'Hello Family' program to support parents, young children launching in January
December 02, 2021 15:47 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBIt's been on the City's priority list for years, and in January, an innovative, first-of-its-kind coordinated group of support systems that will seek to improve outcomes for young children and their families in Spartanburg will become a reality as the City and its partners launch the Hello Family program. Designed to significantly improve child wellbeing, boost future prosperity, and provide quantifiable financial benefits to our community well in excess of its cost, Hello Family will provid...
Northside Rising: The road from master plan to inclusive development
September 16, 2021 17:52 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBNote: Later this year, the Northside Development Group will mark its 10th year since it was founded to be a land bank to guide development and protect the community’s interests on the Northside. The NDG partnered with the Northside Voyageurs, Northside residents and the City of Spartanburg to launch the Northside Initiative, the most comprehensive neighborhood revitalization effort in the city’s history. To mark this moment, the City has been sharing a series of stories and podcasts about t...
What's next for Morgan Square?
August 30, 2021 15:41 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBAt their meeting on August 23, , during which time the City will engage in a community-led planning process to consider more permanent physical changes to the space. The move came after Council heard an overview of downtown data collected by city staff, including an increase in City Hospitality Tax revenue, increased pedestrian activity, and cell phone carrier data showing increased downtown visits this spring and summer over the same time period in 2019, signs which point to a Downtown Spart...
Northside rising: Laying the groundwork for a community-led neighborhood master plan
August 25, 2021 16:13 - 57 minutes - 53.5 MBNowhere in any community redevelopment expert's notes will you find "bring a medial college to your neighborhood" listed as a strategy to spur a holisic rethinking of an area plagued for decades by depopulation, decaying housing stock, concentraitions of generational poverty, and lack of investment, but on Spartanburg's Northside, that's exactly what happened. On today's second part of our Northside Rising podcast series, we're taking a look back at how public investment, private philanthropy...
Northside Rising: Neighborhood history from origins to construction of VCOM
August 16, 2021 19:05 - 54 minutes - 63 MBFollowing on the heels of last week's release of the , where we take a look back at the story of Spartanburg's Northside neighborhood, today on the City Podcast, we're delving deeper into the history of the Northside before the decision by the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine to build their Carolinas Campus in the neighborhood became a catalyst to galvanize the largest community redevelopment effort in Spartanburg's history.
Taking a look back at 2020 in Spartanburg
December 22, 2020 15:10 - 55 minutes - 51.7 MBIt's a year when the word "unprecedented" became commonplace. Beginning with a February tornado that cut a swath through the heart of our city and followed shortly by the COVID-19 global pandemic that still rages as the year comes to a close, 2020 is a year most of us would likely rather forget, though none of us ever will. Through it all, signs of our community's continued strength were abundant, whether in our leadership's and residents' equity-focused response to this summer's protests in ...
Win prizes from downtown businesses this holiday season with 'Snowman Scramble' scavenger hunt, social media giveaways
November 24, 2020 20:41 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBToday on the podcast, we've got details on our "Snowman Scramble" scavenger hunt and downtown business spotlight giveaway, both of which will be kicking off soon!
'Plan Spartanburg' to become nation's first citywide comprehensive plan with racial equity as guiding principle
October 19, 2020 19:25 - 43 minutes - 40.5 MBIt's not the easiest route to satisfy a state requirement, but here at the City of Spartanburg, we don't shy away from big challenges and we're never afraid to be innovators. That's why when discussions around racial equity in our community were given new urgency on the heels of showing large racial disparities in practically every area of our residents' lives, our City Council and City Staff understood that in order to do our part to correct those imbalances, our City's most important gui...
Explaining how Spartanburg Housing Fund will support affordable housing development
September 24, 2020 15:39 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBAt their , City Council approved the creation of the Spartanburg Housing Fund, a special fund to be used exclusively to fill gaps in development projects that build, preserve, or improve affordable housing units in the city. Initially capitalized with $750,000 as , the fund will be used to provide loans to for gap financing to developers to help make affordable housing developments more financially feasible and may also be used to provide grants or even a limited number of equity investments....
Major Downtown and Northside development projects continue to move forward
May 06, 2020 19:16 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBToday on the podcast, we're sitting down with City Manager Chris Story to get an update on the impressive list of major projects in the works for Downtown Spartanburg and our city's Northside.
'Lead-safe Spartanburg' program to assist residents in removing dangerous lead paint from older homes
April 22, 2020 16:43 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBLate last year, the City was awarded a $1 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create a new City initiative, "Lead-safe Spartanburg." Funding will be used to remove lead-based paint hazards and reduce other health hazards in the home for families with children under the age of 6 and safely improve the housing stock of pre-1978 homes in our community. Both owner-occupied and rental units in the city are elegible, and all applicants must meet the following...
Show us how you're staying #SafeInSpartanburg!
April 16, 2020 18:28 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBAs COVID-19 continues to imact our community and we're all doing our part to flatten the curve by staying home when possible, when in public, and , we wanted to offer a way to both share our own tips on how you can get through these challenging times and to offer our residents the chance to share their tips with us as well. So today we're kicking off our #SafeInSpartanburg campaign!
Discussing South Carolina's 'Work or Home' order
April 08, 2020 21:18 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBToday on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager Chris Story about the Governor's "Work or Home" order, requiring all people in South Carolinians to stay at home unless reporting to work, traveling for essentials, visiting relatives, or engaging in individual recreation. We also have an update on current City operations and a look forward at the weeks ahead.
Now is the perfect time to fill out the 2020 Census!
April 01, 2020 21:10 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBOne of the most critical ways for our community to ensure that it gets the critical Federal resources it needs depends on all of us, and in 2020, it's never been easier to do your part. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Kathryn Harvey of Neue South Collective and Andy Flynt, Director of Information Services with Spartanburg County Public Libraries about the Census, which you can .
An update on COVID-19 in Spartanburg
March 18, 2020 22:59 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MBToday on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager, Chris Story about the latest on COVID-19 in Spartanburg and about the City's response to this global pandemic.
Info and tips to combat COVID-19 in Spartanburg
March 12, 2020 20:45 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic is affecting communities throughout the world and Spartanburg is no different. Today on the podcast, we're offering tips on how you can stay informed and help stop the spread of this virus. What's the short takeaway? Check the for the most comprehensive overview of the virus, its spread, and how to protect yourself. Check for information that's focused on communites in our state. If you're feeling ill, to help determine if you may have been infected. Check City soci...
Discussing Cottonwood Trail cleanup efforts, future plans with SPACE
February 19, 2020 21:27 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBIt's one of the most popular outdoor amenities in our city, and like so many other parts of Spartanburg, the Cottonwood Trail was hit hard during the recent tornado that swept across our community. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Clay McDonough and Alix Refshauge of SPACE (Spartanburg Area Conservancy) about recovery on the trail, its place in the Spartanburg community, and about the organization's broader land conservation mission.
Discussing the tornado recovery effort in Spartanburg
February 12, 2020 21:48 - 34 minutes - 32.1 MBIt cut right through the heart of our city, and no one can ever remember seeing any weather event in Spartanburg quite like last Thursday's tornado. Carving a path through Spartanburg, from beyond the western edges of the city to our most eastern neighborhoods, the twister sowed chaos in our community and left behind debris and damage that will impact our residents' lives for weeks to come. Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Manager, Chris Story about the City's response to the tor...
A #Spartanburg2020 look at downtown living and culture
January 30, 2020 21:10 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBFor the next installment in our #Spartanburg2020 podcast series, we're taking a slightly different approach, talking with a trio of guests about what it's like to live, work, create, and play in Downtown Spartanburg. Why choose to live here? Why is Downtown Spartanburg the right place to express your creative vision? What amenities are we still lacking? What challenges are we facing, and how are those challenges different from the challenges Spartanburg has faced in previous generations? Our ...