I'm back...cool pics g-man.

Oh yeah Greenville is the number one micro city in America for one or two categories that I can't remeber... It's on g-ville news!!!!

I hope that carbon motors sees that!!!

Check out page 6: http://www.greenvillesc.gov/city_government/forms/media/NorthAmericanCitiesFuture2009.pdf

I already know because it's Greenville...duh anything new on carbon motors???

Has the new movie theater in Simpsonville started construction yet??????

Yes: http://carbonmotors.com/blog/29/Site-Selection-Status-for-10000-New-Jobs

New Easley Town Center site plan:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/EasleyTownCentersiteplan2.jpg

are all the red spots new???

Some of it is new, but most of it isn't. Not sure what the red spots mean. Could be unleased space.

I'm on a boat and it's going fast and...G-man is back. :D Large photo update coming tomorrow. Let's show Skyliner what a recession looks like. ;) Let's prove the naysayers wrong. :)



Remember this?


Talks continue on $2.4 billion development at County Square
Mixed-use project code named 'Project Skyline'

Published: Thursday, October 25, 2007 - 6:10 pm

By Rudolph Bell
BUSINESS WRITER

The topic hasn’t surfaced openly for almost six months, but Greenville County officials say they’re still trying to negotiate a proposed $2.4 billion economic development deal that goes by the code name Project Skyline.

County officials have released very little information about Project Skyline, but County Council member Joe Dill said Thursday it involves a developer interested in the 33-acre County Square property. That downtown site is where the county’s main office complex is.

Dill declined to identify the developer and said he’d been told several weeks ago that Project Skyline “just hadn’t come together.”

“I’m sure the developer is wanting to do business, but whether or not he can put together something that seven of us want to do is a horse of a different color,” Dill said.

According to tax incentives resolutions approved by County Council in May, Project Skyline involves a possible $1.9 billion investment by a South Carolina corporation and separate investments of $280 million and $200 million by a Florida corporation or corporations.

The resolutions described a “mixed use” project that would entail “business, office, hotel, restaurant, residential, commercial and corporate headquarters” elements.

The investment totals would occur over decades if the deal goes through, County Council Chairman Butch Kirven has said.

In exchange for the investment, the county would spend nearly $115 million of new revenue from the development on public infrastructure improvements.

Thursday, County Administrator Joe Kernell said the county was still “actively pursuing” Project Skyline. “We’re still trying to work through a number of hurdles to bring this thing forward,” Kernell said. Kirven said the negotiations could lead to a different proposal than what was originally envisioned.

“There’s not going to be any kind of agreement unless it makes good sense to the parties involved, and I think we’re just a ways off from anything like that now,” Kirven said.

In May, Kirven said Project Skyline did not involve moving the county’s office complex at County Square to any other location — as was the case under a previous proposal from a Miami developer that did not materialize.

The developer behind the previous proposal, Jackson Ward, was also previously involved in redeveloping the former Greenville Mall on Woodruff Road. Ward’s company sold the former mall property in March to Menin Development Cos. Inc. of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Menin has announced plans to redevelop the former mall, but won’t say whether it’s involved in Project Skyline. Asked about Project Skyline Thursday, Robert C. Jacoby, Menin’s chief operating officer, declined to comment.

County Council member Bob Taylor said Thursday that Project Skyline is still active. “There’s a couple of obstacles as far as negotiations go, and they’re trying to negotiate those to keep it on track,” Taylor said.

I still want to know what that was going to be!!! :lol:

damn, its good, and a bad thing because CRESCENT center is basically canceled according to the article but a amphitheater, side walks, and etc would/will be nice!!! It could lead to another renovation or expansion of Haywood Mall (even though there is barely any room for a expansion), I guess demolition will have to happen in "Uptown Greenville" for now on, because it's nearly out of land!!!

Project cancelled? How dare you say such a thing infoman. :uh: The amphitheater is going to be part of the development. Crescent Place is still a go. The sign is still up on site even. Merrifield Partners is the developer and Choldings is the leasing agent.

The sign doesn't mean s*it remember the Pinnacle on Main... :lol:

The Pinnacle on Main sign is no longer up on site. :D I mean it's not like several large office development announcements are going to be coming downtown sometime next month.

:lol: Any new developments?????

:banana: :lol: New development...literally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idzeJU5_PQY&feature=haxa_popt00us00

http://www.cityofmauldin.org/city-government/main-street.aspx
:lol:

This is pretty interesting....

:wave:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/035-6.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/034-9.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/032-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/033-7.jpg

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/1/bizplaces09_Best-Places-For-Business-And-Careers_Rank_2.html
Greenville is #46 for Best Places for Business And Careers, guess who's number 1!!! RALEIGH, as usual which is always number 1 for anything dealing with jobs!!!!

http://www.dot.state.sc.us/getting/cams/Dist3/imageset.asp?Cam=1&dummy=1241227192732

http://www.dot.state.sc.us/getting/cams/Dist3/imageset.asp?Cam=40&dummy=1241227253870

Is this part of I-85 (Pelham road area) always backed up??? It seems like it.

Get crunk. Did I say that right infoman? :D The economy is terrible. :cry: Nothing is getting built. Everything is on hold. We're in a recession. Nobody is hiring. Wahhh, wahhh, wahhh.

TCTC future campus. Groundbreaking May 29th:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-23.jpg

St. Francis at Millennium Campus:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/020-8.jpg

Hilton Garden Inn:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/025-11.jpg

Another shopping center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/029-10.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/028-11.jpg

Academy Sports:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-13.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-15.jpg

BMW:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/021-8.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-10.jpg

The Point apartments:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/024-11.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/023-7.jpg

BMW manufacturing plant:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/026-8.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/027-9.jpg

Easley Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-21.jpg

Carolina First headquarters:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/023-6.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-9.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/024-10.jpg

Cascades at Verdae:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-15.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-10.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-12.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-9.jpg

Lots of construction going on, I cant wait until the recession is over...I can "PICTURE" it now. :lol: (G-man your going to be a very busy person)

http://www.southeastrebusiness.com/articles/APR09/highlight1.html

http://www.landmarkdevelopment.biz/cgi-bin/projects/landmark

What is "Greer Lofts" in Easley??? Apparently it is mixed-use and will cost close to $20 million!!! Sounds good to me...

http://www.walletpop.com/mortgages/worst-performing-public-schools

Is this true???

:lol: We only have one in Greenville. Poor Columbia and Charleston.

i know... :cry: :nuts:

:lol: We only have one in Greenville. Poor Columbia and Charleston.

Wow, Charleston's schools really do suck. Pathetic.

Patton Park mixed use development:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/mixedusedevelopment.jpg

Cotton Mill Lofts. Greer, SC:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/cottonmilllofts2.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/cottonmilllofts.jpg

Grandview Crossing shopping center: http://www.realtylinkdev.com/files/Simpsonville_Harrison_Exhibit-908.pdf

Where is Patton Park?

Simpsonville near West Georgia Road/I-385.

Story on Easley Town Center: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090522/NEWS/905220349/1003/ARCHIVE/Developer++Easley+Town+Center+will+go+forward

The Swamp Rabbit trail:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-23.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-27.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-26.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-17.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-14.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-11.jpg

Round-a-bouts:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-13.jpg

Buildings along trail to be demolished this summer:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-23.jpg

Signage now in:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-25.jpg

One of the parking areas for the trail:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-12.jpg

Tri-County Technical College Easley campus breaks ground:
http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/27812-tri-county-tech-breaks-ground-in-easley

Woodlands at Furman has grand opening:
http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/27811-woodlands-opens-near-furman

1,556 jobs created in 2008 in Greenville County according to GADC:
http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/27810-gadc-reports-1-556-jobs-created-in-2008

Green Planning-

Verdae is an infill development that practices sustainability on many levels, including land design that emphasizes high quality landscaping while conserving water and controlling erosion. Equally, our preferred builders share our commitment to GREEN. Our architectural and building guidelines encourage homes to be built according to a minimum standard of Energy Star or a maximum standard of LEED home certification. The master plan of Verdae is designed to promote walkability and respectfully make the best use of the land while protecting the natural beauty. Leading GREEN, Verdae is a forward-thinking development that has borrowed from the past to develop a smarter, more sustainable future.

Benefits of Leading GREEN/Living GREEN include:

• Verdae utilizes GREEN products and practices that offer value and comfort.
• Energy efficient homes provide environmentally responsible living.
• Verdae's “New Urbanism” principals encourage “walkability” and sustainability.
• Trails, parks, and other GREEN spaces provide a live-work-play experience.

First estate home has started construction. New website: http://www.verdae.com/

Census to create 1,000 jobs in Greenville: http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=0D6A4B231E17644C586053E58EE016DF

Another story on Easley Town Center: http://www.theeasleyprogress.com/pages/home/push?article-Easley+Town+Center+developer-+project+still+moving+forward-%20&link=push::target_page&id=2616158-Easley+Town+Center+developer-+project+still+moving+forward-&instance=secondary_news_left_column&

Greenville commerical strips picked for line burial: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090527/NEWS/905270330

Maturity is soo over-rated:

aazG7dMhE7I

http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/27830-upstate-office-market-awaits-south-financial-decision?rss=0
GM may relocate.

Bloo Q Kazoo. :banana: :pepper: :carrot: :cucumber: The return is near. :drool: :cheer:

Bloo Q Kazoo. :banana: :pepper: :carrot: :cucumber: The return is near. :drool: :cheer:

I figured you'd come back with a bang. No pictures? :lol: Stayin' busy this summer G-man?

No pictures...yet. ;) Very busy this summer.

:rock: We want Southwest Airlines:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090611/BUSINESS/906110318/1004/NEWS01/Top+airline+looks+at+market+here

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090614/BUSINESS/906140319&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

http://www.wspa.com/spa/news/consumer/article/report_southwest_airlines_may_come_to_gsp/19290/

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090614/OPINION/906140306/1004/NEWS01/Greenville-News-Editorial--Southwest-would-be-a-welcome-addition-at-GSP

Some interesting comments from the readers in those links. If SW were to choose a nearby airport instead of GSP (read CAE) then it may well lead to another huge decline for GSP. The only traffic would be for Businesses who are willing to pay the ticket prices, but I could see another large leak of potential passengers going to cola. And if they were to choose Cola, Asheville, ar somwhere nearby over GSP, I think a serious look would need to be taken at the leadership at GSP. This needs to happen.

No, WE want Southwest....LOL.

Krazeeboi, is that you? :D

RestedTraveler is moving to Charleston. :( I'm voting him off the island. :D

G-man. Do you have a Twitter account? It would be useful if you had one that would update when an update to this thread is made.

Ok guys; so what happened to the threads on here? No post in this one in nearly 10 days, and no post in the other one in over 2 weeks. I know things are kinda stagnant right now with the economy putting things on hold, but there are a few things we could discuss:

-Carbon Motors has apparently cut their list to 2 places GSP or Indiana

-New director at GSP stresses lowfare carrier and new routes are crucial

-GTA to get new buses with stimulus money

-385 widening to start in the spring of 2010

-school const underway DT with Kroc Center (supposedly :nuts:) to start in Sept

-Childrens Museum to open in a couple of weeks

Anyone out there? :)

Ok guys; so what happened to the threads on here? No post in this one in nearly 10 days, and no post in the other one in over 2 weeks. I know things are kinda stagnant right now with the economy putting things on hold, but there are a few things we could discuss:

-Carbon Motors has apparently cut their list to 2 places GSP or Indiana

-New director at GSP stresses lowfare carrier and new routes are crucial

-GTA to get new buses with stimulus money

-385 widening to start in the spring of 2010

-school const underway DT with Kroc Center (supposedly :nuts:) to start in Sept

-Childrens Museum to open in a couple of weeks

Anyone out there? :)

http://www.greenvillecvb.com/ReedySquare/

http://www.greenvillecvb.com/!UserFiles/docs/ReedySquareUpdate_070109.pdf

http://www.greenvillecvb.com/!UserFiles/docs/BWCUpdate_GCRD_070109.pdf

Reedy Square & The Blue Wall Center

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090715/BUSINESS/907150330/1003/Medical-research-center-to-create-jobs-in-Upstate
Medical research center to create jobs in Upstate

I like the new detailed information on the Blue Wall Center and Reedy Sqaure! I'm stoked about both of these. I hope we find out more in the way of a timeline for each.

;) Yeah, it's not like construction has started on Magnolia Park Town Center or anything:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/magnoliapark1.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/magnoliapark2.jpg

Good updates guys. I too am very excited about Reedy Sq and the Wall developments. On thing I noticed on the link to the wall is that there was no mention of the bird aviary. I hope this is still planned as I think it would be an enjoyable aspect for a lot of people.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090713/NEWS/907130325/1003/GSP-Airport-purchasing-two-boarding-ramps Not saying we should read anything into this but it is at least a good sign that the airport is buying 2 aditional passenger ramps "in case an airline decides to expand here." Sounds like this is a move to try make GSP as ready as possible to receive new service.

Update pics coming when my camera gets fixed. Week or two away. :)

Simpsonville movie theater which has started construction to feature IMAX: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090617/NEWS/906170345

I-385 widening to start early next year: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090715/NEWS/907150336/1186/YOURUPSTATE

Greenville-Spartanburg still in running for Carbon Motors:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090716/BUSINESS/907160307&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Fluor to add 100 new jobs in Greenville:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090709/BUSINESS/907090302/1004/NEWS01/Fluor-adding-jobs-for-military-work

WoW Greenville has been doing pretty well for itself during this recession hasn't it? I can't wait until this recession is over because I'm sure that Greenville will have a serious population, and or job boom!

Update pics coming when my camera gets fixed. Week or two away. :)

Simpsonville movie theater which has started construction to feature IMAX: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090617/NEWS/906170345

I-385 widening to start early next year: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090715/NEWS/907150336/1186/YOURUPSTATE

Greenville-Spartanburg still in running for Carbon Motors:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090716/BUSINESS/907160307&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Fluor to add 100 new jobs in Greenville:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090709/BUSINESS/907090302/1004/NEWS01/Fluor-adding-jobs-for-military-work

Wow! That is alot of great news!!! Thanks, g-man! :yes:

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090718/NEWS/907180318
Interstate widening funds OK'd

Yeah, that'll be a good thing, I believe.

http://www.greenvillesc.gov/city_government/newsreleases/archive/2009/KingsviewPointe.pdf
Kingsview Pointe Housing Development in West Greenville!
http://www.greenvillesc.gov/HomePagePhotos/Kingsview.jpg

Gotta love the republican party. How desperate are they getting? Look at all the white people in the crowd. Is this a town hall meeting with a congressman or a KKK rally? Why does this crowd care about healthcare or the future? Half of them look like they're going to be dead in ten years anyways.

9V1nmn2zRMc

WoW Greenville has been doing pretty well for itself during this recession hasn't it? I can't wait until this recession is over because I'm sure that Greenville will have a serious population, and or job boom!

Yeah....

Bloo Q Kazoo is about to return. :uh:

I'm getting a new camera. About twice as good as the last one I had. Should be here within the next week or two. My other one broke and that's why I haven't taken any update pics lately. When it gets here, you will get update pics. :)

cool. look forward to that. :)

Project Tango: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Council/_Agenda/Council/TANGO_FILOT_CONVERSION_AND_ASSIGNMENT_ORDINANCE.pdf

Project Sergeant: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Council/_Agenda/Council/Ashland%20Ordinance.pdf

Project Munich: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Council/_Agenda/Council/Munich%20Inducement%20Resolution.pdf

Project Blackburn: http://www.greenvillecounty.org/County_Council/_Agenda/Council/BLACKBURN_INDUCEMENT_RESOLUTION.pdf

GE Energy will close a service center in West Chester by April 2010, eliminating 94 jobs.

The company, in a filing with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said the repair services the center performs will be consolidated at its manufacturing plant in Greenville, S.C. It cited decline in demand for its power generation products, and subsequent lower demand for repairs, as the reason for the closure.

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/07/27/daily41.html

Upstate agencies see increase in hiring: http://www.wyff4.com/money/20232055/detail.html

Rooms To Go at Magnolia Park has started construction: http://www.menindevelopment.com/news%20RTG.html

Academy Sports & Outdoors now open: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090723/YOURUPSTATE/907230349/1401/YOURUPSTATE01/Owner-of-Academy-Sports-+-Outdoors-personally-opens-his-115th-store-in-Greenville--S.C.

Update on Easley Town Center which is going to be a 500,000+ square feet shopping center when completed late next year: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090803/NEWS/908030325/1069/YOURUPSTATE01/Easley-gives-first-OK-to--1.7-million-for-Saco-Lowell-project

Widening of Holland Road about to start: http://www.tribunetimes.com/article/20090729/TRIBUNETIMES01/907290335/1144/TRIBUNETIMES

Greer housing perks up: http://www.tribunetimes.com/article/20090803/NEWS/908030312/1144/TRIBUNETIMES

-Construction equipment has returned to I-85/Pleasantburg Drive next to Value Place hotel.

-Construction has started on Lowe's in Clemson.

-Construction has started or restarted on several mixed use neighborhoods in the area including Griffin Park and O'Neal Village.

-It appears a development might be coming to the area between Pelham Road and I-385 along I-85. A large swath of trees have been cut down on the right side of the interstate if you're heading northbound.

-Construction has started on Tri-Tech's new facility in Pickens County Commerce Park. You can read more about that here: http://www.upstatetoday.com/news/2009/jun/12/officials-welcome-tri-tech-usa-inc-pickens-county/

:cry: It's all Obama's fault:

"Our propriety cyclical index says RECESSION IS OVER," FAO Economics' Robert Brusca wrote after the report, noting that most components of the ISM survey showed "outright gains."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/32272261

"Between March through August of next year, local companies that serve as suppliers to the automotive industry will need to fill between 350 to 600 jobs," said Dr. Dave Just, VP of corporate and community education for Spartanburg Community College.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/20264561/detail.html

The opportunity of a lifetime. Get the word out: http://www.hqgreenville.com/the-opportunity.php

Take a spin in Greenville: http://www.seegreenville.com/

More development. This time for Powdersville: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090804/PCN/908040356/1069/YOURUPSTATE01/State-81/153-intersection-gets-popular

Sounds like some things are starting to pick back up. That is good news. Maybe we will hear some DT updates soon; ahem ... Washington Sq, Gateway, Riverplace II/III... :yes:

Sounds like some things are starting to pick back up. That is good news. Maybe we will hear some DT updates soon; ahem ... Washington Sq, Gateway, Riverplace II/III... :yes:

Any of those would be great, for sure! I am especially eager for Washington Square to get underway. :)

GREENVILLE, SC-KEMET Corporation, a leading manufacturer of tantalum, multilayer ceramic, solid aluminum, plastic film, paper and electrolytic capacitors, today learned that the company has been selected as one of thirty companies to receive a grant from the Department of Energy for a project that is expected to create over 110 new jobs in South Carolina.

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-05-2009/0005072575&EDATE=


Also, Sykes Enterprises to create 250 new jobs in Greenwood: http://www.wyff4.com/news/20304170/detail.html

Easley Town Center ready to get moving again: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090804/PCN/908040357/1069/YOURUPSTATE01

A little late on this one but great news either way. FujiFilm to create 185 new jobs in Greenwood: http://www.wyff4.com/news/20144537/detail.html

Local Tier 1 auto suppliers for BMW expect to need 800 additional workers between January and August of next year, according to workforce development and training officials in Spartanburg County.

Link: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090807/BUSINESS/908070309/1004/NEWS01/Local-auto-firms-expect-jobs

Story on plans for new St. Francis hospital at Millenium Campus: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090811/NEWS/908110335&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Greenville ranked second best city to live in by AARP: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090807/BUSINESS/908070308/1003/BUSINESS/Greenville-is-second-best-place-to-live-in-U.S.--AARP-says

Good story from Chicago Sun Times on Greenville: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/hoekstra/1706131,TRA-News-Detours09.article

Another story on Easley Town Center: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090811/NEWS/908110337/1011/NEWS01

Easley Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-27.jpg

Magnolia Park Town Center phase II:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-25.jpg

Hilton Garden Inn:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-26.jpg

Verandas at the Point:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-28.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-25.jpg

BMW:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/020-10.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/019-12.jpg

St. Francis office building:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-15.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-13.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-12.jpg

Carolina First corporate campus:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-17.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-20.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/010-17.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-14.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/013-17.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-15.jpg



*More pics to come later*

Someone could get a great deal on an outstanding corporate campus with the Carolina First headquarters. I hope that happens, rather than having to resort to splitting up the property for individual tenants.

Comfort Suites:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/033-9.jpg

New small shopping center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/032-9.jpg

Simpsonville movie theater:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/034-11.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/035-7.jpg

Academy Sports which is now completed:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/030-10.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/031-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/029-13.jpg

Verdae:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/021-11.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/023-10.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-13.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/024-14.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/026-11.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/027-12.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/028-14.jpg


*More to come later*

Keep up the good work G-man! I know you love your new camera... :lol:

Excellent work as always G-man...

What is the location of the new Century BMW/Mini dealership? Is it in addition to the location on Laurens road, or are they moving?

The new dealership is going about a mile south of the current BMW dealership. It will be a relocation.

New doctors office and possible shopping center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/045-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/044-5.jpg

Griffin Park which has somewhat restarted construction:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/041-6.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/039-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/042-8.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/040-6.jpg

Greenville Technical College Brashier Campus expansion which was completed earlier this month:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/038-5.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/037-5.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/036-9.jpg

Acadia which has sold more homes than I can count:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/060-6.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/048-3.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/049-4.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/050-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/051-8.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/053-5.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/054-4.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/055-5.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/056-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/047-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/046-7.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/059-5.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/052-6.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/057-4.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/058-4.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/061-3.jpg



*More to come later*

Major mixed use development unveiled for area just west of Clemson: http://www.upstatetoday.com/news/2009/aug/14/keowee-river-development-unveiled/

Spartanburg has the second best housing market in the country according to Businessweek: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090814/ARTICLES/908141027/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Magazine-Spartanburg-real-estate-market-among-best Greenville ranked sixth apparently which is also very good. National article here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=8297794&page=1

The I-85 bridge over Laurens road is the old design cloverleaf and VERY dangerous. It needs to re replaced soon...with all this development going forward. In my opinion, before they start the 385 replacement!

Also of interest to Microsoft Virtual Earth users, Now called Bing Maps
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=34.807267~-82.335169&style=h&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

There is a passenger jet near the intersection.

I agree viperfreak2. It's almost like a suicide mission when trying to get on or off the interstate at that exit.

-Oh and look at all of the posts made on the Greenville section of urbanplanet lately. Oh wait, what posts? :lol: :hahaha: Development is starting back up and you guys are still sitting on your hands. That is sad and pathetic. :ohno: G-man is back. The question is are you back? Do you have what it takes to bring back the old days? Do you have what it takes to make posts once again like you used to and take update pics?

CU-ICAR: What does it mean to the rest of the world? Article here: http://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/cu-icar/documents/articles/CUICAR_BlackBoxArticle.pdf

SEMA and Clemson University announce innovative partnership for CU-ICAR. World’s largest automotive aftermarket trade association and university form a strategic alliance focused on the future of the automotive and specialty equipment industry: http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/2009/august/sema.php5

What is the location of the new Century BMW/Mini dealership? Is it in addition to the location on Laurens road, or are they moving?

They will close the location their at now. The new location is still on Laurens Rd. but it's at the bottom of Laurens Rd. towards Mauldin.

I agree viperfreak2. It's almost like a suicide mission when trying to get on or off the interstate at that exit.

-Oh and look at all of the posts made on the Greenville section of urbanplanet lately. Oh wait, what posts? :lol: :hahaha: Development is starting back up and you guys are still sitting on your hands. That is sad and pathetic. :ohno: G-man is back. The question is are you back? Do you have what it takes to bring back the old days? Do you have what it takes to make posts once again like you used to and take update pics?

Yeah, even citylife can't seem to stimulate discussion on UP. :lol:

Yeah, even citylife can't seem to stimulate discussion on UP. :lol:

Yeah, whatever happened to that guy? ;) I wish I could stay on-topic as much as him. :(

What happened to Urbanplanet/SSC members-
RestedTraveler: Moving to Charleston. He's gone.
NYTransplant: Did he die or something? :dunno:
Skyliner: Who? Wait, there's a guy named Skyliner on this forum? :uh:
Gsupstate: Always out of town.
GvilleSC: I didn't know school at Clemson was back in session already. Who knew.
Whitehourseview: Ummmmmm??? Uhhhhhhh???
Distortedlogic: Busy complaining about the design/architecture of a building here.
Erm1981: Harper Corporation must be really busy with building something somewhere.
Infoman: Making rap music for his new record.
Apaladin: Busy complaining about what highrises aren't getting built downtown.

Yeah, whatever happened to that guy? ;) I wish I could stay on-topic as much as him. :(

What happened to Urbanplanet/SSC members-
RestedTraveler: Moving to Charleston. He's gone.
NYTransplant: Did he die or something? :dunno:
Skyliner: Who? Wait, there's a guy named Skyliner on this forum? :uh:
Gsupstate: Always out of town.
GvilleSC: I didn't know school at Clemson was back in session already. Who knew.
Whitehourseview: Ummmmmm??? Uhhhhhhh???
Distortedlogic: Busy complaining about the design/architecture of a building here.
Erm1981: Harper Corporation must be really busy with building something somewhere.
Infoman: Making rap music for his new record.
Apaladin: Busy complaining about what highrises aren't getting built downtown.

Don't forget to add:

g-man430: banned (again) :lol:

...
NYTransplant: Did he die or something? :dunno:
...NYTransplant (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nytransplant/) is still alive, or was in June. I was very glad to see him post something again, even if it wasn't on UP. :)

and infoman is still here for Greenville! :lol:
Yeah I'm still working on my album though...I live in Atlanta now, but I still have my loft in Greenville, NC too!

Don't forget to add:

g-man430: banned (again) :lol:

He's being mean to me. :cry: :D Greenville photo of the day:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-29.jpg

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090818/SPORTS/908180318
Basketball league adding franchise in Greenville

He's being mean to me. :cry: :D Greenville photo of the day:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-29.jpg
I am absolutely jealous of Greenvilles great street scenes. Greenville has some of the best pedestrian friendliness of anywhere in the carolinas. That "book worm" is pretty adorable too.

Greenville photo of the day:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-28.jpg

Clemson Marriott:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-13.jpg

Tri-Tech:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-30.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-29.jpg

Lowes:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-27.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-27.jpg

Patrick Square TND development:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-16.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/010-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-23.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-29.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-25.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/013-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-15.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-19.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-26.jpg

Don't comment on my pics then. :tongue:

Nice Pic's G-man! They are greatly appreciated... :lol:

Indeed. Very nice pix. :)

I make it rain....

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090906/NEWS/909060307&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
"Uptown Greenville"

Good article, Infoman! :yes:

GE to build new aviation facility in Greenville that will hire 100: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9AEKKRG0.htm

GE lands large Kuwait contract: http://www.reliableplant.com/article.aspx?articleid=19977&pagetitle=GE%E2%80%99s+U.S.+turbines+head+to+Kuwait+in+%242.65B+power+deal

Greenville Hospital System to create 468 new jobs over next year: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090916/NEWS/909160332/1069/YOURUPSTATE01

Fabric maker to expand in Simpsonville creating 67 new jobs: http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/20686791/detail.html

^^ Very nice! Greenville is just like the Energizer Bunny! :lol:

CU-ICAR receives $3 million from the Department of Commerce to build a new office building: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090918/BUSINESS/909180310/1003/Feds-to-help-fund-building-at-ICAR

News article on Verandas at the Point: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090918/BUSINESS/909180311/1003/Apartment-complex-set-for-The-Point

Bus rapid transit possibly coming our way: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090921/NEWS/909210310/1004/NEWS01/Greenville-seeking-bus-‘rapid-transit--funding

GREENVILLE -- Five SC Launch portfolio companies were recognized last week for achieving milestones that qualify them for a second round of funding.

The total, combined funding to these five Upstate start-up companies, pending final approval, is $1 million.

Innegrity, Kiyatec, Selah Technologies, SensorTech and Zipit Wireless were honored at the Next Innovation Center grand opening ceremony last Tuesday.

http://www.scbizmag.com/content/view/133215/1/

Don't you understand? What you thought I wouldn't come again? Leave you hanging without bringing you the fun again? The economy is improving bitches. It's time for the return of the guy who posts more times than I count a day. G-man is back. ;) Skyliner is going to be thrilled. :D :rock: :banana: :pepper: :nocrook:

:cry: It's all Obama's fault.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jiEGomBP_ZmJEe72OtzLaaDHjIsw

Arndt also said at its Spartanburg, South Carolina production facility BMW would add shifts, without being more specific.

He told the magazine demand for the company's X5 and X6 SUV models was higher than the company's output at the moment. He said especially in China, demand for the models was "extremely good."

:bow: :master: I found GvilleSC:

0WBmrrRKg-c

Damn Greenville is exploding isn't it? lol Great news for the Area..

Countybank planning to expand and add new branches in area: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090922/GGN/909220322/1003/Countybank-plans-branches-in-Taylors--Greer

Forget all this stuff. Where's the high rises? :):cheers::lol::banana:

I know right... :lol:

:lol::bow: :master: I found GvilleSC:

0WBmrrRKg-c:lol:

That's funny. :hahaha:

I'll bet he was pretty happy yesterday too!

GO KITTENS! Oh wait...

:rofl:

I'll bet he was pretty happy yesterday too!

GO KITTENS! Oh wait...

:rofl:

And your team is still not ranked after beating the #4 team in the country. BAHAHAHA. And how many times has your team beaten Clemson in football the last 10 years? BAHAHAHA. And how many national championships has your football team won? BAHAHAHA. USC sucks at football and pretty much everything else. Clemson owns them in sports.

And your team is still not ranked after beating the #4 team in the country. BAHAHAHA. And how many times has your team beaten Clemson in football the last 10 years? BAHAHAHA. And how many national championships has your football team won? BAHAHAHA. USC sucks at football and pretty much everything else. Clemson owns them in sports.

Must have hit a nerve there! I love it!

You can say all you want distortedlogic. Your team is still not ranked and still has no national championship.

Maybe they never will win anything, who knows? BTW, I wasn't avoiding your questions, I just didn't think they needed a response; but since you insist... I'm not sure what a championship 28 years ago has to do with this past weekend, but if you have to resort to bringing up seasons from so far back in the past to make yourself feel better about the weekend then so be it. You need to stop living in 1981 (even though it was before you were even born :lol:), this is the 2009 season. As for USC beating Clemson, that will be settled in November. Right now my money would be on Clemson because USC has not showed they believe they can beat them. IMO, the two teams have had very comparable talent this decade, but Clemson had them beat when it comes to confidence and mental toughness. The series will not change unitl USC gains in these areas. As for not being ranked, I am not terribly surprised. Even so, it was a good win, and a step that your team was not able to match this past weekend. Perhaps not being ranked will make the team realize they still have some things to prove to the nation and that will help them focus over the next two weeks. I persoanlly an very nervous about the Kentucky game.

All that said, USC fans are just as entitled to take stabs at the kittens and their faithful as the other way around. We may not get as many opportunities to do so, but you better believe that we can dish it out just as well. For years now we have taken it, can you?

You expect me to read all that distortedlogic? :uh: :rant: :cry: Oh and USC is going to beat Kentucky. If you were to convert to a Clemson fan, we'd be getting highrises built. ;) You know you want to. :D And where is infoman? We need updates.

Hey, is that really huge mega shopping development still a go? You know, the one I compared to the Sandhill shopping district in Columbia?

Are you talking about the one in Greer that was to include a Bass Pro Shops? :dunno: If yes, then it's on hold until the economy improves.

^^ Maybe so. I forget the name. thought you'd know. But anyway, it was supposed to be the "biggest" shopping center of it's kind in South Carolina.

Greenville landing green jobs and new corporate headquarters. ;) It only makes sense: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/29650-new-york-firm-moving-headquarters-to-greenville?rss=0

More potential green jobs and possible corporate headquarters: http://www.thestate.com/breaking/story/968062.html

Oh and more potential green jobs: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091003/BUSINESS/910030312/1003/Electric-bus-maker-Proterra-considers-Upstate-for-new-plant

Seeing a pattern here? :D

Southwest Airlines still looking at GSP. Definitely good news: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090930/BUSINESS/909300337/1003/Southwest--GSP-continue-discussions-about-service

^All of those are good prospects, but this line from the article about CT&T concerns me:

CT&T wants “significant incentives” from local and state governments in exchange for new jobs and facilities, Westlake said.

I know that incentives, unfortunately, are a part of the process, but it sounds like this company is straight-up trying to pimp the states under consideration.

^Some information about CT&T that wasn't in the article:

They are going to build in Pa., but they don't have all the contracts signed and won't confirm that until they are.

Greenville looks good to go for some kind of investment, I figure, though can't say for sure. The Pa. papers were getting their information about Greenville from the Pa. governor's office, and it's probably correct, but the company won't confirm right now.

I'm guessing Greenville could get the most significant manufacturing facility (250 jobs), the HQ, the research and development center or any of the three, or all three. I suspect they're playing off Greenville and SC with wherever they're thinking about going in Georgia to get the best incentive package.

The senior marketing guy for the company in the US is from Greenville. He's using PR folks from Greenville. They've reserved a corporate name at the Sec. of State's office in Columbia. (CT&T Holdings). All good signs.

I suspect they're playing off Greenville and SC with wherever they're thinking about going in Georgia to get the best incentive package.

That's my point exactly. They'll go with whichever state whores itself out the most to them. Like I said, I know that incentives are a part of the game, but it goes way too far sometimes, and it looks like this is going to be one of those times.

That's my point exactly. They'll go with whichever state whores itself out the most to them. Like I said, I know that incentives are a part of the game, but it goes way too far sometimes, and it looks like this is going to be one of those times.

I'd much rather have my tax dollars going towards companies willing to expand here than some other thing like medicare and medicaid.

I'd much rather have my tax dollars going towards companies willing to expand here than some other thing like medicare and medicaid.

If the cost outweighs the benefits, it makes no sense. This is why not all states are willing to give a company whatever it asks for in the form of incentives, because sometimes in the end it's not worth it--especially if it takes away from things like education, and sometimes that's exactly what winds up happening. I trust state and local leaders to do the right thing in this case.

If the cost outweighs the benefits, it makes no sense. This is why not all states are willing to give a company whatever it asks for in the form of incentives, because sometimes in the end it's not worth it--especially if it takes away from things like education, and sometimes that's exactly what winds up happening. I trust state and local leaders to do the right thing in this case.

The problem is we don't know how many jobs this plant could create in the future. Everything is an estimate. The right thing in this case would be to give them incentives to land it. How much in incentives is the question.

I'm starting to like Greenville all over again, due to these recent announcements! :lol: keep up the good work g-man...

Magnolia Park phase II:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-30.jpg

Simpsonville IMAX movie theater:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/028-16.jpg

Hilton Garden Inn:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-28.jpg

Tri-County Technical College Easley campus:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/019-13.jpg

BMW:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/027-14.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/026-12.jpg

Easley Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-17.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-14.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-14.jpg

Verdae:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/010-19.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-19.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/025-15.jpg

Verandas at the Point:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-26.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-28.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-27.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-30.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-31.jpg

Once again, thanks for the updates!

First off, it's great to see some construction picking back up at Verdae! It's been a while since much of anything has happened (minus the one house in the manor section). Additionally, the Verandas have taken off! Sheesh! I'm stoked about the potential amount of energy that they could possibly inject into the area (not congestion, but people being out and about getting exercise and taking advantage of the great infrastructure of the area... eventually taking advantage of the BRT route).

Thanks, again!

When I saw the Verandas project on Friday, I thought I had stepped into Dubai. :lol: It's HUGE. :uh: Oh and it's all Obama's fault. :D

The problem is we don't know how many jobs this plant could create in the future. Everything is an estimate. The right thing in this case would be to give them incentives to land it. How much in incentives is the question.

Usually there's a formula with guarantees in place, at least for companies that get a lot in incentives. I just really don't like the fact that these companies play off states to get more than they would have gotten had they just approached the state they're really interested in from the start. It's just another form of corporate greed/welfare.

Alot of great stuff still moving forward. :)

University Station, which used to be called Linky Stone Village is back: http://www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/UniversityStationProposal.pdf


CU-Center for Emerging Technologies, a 60,000 square foot lab and office center for the research and development of new motion, energy and transportation technologies located on the CU-ICAR Campus. To be built with $3 million grant from Chamber of Commerce, money from Clemson University, and funding from other sources. $11 million total for construction of building.



The references listed below are presented in association with the GREENLINK TIGER Grant Application submitted by the Greenville Transit Authority. GREENLINK is a multi-agency regional application that addresses public transit infrastructure and service improvements within the area covered by the Greenville Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS), Metropolitan Planning Organization. GREENLINK will use $99,950,000 in TIGER discretionary funds to develop and implement a bus rapid transit (BRT) system featuring lighter-weight, composite-body, fast-charge battery/electric buses with active electro/mechanical suspension technology. These advanced electric vehicles will be complemented with investments in the infrastructure needed to support transit-based commuting and transit oriented development: http://www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/

Support from:
U.S Senator Jim DeMint
U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)
South Carolina Department of Commerce
Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) to Secretary Ray LaHood
Appalachian Council of Governments
Bob Jones University
Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)
City of Clemson
City of Easley
City of Greenville
City of Greer
City of Mauldin
City of Simpsonville
City of Travelers Rest
Clemson Area Transit
Clemson University
Clemson University International Center of Automotive Research (CU-ICAR)
Furman University
Goodwill Industries of Upstate-Midlands South Carolina
Greenville Area Development Corporation
Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau
Greenville County
Greenville County Recreation District
Greenville Hospital System
Greenville Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS)
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
Greenville Technical College
Hyperion Partners
Pickens County
Proterra
South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)
South Carolina Research Authority
St. Francis Health System
United Way of Greenville County
Upstate Forever
Urban League
Verdae Development

^^ And where have you been? Definitely not hiding in the Raleigh threads.

:D For when you have about five hours of spare time to read it. I had to copy a text version of the pdf file and post it. It was the only way. The first part between the asterisks is to help you understand what is being said/meant where the numbers are all confusing/bunched together in the long text file below:

******
Regarding the end of page 7: talks about how much co2 emissions would be reduced/avoided by using BRT service.

Regarding the end of page 9: talks about how many Proterra buses would be produced at the plant here over the next several years.

Regarding the middle of page 10: talks about the unemployment rate in the area.

Regarding pages 14 and 15: talks about what would be built, funded, etc. with money. First number is amount from federal government while second number is the local match.

Regarding page 16: talks about daily ridership. You can read all about that here: http://www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/URSCorporationTechnicalMemo.pdf Pages 10 and 11 especially.

Regarding top of page 17: talks about hours and costs of running transit vehicles.




Regarding the end of page 18. Kind and number of buses for each area:

35’ Fast Charge Battery Electric Transit Buses for Fixed Route service-
BRT Regional Service: 0
Clemson Area Transit: 5
Greenville Transit Authority Vehicle Replacement: 2

45’ Fast Charge Battery Electric Transit Buses for Fixed Route service-
BRT Regional Service: 0
Clemson Area Transit: 5
Greenville Transit Authority Vehicle Replacement: 0

45' Fast Charge Battery Electric Transit Buses, with advanced suspension, for BRT service-
BRT Regional Service: 9
Clemson Area Transit: 0
Greenville Transit Authority Vehicle Replacement: 0

45' Fast Charge Battery Electric Transit Buses, with advanced suspension and Fuel Cell Range Extension for BRT service-
BRT Regional Service: 3
Clemson Area Transit: 0
Greenville Transit Authority Vehicle Replacement: 0
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Stimulating Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability through Transit-Supportive Investments A Multi-Jurisdictional Proposal for $99,950,000, Primarily Benefitting Urbanized Areas in Greenville and Pickens Counties, located in the Third and Fourth Congressional Districts of South Carolina Submitted Under the U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER Discretionary Grant Program, By: The Greenville Transit Authority, Working Together With:Clemson Area Transit Clemson University Greenville County Pickens County City of ClemsonCity of EasleyCity of Fountain Inn City of Greenville City of Greer City of Mauldin City of Simpsonville A proposed BRT stop in GreenvilleCity of Travelers Rest Appalachian Council of GovernmentsCenter for Transportation and the Environment Greenville County Recreation District Greenville Pickens Area Transportation Study South Carolina Research Authority Greenville Transit Authority P.O. Box 2207 Greenville, SC 29602 www.ridegreenlink.com DUNS #: 083423509 CAGE Code (CCR): 5NVG4 The fast-charge electric Proterra bus and its charging station For More Information, Contact: Jim Campbell, Assistant Director, Management & Budget jcampbell@greenvillesc.gov 864-467-4427 Supplemental materials for this grant proposal may be found at the following website: www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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2Upstate Green Link: CLEANER AIR…BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE…LESS URBAN SPRAWL GREATER ACCESS TO JOBS AND SERVICES…MORE JOBS; MORE GREEN JOBS….LESS TRAFFIC CONGESTION… INCREASED TRAFFIC SAFETY…GREATER INNOVATION…LESS DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. These are the hallmarks of Upstate Green Link (GREENLINK) a multi-agency regional application for $99,950,000 in TIGER discretionary funds to develop and implement a bus rapid transit (BRT) system featuring lighter-weight, composite-body,fast-charge battery/electric buses with active electro/mechanical suspension technology. These advanced electric vehicleswill be complemented with investments in infrastructure needed to support transit-based commuting and transit orienteddevelopment. An unprecedented collaboration, involving 18 local, regional and State government agencies, working with private sector interests,has developed a unique proposal designed to: Improve the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems. Contribute to the medium-to long-term economic competitiveness of the United States. Improve the quality of living and working environments and the experience for people in communities. Improve energy efficiency, reducing dependence on oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Improve the safety of U.S. transportation facilities. Quickly create and preserve jobs and stimulate rapid increases in economic activity, particularly jobs and activities that benefiteconomically distressed areas. Use innovative strategies to pursue the long-term outcomes. GREENLINK addresses public transit infrastructure and service improvements within the area covered by the Greenville PickensArea Transportation Study (GPATS), Metropolitan Planning Organization. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimatedpopulation of Greenville and Pickens counties, as of 2008, had topped 550,000 people. While the project is focused on the GPATS planning area, it is believed these strategies, if implemented, will have a substantial benefit across the Upstate South Carolina region and, eventually, the entire I-85 Corridor from Charlotte, N.C. to Atlanta, GA. Furthermore, it is expected that the strategiesdemonstrated and lessons learned from GREENLINK will have national implications. Project Summary GREENLINK proposes a regional recovery model for Greenville and Pickens Counties that will create a greener and moresustainable future for the Upstate South Carolina region. Using targeted investments by Federal, State and Local governments and working in partnership with a nationally-ranked public research university and private sector interests, GREENLINK will: Significantly improve existing transportation corridors by expanding public transit services through the development of a BRT system and promoting a walkable/bikable community infrastructure, thus providing increased access to jobs and services and improving quality of life. Significantly improve the area’s air quality by reducing personal vehicle miles traveled through expanded transit services and promotion of transit use, utilizing cutting-edge greenhouse gas emission reduction technology, and consciously avoiding urban sprawl by promoting public transit and transit oriented development.Provide new and diverse jobs by stimulating local economic recovery, supporting the development of new jobs in green industries and providing a more attractive environment for job retention and creation. Contribute to national economic competitiveness by promoting a new growth model for sprawling southern cities. This newmodel will enhance local economic development and more effectively attract global business while improving livability and quality of life. Support innovation by facilitating a drive to cleaner transportation fuels and zero-emissions, advanced-technology transitvehicles. Demonstrate partnership by linking the efforts of at least 18 public agencies in coordinated strategies. The framework of the project is the creation and deployment of a regional bus rapid transit (BRT) system, as recommended in the 2007 Long Range Transportation Plan (Transit Element) adopted by the Greenville Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS).
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3(GPATS is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Greenville and Pickens Counties.) This system will stretch—west to east—fromClemson University/City of Clemson, to the City of Easley, in Pickens County, to the City of Greenville, in Greenville County and GSP International Airport, located in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties. From north to south, the system will stretch from the City of Travelers Rest in Greenville County to the City of Fountain Inn, located in Greenville and Laurens Counties.1In addition to the residential, business and cultural locations that this new service will reach, the BRT, coordinated with existing and new fixed route transit services, will inter-connect multiple locations of Clemson University, Furman University, the University Center (where classes are taught by multiple colleges), three campuses of Greenville Technical College, Tri-County Technical College, Southern Wesleyan University and Anderson University. While the BRT will primarily operate on existing multi-lane roads, assisted bysignal preemption technology, “queue jumper” lanes and other techniques, both the North/South and West/East BRT corridors couldutilize a dedicated busway built in a former rail corridor. This portion of the BRT system will link Clemson University’s InternationalCenter for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) with Downtown Greenville, opening substantial acreage to transit oriented development opportunities. The new BRT service will provide a giant leap forward in the scope and quality of transit services, offering compelling reasons for citizens to choose public transit as a viable transportation option and for public officials and developers to plan future economicdevelopment around public transportation services. Two of the long-term outcomes of the new BRT service are to shift thedevelopment patterns of the community and to improve air quality. Greenville County has the dubious distinction of having theworst air quality in the State. Greenville and Pickens Counties are both afflicted by urban sprawl, which is among the nation’s worst, and are facing imminent nonattainment designations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The purpose of implementing the BRT system now is so that the new transit service can help re-shape the region’s economic development patternsand reduce greenhouse gas emissions before both issues become unmanageable and nearly impossible to correct. The initial implementation of the BRT system will be focused on peak-period commuters to encourage area residents to gradually change their long-established behavior of driving virtually everywhere due to lack of viable alternatives. Over time, as transit orienteddevelopment grows and BRT utilization builds, the service will be expanded and, as a result, the air-quality benefits of this service willbe multiplied. This proposal also includes the development of regulations that encourage transit oriented development, together with a publicinformation campaign designed to shift the perception of transit and to build support, especially among the development community, for more transit oriented development. A key component of GREENLINK involves utilization of advanced-technology fast-charge, battery/electric transit vehicles that willbe used on various BRT routes. These advanced-technology, zero-emission vehicles incorporate a state-of-the-art suspension system that results in superior ride stability and comfort for passengers and is equal to the ride quality of a light rail vehicle.2In addition, 12vehicles, with conventional suspensions, will be used in fixed route services. While these vehicles are more expensive thanconventional vehicles, the combination of technologies employed is highly promising; the manufacturer of the proposed vehiclesprojects that the higher initial cost of the vehicles will be offset through lower operating and maintenance costs. While fuel prices arenow relatively low, there is general agreement that future fuel prices increases are inevitable; higher fuel prices will make the operating cost advantages of the proposed vehicles even more compelling. The use of these specific vehicles is also attractive for two additional reasons. First, officials in the S.C. Department of Commerceare currently in discussions with a manufacturer of advanced-technology, zero-emissions transit vehicles, Proterra, to build a manufacturing plant in South Carolina. If Proterra locates their facility in South Carolina, GREENLINK would have immediate access tothe manufacturer of the advanced-technology vehicles. Second, the use of zero-emission vehicles would have a positive impact on thearea’s air quality; this is in addition to the positive impact on air quality impact of significantly reducing the number of personal vehiclesmiles traveled by residents. GREENLINK’s proposed project will provide a living laboratory whose project scale is small enough to be affordable yet rigorousenough to provide a reliable evaluation of the advanced-technology, zero-emissions vehicles. Additionally, the involvement of Clemson University, a nationally-recognized research university with expertise in automotive research, will guarantee credible project results. As 1A map illustrating the proposed regional BRT system is located on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/ . 2A video demonstrating the superior suspension of the bus is available on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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4part of technology integration, Proterra will work with CU-ICAR to further improve the vehicles and to develop new hardware andsoftware improvements for public transportation. This could include in-vehicle internet and satellite television services. In addition, Proterra plans to work with CU-ICAR to apply Proterra’s cutting-edge fast-charge battery technology to private deliveryvehicles. Consider the air quality advantages that could accrue if companies like FEDEX or UPS began using rapid-charge electric delivery vans. Such vehicles could also make use of the BRT charging network will allow the broad implementation of rapid-charge electric vehicles. Clearly, if the GREENLINK project proves the expected effectiveness of the advanced-technology vehicles, it will provide a significant boost to the expansion of the nation’s green economy.The GREENLINK proposal also includes research into and utilization of other alternative fuels for public and private fleets.GREENLINK proposes construction of an alternative fuels center in Greenville, on the campus of the CU-ICAR. The fueling station will focus on dispensing hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane gas. Fleet use of these fuels is a practical way to assist with improving air quality. Several potential users of CNG and propane fuels are located less than three miles from the proposed station site which will also generate and dispense hydrogen to permit the utilization of the hydrogen fuel cell/electric hybrid transitvehicles, three of which are planned for the project. The fueling station will also promote research into the utilization of hydrogen as a fuel for automobiles and other purposes, such as powering generators for refrigerated trucks and as backup electricity provision to homes and businesses. GREENLINK also proposes to fund the infrastructure needed to facilitate utilization of the BRT as well as the existing public transitsystem by connecting urbanized neighborhoods to existing and new transit services through a well-planned network of sidewalks, bikelanes and bike-and-ride trails. These facilities will make bike/transit commuting feasible for those whose mobility is limited and for those who prefer a more convenient and sustainable alternative to automobile commuting. GREENLINK also proposes to fund infrastructure to support transit oriented development via a multimodal center at Clemson University that will include a park-and-ride garage and linkages to local transit, the regional BRT, Amtrak and a shared-use bicycle program. GREENLINK’s BRT will have tangible near-term benefits, by connecting people, particularly those living in distressed communities,to available jobs. For example, the BRT will connect several communities with Downtown Greenville, which is home to more than 3 million square feet of office space with approximately 12,000 employees, more than 90 retail establishments, 85 restaurants, and three full-service hotels, making it one of the largest employment centers in the region. The CU-ICAR Campus, also connected by the BRT,houses the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center. This Center, along with the BMW Research Center and the new JTECK headquarters is another major employment center. Finally, a key population demographic will greatly benefit from a convenient and sustainable transit system: Greenville and Pickens Counties’ ever-growing elderly population. In Greenville County, 12.2% of the population is age 65 or older and in PickensCounty 13.3% of the population is age 65 or older according to the U.S. Census. The BRT and related transportation infrastructure will also facilitate green, sustainable, economic development by providing high-quality transit services to transit oriented developments along the BRT route. Several projects have been discussed which, collectively,promise hundreds of millions of dollars in new development along the BRT route. By vastly improving the public transportation systemand supporting transit oriented development, GREENLINK will “green” South Carolina’s economy and help slow Upstate S.C.’s years-long trend of sprawl, while also paying long-term dividends via improved air quality and highway safety as well as reduced traffic congestion and an improved quality of life. GREENLINK’s reliance on BRT transportation infrastructure and associated transit oriented development will provide a national model for sustainable growth for similar communities throughout the Sunbelt. Selection Criteria and Cost/Benefit Analysis GREENLINK solidly addresses all the primary selection criteria for long-term outcomes as well as both secondary selection criteria. A Federal investment in GREENLINK is an investment in significant job creation, increased access to employment for low-to-moderate-income people, increased public safety, reduction of greenhouse gases and improved air quality, and increased economicdevelopment in the region. GREENLINK’s alignment with the selection criteria is discussed below. State of Good Repair: Improve the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems. GREENLINK will contributeto a state of good repair by improving the conditions of existing transportation facilities and systems. The proposal includes the introduction of twelve new advanced-technology buses into fixed route service by the Greenville Transit Authority and Clemson Area Transit. These vehicles will replace vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life. The new BRT commuter-oriented services
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5will amplify Clemson Area Transit and Greenville Transit Authority’s existing services, thus providing a viable option for area residentsas they commute to work, shopping and entertainment centers. This is particularly true in Greenville County, where the current 6-days-per-week/13 hours/day fixed-route transit service is limited to eleven hourly routes serving areas within and immediately adjacent to the Greenville city limits. The busway portion of the project also decreases the travel time for 3-4 local fixed routes that potentially are re-routes through the facility. Economic Competitiveness: Contribute to the medium-to long-term economic competitiveness of the United States.GREENLINK contributes to the long-term growth in employment and production with the introduction of Proterra’s manufacturing facility in South Carolina. The State of S.C. and local governments in Greenville County have prepared a significant economic incentivepackage to convince Proterra to build a manufacturing plant in S.C. GREENLINK’s acceptance of the TIGER grant will be one of the determining factors in Proterra’s decision to locate their production facilities in the state. The TIGER grant creates an opportunity forimmediate and long-term job creation as the long-term success of the vehicles and sales to a global market will generate significantjobs and economic development in South Carolina. Furthermore, Proterra is the only bus manufacturer that sources components entirely in the U.S. Initially, the facility will support the assembly of fast-charge battery electric and battery electric/fuel cell hybrid transit buses to meet the requirements of the TIGER grant. However, Proterra is actively selling their products to U.S. transit agencies and plans to expand to the global market. Secondly, Proterra is expanding their product offering to include a variety of vehicles for transit and non-transit applications. Proterra expects to quickly ramp up their new production facility to produce 500 vehicles per year, eventually requiring approximately 1,000 employees. A Greenville location would have the ability to access more than 700 unemployed team assemblers while also providing access to a large number of OEM suppliers like Michelin. The Greenville location also provides access via rail to the Port of Charleston. This will makethe advanced-technology buses available to some of the largest markets in the world. The Proterra line of vehicles are the first to market with zero-emission transit vehicles and have been highly successful in the demonstration of their products. A 40’ composite-body fuel cell hybrid electric was recently demonstrated by Proterra under the Federal Transit Authority’s (FTA) National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Demonstration Program (NFCBP). The vehicle debuted at the NationalHydrogen Association’s annual conference in Columbia, S.C. in April 2009. Immediately following its successful debut, the project team took the bus to FTA’s offices in Washington D.C. and received rave reviews from the FTA staff. The vehicle offers zero emissions, greater than 90% reductions in fuel costs, lower maintenance costs, an ultra-quiet drive system, and 90% regenerative braking recapture. As a result, we believe that the Proterra products represent a unique opportunity to promote the economic competiveness of theUnited States by creating a significant number of jobs, generating economic activity in South Carolina, and selling and globally distributing a product that is made entirely in the U.S. Livability: Improve the quality of living and working environments and the experience for people in the region.GREENLINK will improve the quality of living and working environments and the experience for community residents. By movingcommuters from single-occupancy vehicles to public transportation, GREENLINK will reduce commute times and relieve stress for over 856,500 (3,426 daily passengers x 250 days (5 days per week at 50 weeks)) yearly, in its peak-period first phase. Removing asignificant number of personal vehicles from the area’s roadways will also reduce congestion and increase public safety. Furthermore,transit oriented developments will embrace socio-economic diversity by providing a wide variety of housing and employment opportunities. Mixed use developments will offer accessibility and easy access to transit, providing greater independence for the elderly and others with limited mobility. Access to major employment centers and multiple institutions of higher learning will also beimproved. GREENLINK’s emphasis on creating a well-planned network of sidewalks, bike lanes and bike-and-ride trails will also significantlycontribute to improving quality of life and will compliment the BRT investment. For example, Greenville County has one of the highestrates, nearly 40%, of childhood obesity in the nation. A solid network of walking and biking trails, as well as sidewalks, will providechildren with viable alternatives for commuting to school and for recreation purposes. A smaller scale version of this concept is already under way. Currently, two schools within Greenville County, Augusta Circle Elementary and Fountain Inn Elementary, are participatingin the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. This program enables community leaders, schools and parents to improve safety andencourage more children to safely walk and bicycle to school. In the process, these SRTS programs, much like the objectives forGREENLINK, will work to reduce traffic congestion and improve health and the environment, thus making communities more livable for everyone.
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6Sustainability: Improve energy efficiency, reducing dependence on oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. GREENLINKwill improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on oil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions thereby improving air quality throughout the region. GREENLINK’s various projects align with the transportation strategies identified in “Moving Cooler: An Analysisof Transportation Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gases.” This study, commissioned by a wide range of agencies and interestgroups, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI), seeks objective information about the potential contributions of transportationstrategies to meet national greenhouse gas reduction goals. GREENLINK aligns with the following strategies identified in the Moving Cooler study, and thus will actively work to reduce greenhouse gases: Vehicle Technology—improving the energy efficiency of the vehicle fleet by implementing more advanced technologies, Fuel Technology—reducing the carbon content of fuels through the use of alternative fuels; and, Travel Activity—reducing the number of miles traveled by transportation vehicles, or shifting those miles to more efficient modes oftransportation.The number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) daily in the Upstate area exceeded 28 million in 2003—more than 28 miles per Upstate resident every day, according to a publication of the Southern Environmental Law Center entitled “Clean Air for the Upstate Area: An Action Agenda.” The publication also indicates that the annual VMT in South Carolina is projected to grow by an average of46% between 2007 and 2030. In fact, the publication reports that the Upstate ranks among the top 20 medium-sized metro areas in the country in the amount per person of smog-forming NOx emissions from motor vehicles. An investment in the GREENLINK projectwill help Greenville and Pickens Counties move toward less reliance on fossil fuels and oil, reduce single-occupant auto travel, reduceregional VMT and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus improving air quality—a benefit that is immediately needed within the area. To help curb CO2and NOxemissions, Greenville and Pickens, South Carolina recently submitted Early Action Compact (EAC)agreements pledging to meet the 1997 8-hour ozone standard earlier than required. The areas had to meet a number of criteria andhad to agree to meet certain milestones. The most significant milestone was that the EAC areas had to be in attainment by December31, 2007, based on air quality data from 2005, 2006, and 2007. The voluntary EAC program provides a flexible approach to reducing pollution to help communities that did not meet the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. EACs require communities to develop and implement air pollution control strategies, account for emissions growth, and achieve and maintain the 1997 national 8-hour ozone standard. The EPA officially designated nonattainment areas in April 2004. At this time, Greenville was designated “nonattainment deferred”. That is, the county would have been designated nonattainment if they had not previously entered into the EAC. Having met the standard,Pickens was not at risk of becoming a nonattainment area, but submitted an EAC agreement to be proactive about reducing airpollution Unfortunately, Greenville and Pickens Counties are now on the brink of nonattainment designations. In July 2009, the FHWA andthe FTA conducted a joint certification review of the transportation planning process for the Greenville-Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS). The transportation planning process for GPATS was certified under this joint review. FHWA and FTA also compiled areport summarizing observations and recommendations intended to improve the transportation planning process. This report recommends that preparation begin for nonattainment designation as GPATS will be designated a nonattainment area in 2010, whichwill subject the area to transportation conformity requirements, will suspend much needed federal highway construction funds and subsequently will hinder further economic development, as industries will be forced to meet more restrictive and longer permitting processes. In such scenarios, businesses and industries may decide to relocate elsewhere or decide not to relocate to or expand in Greenville County. For example, Birmingham, Alabama has been in and out of compliance with EPA’s air quality standards since the 1990s, and, according to Alabama Partners for Clean Air, has lost 11,000 jobs and $4.6 billion in economic investment as a result.This is an outcome that Greenville and Pickens Counties simply cannot afford. The area desperately needs GREENLINK to mitigate poor air quality standards and this need is recognized on a state and national level. In a document titled, “Nonattainment Boundary Recommendation for the 2008 Ground-level Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS),” the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) recommends that the portion of Greenville County encompassed by the boundaries of the Greenville-Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS) MetropolitanPlanning Organization (MPO) and the contiguous area encompassing the Clemson ozone monitoring station be designated anonattainment area for exceeding the Ozone NAAQS based on 2006 - 2008 monitoring data. The Greenville/Pickens nonattainmentarea includes 82.2% of the population of the two counties. Thus, a significant portion of the population is contributing to the problem asNOxemissions from human activities, such as mobile source emissions and other area sources, are major contributors to ozoneformation, and subsequently, a significant portion of the population will be exposed to the ill-effects of nonattainment. As a result of these worsening air quality standards, the SCDHEC and the EPA Region IV office claim that Greenville County is the number one
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7priority in the State of South Carolina for addressing air quality.3Studies have repeatedly proven that increased reliance on transit andfocused development around bus stations, such as proposed by GREENLINK, is an important strategy to reducing harmful emissions,improving respiratory health and positively impacting the quality of life for citizens. As shown in the chart below, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) estimates that more than 37,000 metrictons of CO2mobile source emissions will be avoided as a result of deploying 24 zero-emissions vehicles, as proposed by GREENLINK. GREENLINK CO2 Avoidance Analysis Qty Vehicles Displaced Life Cycle CO2 (Metric Tons) Value @ $33/MT Standard 40 Passenger 45' Diesel Bus 7 9,303 $ 306,987 Standard 55 Passenger 60' Diesel Bus 5 10,100 $ 333,300 Standard 55 Passenger 60' Diesel Bus BRT 12 17,824 $ 588,176 Totals 24 37,226 $ 1,228,463 GREENLINK will also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by providing access to alternative modes oftransportation through the creation and enhancement of walking and biking trails and sidewalks which will provide residents with the choice to walk, bike or ride transit, instead of drive, to several locations throughout the Greenville and Pickens communities.Safety: Improve the safety of U.S. transportation facilities. GREENLINK will increase public safety throughout Greenville and Pickens Counties by reducing traffic congestion and thus the potential for traffic accidents. According to the Fatality Analysis ReportingSystem, in 2008 for every 100 million vehicles miles traveled 1.27 fatalities occurred. Exposure to roadway accidents and injury is linked directly to continuing increases in vehicle miles traveled, which, between 1980 and 2000, grew more than three times faster than the population according to the Highway Statistics Series from the FHWA. GREENLINK will directly reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled by residents thus significantly decreasing the amount oftraffic congestion and potential for accidents. Sketch ridership analyses suggest that a BRT system within Greenville and Pickens Counties would serve on average 428 passengers per bus hour. As proposed, the BRT system will operate nine buses for eight hours a day, five days a week. This has the potential to remove over 15,000 vehicles weekly from the County’s roadways during the height of rush hour. Job Creation and Economic Stimulus: Quickly create and preserve jobs and stimulate rapid increases in economicactivity, particularly jobs and activities that benefit economically distressed areas. Contribute to the medium-to long-term economic competitiveness of the United States. GREENLINK aligns with job creation and economic stimulus. The initiative willcreate public employment for bus operators and mechanics as well as create jobs for bus manufacturers. In addition, GREENLINK has the opportunity to play a prominent role in attracting a manufacturer of advanced-technology, zero-emissions transit vehicles, Proterra,to Upstate South Carolina. This manufacturer would supply buses nationally and internationally and, initially, would create 150 to 300new, local jobs in the first two years, expanding to over 1,000 new jobs in five years as the market for electric and fuel cell busesgrows. The total job creation associated with the manufacturing plant, including jobs associated with the component parts productionby sub-suppliers, would total between 960 and 1,968 jobs in the first two years and 5,176 jobs in five years. Greenville County has an unemployment rate of 10.1% and has the highest number of unemployed persons, 23,398, in the state.Pickens County has an unemployment rate of 10.8% and 6,775 unemployed persons. These alarming statistics emphasize the great need for job creation within the area. Using the guidance listed in the May 2009 “Estimates of Job Creation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” memorandum, GREENLINK will create nearly 1,086 jobs for one year. This is in addition to the jobs listed above that will be generated by Proterra. Using the national average wage index for 2007 of $40,405.48, as listed by theSocial Security Administration, the GREENLINK project will generate more than $43 million in annual wages. Not only will GREENLINK create jobs, but it will fill the crucial need of connecting low-to moderate-income people with some of the area’s largest employers. Transportation to and from jobs is often a burden for many low-income individuals who may have access to only one vehicle or who do not have access to a vehicle at all. As evidenced by the series of maps, shown on the project website, several census blocks within Greenville and Pickens County are economically distressed as defined by the Public Works and EconomicDevelopment Act of 1965. These areas demonstrate a per capita income of eighty percent or less the national average of $39,751 for 3Aletter of support from the SCDHEC Office may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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82008.4A comprehensive transportation system can provide individuals with the most immediate need for jobs, a safe and reliableconnection to those jobs. It is estimated that the four main proposed routes of the BRT system will connect to 101 employers that employ over 15,500 people within a one mile buffer zone. More specifically, the Clemson-to-Greenville leg of the BRT route passes byEasley’s new Town Center development, where an additional 900 jobs will be available in 2010. A map and chart, located on the GREENLINK website, showcases the number of major employers along the proposed BRT routes, thus clearly illustrating howGREENLINK will connect thousands of people to potential places of employment.5Furthermore, a Sketch Ridership Analysis, conducted by the URS Corporation, estimates a daily ridership of 3,426 riders in theyear 2012. When considering out-of-pocket expenses (operating cost of vehicle versus fares) this results in a cost savings of $921.57 per rider which annualizes to $3,157,153. This increase in spending capacity for the thousands of residents generates economicgrowth, as residents inject the extra money back into the local economy. GREENLINK Promotes Economic Development. The main artery of GREENLINK’s BRT system will run from downtownGreenville to the CU-ICAR campus. Approximately 188 acres of developable land, with potential to generate much needed tax revenue for Greenville County, is available along this artery. Approximately $125 million in spinoff private investment, with associated construction and ongoing jobs, will be facilitated as a result of the BRT’s development. In addition to creating access to developable land, GREENLINK will also ensure that each municipalities’ “Main Street” grows and thrives. Transit has proven results in maintaining vibrant urban centers and, if fully funded, GREENLINK will support centers for finance, commerce, retail, and culture within each downtown. GREENLINK’s BRT will be supported by a steady stream of pedestrians and transit riders, a mix of employment, retail locations, and leisure activities that spring up around the transit stations and housing. Innovation: Use innovative strategies to pursue the long-term outcomes. Transit oriented development and BRT systems,while common in other areas, are relatively unfamiliar concepts in South Carolina. These transit improvements present innovative ways to sustainably and efficiently move people throughout the region. GREENLINK also embraces innovative strategies through its proposal to utilize lighter-weight, composite-body, fast-charge battery/electric buses with active electro/mechanical suspension technology and other low-emissions fuel technologies, in collaboration with CU-ICAR. Partnership: Demonstrate strong collaboration among a broad range of participants and/or integration of transportationwith other public service efforts. The GREENLINK initiative utilizes the breadth and knowledge of a variety of stakeholders to form a regionalized and innovative response to the area’s transportation needs. Eighteen different entities came together to conceptualizeGREENLINK, which actively demonstrates a strong partnership component. In addition to the entities named in this grant proposal,major employers, major destinations, and human service and work force development agencies will also be involved in the serviceplanning activities, assuming this grant proposal is funded. This wide array of partnerships throughout the region will ensure that notonly are all area residents adequately served, but that a viable and sustainable transit infrastructure is established.6A summary of the benefits of the GREENLINK proposal is presented in the chart below. BenefitsCalculation Methodology Jobs Perspective Annual value of 300 permanent manufacturing jobs associated with Proterra facility $18,000,000 The Proterra facility is expected to employ 300 people within two years of startup. Multiplying the average wage per job of $60,000 (average job value, according to Proterra) by 300 employees provides the per-year value shown here. 4Maps showing the portions of the project area that meet the grant criteria may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 5A chart and map showing the location and number of jobs associated with employers within one mile of the proposed BRT route may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 6Letters of support are located on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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9BenefitsCalculation Methodology Value of 1,086 Jobs (one job-year) $43,880,351 According to Estimates of Job Creation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 memorandum, $92,000 of government spending createsone job year. GREENLINK is requesting $99,950,000 in grant funds which will create 1,086 jobs for one year. Using an average wage per job of $40,405 (Social Security Administration) GREENLINK should produce in one years’ time, in jobs created, more than $43 million.Increase in Job AccessAccess to 15,500 jobs, provided by expanded transit services.Appalachian Council of Governments analysis of jobs available from employers located with one mile of proposed new BRT service. $64,000,000 Development of Main & Washington, a mixed-use, transit oriented development in the urban core that will include housing, hotel, corporate headquarters, retail, entertainment and new Clemson University Business School. This development is immediately north of the current transit center, which will be a key stop on the BRT routes. $11,000,000 CU-Center for Emerging Technologies, a 60,000 square foot lab and office center for the research and development of new motion, energy and transportation technologies located on the CU-ICAR Campus. Development Perspective Spinoff Private Investment Facilitated $50,000,000 Development of a new, state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing facility at the CU-ICAR Campus for advanced technology buses and delivery vehicles. Cost Savings to Citizens (annually) $3,157,153 Sketch Ridership Analysis estimates a daily ridership of 3,426 in the year 2012. When considering out-of-pocket expenses (operating cost of vehicle versus fares) this results in a cost savings of $921.57 per rider which annualizes to $3,157,153. Quality of Life Perspective Congestion Reduction Remove 15,000 vehicles from weekly commuting Sketch Ridership Analysis Proterra vehicles will displace 37,226 metric tons of CO2, valued at $1,228,463 over the 12- year life cycle. Estimate provided by Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE). Value of CO2avoided, as compared to a similar service using conventional diesel-powered transit vehicles, is calculated using $33 per metric ton. Environmental Perspective Emissions Reduction 548,564 metric tons of CO2are avoided over a 12-year life cycle byreduction in passenger vehicles, valued at $18,102,612 Estimate provided by CTE (reduction of 15,000 vehicles). Value of CO2avoided is calculated using $33 per metric ton. The chart below, prepared by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), presents a present value analysis regarding job creation resulting from the projected employment expansion at Proterra’s manufacturing facility. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Transit Buses Produced30 70 150 300 400 500 Proterra Manufacturing Jobs (Cumulative)75 150 300 600 800 1,000 Supply Chain Jobs (Cumulative) 375 960 1,968 2,880 3,840 5,176 Total Cumulative Job Creation 450 1,110 2,268 3,480 4,640 6,176
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10Based on this chart, CTE estimates that a ten-year present value will result in a $1.8 billion stimulus. This assumes an average Proterra salary package of $60,000 and an average supply chain salary package of $53,000 and a cost of living adjustment of 4% per year. (Proterra average salary is slightly higher due to inclusion of engineers.) The model assumes a steady state in jobs for the period 2016-2020.Economic, Environmental and Social Challenges In 2007, the GPATS Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) completed a 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). ThePlan noted that the region’s workforce had become more dependent on personal transportation and that average commute times increased. For example, between 1990 and 2000 the share of commuters traveling alone increased while carpooling, public transportation, and bicycling and walking declined. In Pickens County, driving alone increased 3% as carpooling and bicycling orwalking declined at a similar rate. Between 1990 and 2000, commute times in Greenville and Pickens Counties increased 19.3% and 22.9%, respectively. The LRTP also documented that the number of trips and the length of those trips continue to increase. In addition, the number of vehicles per household is increasing even as large groups of the population lack access to a vehicle. The LRTP recommended amultimodal transportation system to provide choice for users and to meet the needs of a regional population. The LRTP outlinedstrategies to help accommodate growth in travel demand and specified ways for the region to maintain the quality of life its citizens value even as the mobility and accessibility of goods and people are improved. Finally, the Plan acknowledged the need for true choice in transportation: a system that supports not only automobiles, but also pedestrians, bicyclists and transit patrons. This application proposes to begin implementation of the strategies suggested by GPATS’ LRTP, in order to address the issuesnoted above, as well as other related issues—growing unemployment rates, urban sprawl and declining air quality. The region’sexisting public transportation system is not equipped to address these ever growing economic, environmental and social concerns. Asa result, GREENLINK proposes to use TIGER grant monies to fund transit supportive infrastructure investments to begin deployment ofa regional public transit system that provides citizens with reliable and efficient connections to jobs and needed services, creates jobsand builds the foundation for mitigating current urban sprawl issues and poor air quality standards, while encouraging sustainableeconomic development practices. Economic Challenges. Greenville and Pickens County, like the rest of the nation are struggling with the current harsh economicenvironment. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated that from 2007 until mid-2008, 3,529 homes, the second highest number in the State, were foreclosed in Greenville County. During the same time period, 817 homes wereforeclosed in Pickens County. In addition to foreclosure woes, the area is also afflicted with high unemployment rates fueled by layoffs and job loss. The chart below details the July 2009 unemployment rates and layoff and job loss totals, as reported by the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, for Greenville and Pickens Counties and the State. Unemployment Rate Number of Unemployed Persons Number of Layoffs/Job Loss from January 2009-July 31, 2009 Greenville County 10.1%23,398 607 Pickens County 10.8%6,775 47 South Carolina11.8%258,500 12,062 South Carolina currently has the fifth highest unemployment rate in the nation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the actual unemployment rate in South Carolina is closer to 16.8% when accounting for workers marginally attached to the workforce and those employed part time for economic reasons. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 13.1% of people throughout Greenville County and 14.1% of people in Pickens County fallbelow the federal poverty line. In June 2009, according to the S.C. Department of Social Services, 53,170 people (the highest number in the State) were enrolled in the Food Stamp Program in Greenville County; 13,329 people in Pickens County were enrolled in the Food Stamp Program. Several census blocks in both counties are economically distressed, as defined by the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965. These blocks demonstrate a per capita income of eighty percent or less the national average of $39,751 for 2008. Furthermore, the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) report on County Economic Status and DistressedAreas for Fiscal Year 2010 reports that the per capita market income for Greenville County is $28,371 and $20,456 for Pickens County, both of which are well below the national average. Large pockets of unemployed and underemployed persons can also be found inand around the urbanized areas that are participants in this application. The ARC report also states that both Greenville and Pickens
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11Counties are considered transitional counties meaning that they are transitioning between strong and weak economies and rankbetween the worst 25 percent and the best 25 percent of the nation’s counties. The report further illustrates that Greenville County contains 15 distressed areas characterized by high poverty and low income.7In the 1950s, the region hosted a large number of textile and textile-related manufacturing jobs. While community leaders have made progress in recruiting new jobs to the area, the gap left by the departure of the textile industry has never been fully bridged. Thisis particularly true for low- to moderate-income citizens who lack the transportation needed to access the jobs that are available.Environmental Challenges. The Greenville metropolitan area is the fifth most sprawling metropolitan area in the nation,according to a 2002 Rutgers University national study of metropolitan area growth trends. A 2007 study from the Strom ThurmondInstitute at Clemson University, titled “Modeling Growth and Predicting Future Developed Land in the Upstate of South Carolina,” corroborates the Rutgers study and reports that from 1990 to 2000 the amount of developed land in the eight-county region of Upstate South Carolina (of which Greenville and Pickens Counties are a part) grew from 222,745 acres to 576,336 acres. During that same time frame, Greenville County’s developed land grew from 52,015 acres to 137,823 acres, a 165% change in the amount of developed land. Pickens County’s developed land expanded from 16,632 acres to 48,335 acres, representing over a 190% change in the amount of developed land. The study predicts, based on this level of growth, that by the year 2030 the amount of developed land in the Upstate will reach 1,523,667 acres. The models contained within the study further reveal that land is being developed at five times the rate of growth of the population itself, and the trend is expected to continue or accelerate, assuming projected population growth ratesand a continuation of current planning policies and development patterns.Between 1990 and 2008, Greenville County experienced one of the fastest rates of growth in the Upstate at 34% according toUpstate Reality Check, a visioning initiative sponsored by the Urban Land Institute. Between 1980 and 2009, the number ofhouseholds within Greenville County grew from just over 102,000 to just over 174,000, a 70% increase. The same report stated that, by 2020, the number of households within Greenville County is expected to rise to over 216,000. Clemson University’s Center for Community Growth and Change undertook a growth impact study for the Upstate in 2005. Based on the forecasts and assumptions used in this study, the anticipated costs of accommodating and servicing growth through 2025 totaled about $15 billion in capital costsand $362 million in annual operating costs, for a 20-year total cost of $21 billion. These are direct costs that pertain to the impacts ofdevelopment on transportation, infrastructure, parks and open space, education and public safety. This unprecedented amount of growth segregates the places where people live, work, shop and play and when compounded by the lack of viable transportation alternatives it means that Upstate area residents drive almost everywhere. This rapid increase in the amount of daily driving is significantly offsetting the benefits of cleaner fuels and more efficient cars. “Clean Air for the Upstate Area:An Action Agenda,” cites smokestack sources and transportation-related pollution as the major contributors to the area’s air pollution.In fact, motor vehicles constituted the biggest ozone challenge in the area. As a result, and as mentioned earlier, SCDHEC reports that significant portions of Greenville and Pickens Counties will soon be designated as nonattainment areas. The daily VMT for 2006, collected by the South Carolina Department of Transportation, are estimated to be 9.67 million within the Greenville/Pickensnonattainment area, and 1.51 million in the remainder of Greenville and Pickens Counties leading SCDHEC to conclude that theGreenville/Pickens nonattainment area contains 86.5% of Greenville County’s daily VMT, and thus the majority of Greenville County’smotor vehicle emissions. According to the 2006 American Community Survey, 82.7% of workers sixteen years old or older in Greenville County drove aloneto work and only 0.5% used public transportation. This translates to an overtaxed roadway system and longer commute times thatdecrease the quality of life for area residents and adversely affect air quality. While Upstate leaders have recently taken some initial steps, such as entering into an Early Action Compact (EAC) agreement to address the interrelated challenges of air pollution,transportation and land development, the almost certain possibility of a nonattainment designation sends a clear message that moremust be done. Especially given that high levels of both ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threatto human health as they can aggravate asthma and trigger asthma attacks. According to the American Lung Association about 46,000adults and 20,000 children in the Upstate area suffer from asthma. Greenville and Pickens Counties are unquestionably poised on the brink of unmanageable urban sprawl. Now is the ideal time toaddress this imminent issue before the sheer size of developed land effectively prevents action. It is also important to address urban sprawl to ensure that current and future citizens have access to the best quality of life: including clean air and easy access to work and 7The ARC’s full report is available on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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12community services. It has been proven that many of the solutions to addressing local air quality issues need local intervention. SCDHEC has provided EPA with documentation demonstrating that local stakeholders, when given the flexibility to implement programs geared toward reducing emissions; do have an impact on reducing the formation of ozone. With TIGER funding, betterpublic transit, linked to transit-supportive economic and community development plans and regulations, is within reach of Greenville and Pickens Counties’ stakeholders. Without a better transportation system the area faces continued sprawl and nonattainment risks that will effectively subject the area to transportation conformity requirements and will suspend much needed federal highway construction funds and hamper future economic development as industries are forced to meet more restrictive and longer permitting processes. Social Challenges. An evolving economy and history of funding issues have contributed to the region’s inadequate publictransportation system. From the 1850s until the 1950s, textile manufacturing was the largest economic force throughout the region. Asa result, the mill workers’ daily commutes to and from the textile mills largely dictated the footprint of the original public transportation routes. Today, the region’s economy has expanded and diversified, but textile companies are largely absent from the region’seconomic infrastructure. Recent additions to the area include automotive, finance, engineering, and construction companies as well asthe hundreds of service agencies, organizations and businesses that provide jobs in the region. These organizations and businesseshave generally located outside the urbanized areas, so many employment, residential and commercial areas throughout Greenville and Pickens Counties have little or no access to public transportation. In terms of public transit service availability, Greenville and Pickens Counties lag far behind that of similar urban areas in the Southeast. Unfortunately, the area’s transportation system is ill-equipped to connect the Upstate’s various communities and futureeconomic success and quality of life in the region hinge on the establishment of an effective transportation system. Addressing Economic, Environmental and Social Concerns Conscious of the region’s economic distress, predisposition towards urban sprawl, poor air quality standards and currentlyinadequate transportation system, Greenville and Pickens County governments and cities have begun making policy decisions tocombat each of these issues and promote, or at least establish the infrastructure for improved public transportation. For example, the City of Greenville contains the most densely-developed part of the region. Aware of its ever expanding population and finite ability to expand, the City of Greenville has completed neighborhood masters plans for several areas, many of which are identified as possibleconnection points for the proposed improved transportation system. These master plans provide a blueprint to ensure that each neighborhood is connected to the broader community either through increased access to public transportation or through sidewalks and trails.8Also, within the City of Greenville, several new affordable housing complexes have resulted in hundreds of single-familyand multi-family homes. Several communities throughout Greenville and Pickens Counties have demonstrated a commitment to improving air quality and quality of life for citizens through a commitment to building bike and walking trails. For example, the City of Greenville recentlysubmitted an application to have Greenville designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community.9Countywide commitments to address transportation issues and air quality standards are also evident. The Greenville County plan,titled: “Designing Our Destiny: Comprehensive Plan for Greenville County,”10provides guidelines for making decisions about the futuredevelopment pattern of Greenville County and ensures that the County’s infrastructure and facilities can support the County’s futurepopulation. Identified goals in this plan are to expand transit service from neighborhoods to major employment centers, address the need to improve air quality in Greenville County’s future transportation improvements, and to identify corridors where future public transportation will be needed to promote a land use mix that could benefit from a transit system. Air quality is very much on the mind of local government leaders in the region. By signing the EPA’s Early Action Compact (EAC) Greenville, along with Pickens County, took a proactive approach to improving air quality and achieving emissions reductions under the 1997 standards established by EPA for air quality (ground level ozone and particle matter 2.5 or PM2.5). The counties worked and partnered with other public and private organizations, industries, and businesses to develop more than 20 strategies to improve airquality in the Upstate. On March 3, 2004, the Greenville County Council adopted Resolution No. 1091 to demonstrate its commitment 8Examples of the neighborhood master plans may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 9The application for the Bicycle Friendly Community Designation may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 10This document may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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13in implementing air quality control measures and strategies, which the Upstate SC Air Quality Steering Committee proposed. The goal was to demonstrate compliance by the end of 2007 with the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA) standards for ground level ozone. Several ofthe strategies included in the EAC have been implemented, including a strategy which proposed establishing an active publicawareness campaign. This was the first time that Greenville County implemented this type of public campaign to raise awareness ofair quality issues facing the Upstate and possible solutions.11Both Pickens County and Greenville County have conducted community visioning plans. The Pickens County visioning plan, entitled “Pickens County 2025,”12places an emphasis on implementing a vigorous public transportation plan that connects city areasand universities/colleges, as well as neighboring county centers, and provides public transportation that is particularly attentive to the demonstrated needs of seniors and disabled citizens. Greenville’s community visioning plan, “Greenville Vision 2025,”13includes a section on regionalism calling for a regional economic development master plan, improved transportation services, a coordinatedstrategy for air quality and a common vision process, among other initiatives. To plan the implementation of the transportation recommendations, a number of transit studies have been completed or are underway. Transit Development Plans have been completed in Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Easley and Clemson. Twoadditional studies will also soon be completed. The Greenville County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) commissioned a study to evaluate alternatives (designs, routing and operational priorities) for a high-capacity transit system utilizing a derelict GCEDC-owned rail corridor. Also, the Greenville Transit Authority commissioned a transit vision and master plan for fixed-route and demandresponse transit services in Greenville County. This master plan will coordinate with the GCEDC study. The goal of both studies isdeveloping a sustainable transit system that meets existing needs and will support future economic and community development. The Greenville Transit Authority study will also present recommendations for organizational and financial requirements needed to support the recommended system. Though key findings have already emerged, both of these studies will be substantially complete by early 2010. All these efforts effectively demonstrate recognition of the problems that exist and a desire, among community leaders and thepublic, for a higher quality transit service that connects the citizens with services and employers and provides a viable alternative toautomobile commuting. A TIGER grant will leverage the funding and partnerships that both Counties desperately need to implement an effective and comprehensive transportation system that connects all citizens, especially the economically disadvantaged, to jobs,decreases urban sprawl, improves air quality and augments the current limited system. Project Goals and Strategies The economy of Greenville County and Pickens County is in transition. Previously, the region’s economy was dependent on textileand textile-related manufacturing, so the Upstate economy continues to be re-tooled to provide jobs for our citizens. However, the community has limited transportation options, which makes it difficult for some citizens to access needed services as well as currently available and future jobs. Furthermore, large portions of the community have been afflicted with unchecked suburban growth andsprawl, which has resulted in the wasting of scarce public resources, blight and distress in urban areas, worsening air quality and a reduced quality of life. State and regional leaders have recognized the short-comings of the area, as evidenced by visioning and planning documents adopted over the last five years. To further advance the coherent vision of increasing economic prosperity and improving public transit presented in the planning documents, GREENLINK proposes two goals as well as several projects that will marry Federal and local funding to achieve significantand measurable results. The goals for this application are as follows: 1. Encourage economic development and green job creation; improve air quality and safety and reduce dependence onforeign oil. 11The final progress report with all the strategies submitted to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Control (DHEC) and EPA, along with a list of other local efforts to address air quality is available on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 12This document may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 13This document may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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142. Provide a model for economic, environmental and social sustainability through promotion of transit orienteddevelopment.Project Budget Goal and Project Component Grant Funds Requested Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind ServiceContributions14Source of Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Goal 1. Encourage economic development and green job creation; improve air quality and safety; reduce dependence on foreign oil. Implement the recommendations of the GPATS Long Range Transportation Plan (Transit Element) by building/acquiring the infrastructure and vehicles needed for a regional bus rapid transit service consisting of a Dedicated Busway linking Downtown Greenville to CU-ICAR as well as transitways connecting Clemson University to GSP (West/East line) and Travelers Rest to Fountain Inn (North/South line). Build dedicated busway, in one of Greenville's most congested travel corridors, to provide an alternative route between Downtown Greenville and CU-ICAR, open new property for transit-oriented development and to provide travel time improvement for the North/South and West/East transitways, both of which will utilize the dedicated busway. (The construction cost includes paving for a 3.8 mile busway as well as construction of bridges, stations, public infrastructure to access transit oriented projects, at-grade crossings and signal preemption technology.) 1A Construct/install improvements to North/South and West/East Transitways (The cost includes intersection and signal improvements, queue-jumper lanes, and signal preemption technology. $34,800,000 $9,000,000 Contribution of a 3.8-mile-long section of unused rail right of way for construction of the dedicated busway. The right-of-way is assumed to average 100 feet wide, is 3.8 miles long and is valued at $200,000 per acre. Utilize advanced fast-charge electric/battery buses and hydrogen fuel cell/electric hybrid buses, equipped with electro/mechanical active vehicle suspensions, for a new regional bus rapid transit service. Integrate and evaluate advanced electric buses in daily fixed route service. Purchase and utilize fast-charge and slow-charge charging stations as well as specialized equipment and training needed to operate bus fleet, which will include the following vehicles: Nine 45' Battery Electric Transit Buses, with advanced suspension, for BRT serviceThree 45' Battery Electric Transit Buses, with advanced suspension and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Range Extender, for BRT serviceTwo 35' Battery Electric Transit Buses for GTA fixed route serviceFive 35' Battery Electric Transit Buses for CAT fixed route service1B Five 45' Battery Electric Transit Buses for CAT fixed route service$42,000,000 $40,000,000 Estimated value of economic development incentives offered to Proterra, Inc. by the State of S.C. and local government agencies, together with the estimated value of Proterra's manufacturing plant construction. 1C Design and install an alternative fueling station to support research in alternative transportation fuels and to encourage use of alternative fuels in public and private fleets. $1,000,000 $1,500,000 Private funding raised through the S.C.Research Authority. GOAL 2. Provide a model for economic, environmental and social sustainability through promotion of transit-oriented development. 2A Construct pedestrian and bicycle connections to public transit, planned in conjunction with other transportation and economic development improvements, in order to support healthy recreation activity, provide for "bike and ride" commuting and to support application of transit oriented design in urbanized areas. $7,000,000 $3,000,000 Local, state and private funding raised to assist in construction of pedestrian and bicycle improvements. 2B Construct a LEED-Certified Multi-Modal Transportation Center serving citizens and university students in four counties. $14,000,000 $4,000,000 Land equity, cash and in-kind services provided by Clemson University and the City of Clemson. 2C Educate the public on the benefits of using transit and supporting transit-$200,000 $225,000 Public service air time 14The local funds listed above are in addition to the incentive package offered to Proterra by the State of S.C.
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15Goal and Project Component Grant Funds Requested Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind ServiceContributions14Source of Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions oriented development. and bill board space donated by local media outlets. 2D Create unified regional development regulations that support transit-oriented development and provide disincentives for development that encourages suburban sprawl. $150,000 $50,000 Support services provided by local government and university staff members. Project direction, capital projects management and project reporting. $800,000 $200,000 Office space and administrative services provided by partner agencies, over the two-year grant period. Total $99,950,000$57,975,000 Budget Narrative Goal 1: Encourage economic development and green job creation; improve air quality and safety and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Economic competition, job creation, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be encouraged through each project listed under Goal 1. The focus is providing a viable regional transit network, using a bus rapid transit methodology, which will promoteincreased development adjacent to the transitways which will, in turn, support local funding needed to support a higher level of transitservices. Busway and station construction, together with bus manufacturing, as well service jobs needed to run the BRT service will create significant employment opportunities. Development of transit corridors as part of a regional transit system will help change the community’s economic development patterns and will, over time, reduce congestion, improve safety, establish a positive image for public transit, and provide opportunities for transit oriented development. All projects described under this goal are technically feasible and achievable within two years. 1A and 1B. Implement the recommendations of the GPATS Long Range Transportation Plan (Transit Element)15by building/acquiring the infrastructure and vehicles needed for a regional bus rapid transit service consisting of a DedicatedBusway linking Downtown Greenville to CU-ICAR as well as transitways connecting Clemson University to GSP (West/East line) and Travelers Rest to Fountain Inn (North/South line).This project will engineer and construct a dedicated busway, in one of Greenville's most congested travel corridors, to provide analternative route between Downtown Greenville and CU-ICAR, open new property for transit-oriented development and to providetravel time improvement for the North/South and West/East transitways, both of which will utilize the dedicated busway. The project will also construct or install improvements to North/South and West/East Transitways. The North/South corridor connects Travelers Rest to Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn, primarily using U.S. 276. The West/East corridor uses U.S. 123 to connect the City of Clemson/Clemson University to Easley and Greenville. The servicecontinues, from downtown Greenville to CU-ICAR and then travels to the GSP International Airport on I-85. (Greer will be connected toGSP Airport and the BRT via a fixed-route bus.) The North/South and West/East transit corridors will connect eight of themunicipalities within the region and serve common commuting patterns, providing many residents with a previously unavailable publictransit option for regional travel.16The BRT proposal also assumes connection with a station for a future high-speed rail service running between Charlotte, N.C. and Atlanta, GA. The preferred route will place Upstate S.C.’s high speed rail station at the West Washington Street Amtrak Station, near downtown Greenville, which is also a planned stop for the BRT. The BRT will also facilitate low-cost access to air service, by providingthe only public transportation connection to GSP International Airport. 15The 2007 Long Range Transportation Plan, Transit Element, for GPATS may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/ . 16A map illustrating the BRT corridors may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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16Ideally, particularly from the standpoint of economic development, both the West/East and North/South routes of the BRT will utilize a dedicated busway built on an unused railroad corridor owned by the Greenville County Economic Development Corporation(GCEDC), a subsidiary organization of Greenville County Council. This corridor can be easily developed into a multimodal corridor between downtown Greenville and the CU-ICAR and the project budget includes funds for the construction. A consulting firmemployed by GCEDC will soon complete final recommendations for utilization of the corridor. Initially the BRT service would be operated as a peak-period commuter service, 5:30 am- 9:30 am and 3:30 pm- 7:30 pm, Monday-Friday, with 30 minute headway. Once citizens accept the service as a viable option for commuters, the scope of the service will beexpanded. To quantify a variety of the benefits of implementing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the Greenville area, an analysiswas undertaken by the URS Corporation to identify the benefits of implementing such a system, using the above peak-hour serviceprofile. The analysis was conducted in two major parts: (a) a sketch ridership analysis utilizing methodologies documented in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NHCRP) Reports 187 and 365 and (b) an estimation of various benefits many ofwhich utilized methodologies documented in the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 78. A summary of the analysisresults provided for the years 2012 and 2030 is provided in the table below. However, a more detailed description of themethodologies employed by the URS Corporation is available in a Technical Memorandum.17Greenville BRT System Trip and Financial Benefits (2012 and 2030) Benefits Year 2012 Year 2030 Trip Benefits Estimated Daily BRT Ridership 3,426 4,441 Change in Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (33,353) (43,769) Annual Gallons of Fuel Saved 392,420 508,667 Annual Financial Benefits Annual Out-of-Pocket Expense User Benefits $ 3,157,153 $ 4,092,398 Air Quality Benefit $ 372,705 $ 560,409 Option Value of Transit Benefit $ 2,044,872 $ 3,031,394 Annual Transit Fare Revenue Benefit $ 453,253 $ 587,520 Total $ 6,027,982 $ 8,271,721 Note: All Benefits presented in current (2009) dollars The results indicate a system ridership of 3,426 people in the year 2012 and 4,441 people in the year 2030 with the major boarding and alighting locations including Downtown Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Easley, and locations along the dedicated busway. The shift of these estimated riders to BRT from passenger vehicles results in a daily reduction of 33,353 and 43,769 vehicle miles in the years 2012 and 2030 respectively which also saves 392,420 and 508,667 annual gallons of fuel in these years. Annually, these riders combined would save $3,157,153 and $4,092,398 in annual out-of-pocket expenses (comparing vehicleoperating costs to transit fares) in the years 2012 and 2030 respectively. The use of zero-emission buses versus the emissions of private vehicles also saves an estimated $372,705 and $560,409 in air quality benefit for the respective years. The option value oftransit benefit quantifies the value for non-system users the option of being able to use transit at $2,044,872 and $3,031,394 for 2012and 2030 respectively. The collected fares of the system are estimated at $453,253 and $587,520 for the respective years. These benefits total $6,027,982 and $8,271,721 for the years 2012 and 2030. 1A Grant Funding Requested: $34,800,000. The project cost assumes construction of the dedicated busway, as well as the on-road transitway, along with all required stations, parking areas, pedestrian and vehicle connections to transit oriented developmentsalong the route, signal preemption technology and other Intelligent Vehicle Systems. 1A Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: This project assumes that the 3.8-mile-long GCEDC-owned railroad right-of-way, valued at $9 million, will be devoted to this project. Ongoing operational funding for the BRT will be required in order to operate a reliable and sustainable service. Based on thepreviously described BRT service parameters, an operating and maintenance (O&M) cost estimate was developed by the URS17The URS Corporation’s Technical Memorandum may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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17Corporation as shown in the following summary tables. The following table shows the estimated annualized service statistics for weekday BRT service. BRT Service Operating & Maintenance Statistics Service Statistics North/South Line Route 100 East/West Line Route 200 Total BRT System Peak Vehicles 4 5 9 Fleet Vehicles 5 7 12 Annual Vehicle Revenue Hours 8,160 10,200 18,360 Annual Vehicle Revenue Miles 228,500 359,000 587,500 O&M Cost$652,800 $816,000 $1,468,800 Estimated Cost per Revenue Hour $80.00 $80.00 $80.00 1A Project Status: This project has been fully explored in the GPATS Long Range Transportation Plan. In addition, the GCEDC, via a consultant-led study, will soon complete an analysis of alternatives to identify the best route for the center portion of the BRT service. The capital requirements to build the system have been identified. The Greenville Transit Authority, in cooperation with the City of Greenville and Greenville County, is currently completing a transit vision and master plan. This plan will specify the operatingcharacteristics of the entire public transit system (of which the BRT service will be a part), as well as fully documenting theorganizational and financial requirements for operating the system. Upon completion of the GCEDC and GTA studies in early 2010, and provided that grant funding is approved, the project design will be finalized and an Invitation for Bids published. Engineers who have reviewed the project believe that it can be completed within two years. 1A Environmental Findings: Most of the project will occur on existing roads and the only significant construction will involveimproving an existing rail bed, so environmental categorical exclusions are appropriate under: Class IIc, Type 18 (Track and railbedmaintenance and improvements when carried out within the existing right-of-way) as well as Class IId, Type 2 (Highway safety or traffic operations improvement projects including the installation of ramp metering control devices and lighting.)1B. Utilize advanced fast-charge electric/battery buses and hydrogen fuel cell/electric hybrid buses, equipped withelectro/mechanical active vehicle suspensions, for a new regional bus rapid transit service. Integrate and evaluate advanced electric buses in daily fixed route service. Purchase and utilize fast-charge and slow-charge charging stations as well as specialized equipment and training needed to operate the bus fleet. This project will purchase, operate and evaluate advanced-technology, zero-emissions transit vehicles in a two-part project forutilization of the vehicles. The first part will concern the BRT service, which will utilize nine 45’, 51-passenger fast-charge electric vehicles that incorporate astate-of-the-art suspension system, resulting in superior ride stability and comfort for passengers. The suspension system wasdeveloped by the University of Texas Center for Electromechanics (CEM). Since 1993, the research and development investment onthe system has totaled approximately $25 million, with substantial additional funding from industrial partners, mostly focused on themilitary market. The result is a mature production-ready technology, proven in extensive Army and Marine Corps performance anddurability testing. Now, working with bus manufacturers and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), CEM haslaunched a program to apply the active suspension technology to a BRT vehicle. The program objective and likely outcome is a rapidtransit system that has the passenger ride quality superior to light rail, operational flexibility superior to light rail, and cost advantages of a rapid transit system based on buses rather than rail. CEM’s active suspension system is an enabling technology for achieving these objectives because it provides passenger ride comfort and stability that dramatically exceeds any passenger bus and also exceeds light rail, substantially reduces chassis vibration to reduce vehicle maintenance costs and provides a major enhancement in vehiclehandling and controllability.18The project’s second part will involve integration of twelve 35’ fast-charge electric vehicles with conventional suspensions into daily fixed-route service by the Greenville Transit Authority and Clemson Area Transit. Both the BRT and fixed route services will utilize a new technology bus which is lighter in weight than a conventional bus and has the capability of being recharged in ten minutes. The grant funding will be used to purchase a total of 24 of these buses. The 18An overview of CEM’s active suspension technology, including videos of various test results, can be viewed at the following website: http://www.utexas.edu/research/cem/powerpoint.html
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18battery/electric propulsion system in three of the 24 will be augmented with a hydrogen fuel cell, providing the longer range needed forone of the BRT routes.19In the near term, the GREENLINK project will provide a living laboratory with a project whose scale is small enough to beaffordable yet rigorous enough to provide a reliable real-world evaluation of the vehicles. Also, the involvement of a nationally-recognized research university will lend credibility to the project results. The vehicles will be routinely monitored and evaluated byengineering students at the CU-ICAR, as part of that institution’s ongoing effort to advance the science of transportation design. CU-ICAR will publish authoritative studies on the utilization experience. The likely manufacturer of the vehicles is Proterra, a Golden, Colorado company whose vehicles have received their Altoonatesting certificate. In field testing to date, Proterra’s vehicles have demonstrated significantly lower operating and maintenance coststhan conventional vehicles. Lower operating and maintenance cost is of great interest to cash-strapped transit agencies. As noted above, Proterra is evaluating sites to construct a manufacturing facility and is actively considering Greenville, S.C. as a site for their new plant. Aside from the incentives offered by the State of South Carolina and Greenville County, Proterra has been impressed by the availability of a skilled workforce, S.C.’s technical college system (which has a track record of providing excellent low-cost employee training for business and industry) and the prospect of partnering with CU-ICAR. In the longer term, by working with CU-ICAR, Proterra sees an opportunity to take their transit vehicle platform “to the next level,” adding an articulated vehicle to their offerings that will have passenger amenities such as satellite television, wireless internet connections and other options, to produce a bus that is very attractive to riders and to funding agencies. A BRT vehicle of this sort would facilitate a viable alternative to light rail for high-capacity transit services, allowing implementation of new transit services at a fraction of the cost for a comparable-capacity light rails system. While Proterra’s vehicles are described in this grant proposal and while there is great interest, on the part of Upstate transit agencies, in using the new-technology vehicles, the GREENLINK team realizes that Federal procurement regulations must be followedin the spending of Federal funds. Also, the GREENLINK team understands there may be other manufacturers that are better suited to provide vehicles to the project. Accordingly, if TIGER grant funds are awarded, GREENLINK intends to write specifications foradvanced vehicles - for BRT and fixed route service - that utilize a zero-emissions propulsion system with high efficiency, low operatingand maintenance costs and include an electro/mechanical suspension system. The specifications will be used to obtain prices for the vehicles used in the GREENLINK project. 1B Grant Funding Requested: $42,000,000 (see vehicle acquisition budget below)Service 35’ Fast ChargeBattery Electric Transit Buses for Fixed Routeservice 45’ Fast ChargeBattery Electric Transit Buses for Fixed Routeservice 45' FastCharge Battery Electric Transit Buses, with advanced suspension, for BRT service 45' Fast Charge Battery Electric Transit Buses, with advanced suspension and Fuel Cell Range Extension for BRT service Regional BRT Service 0 9 3 Clemson Area Transit (Fixed Route) 5 5 0 0 Greenville Transit Authority Vehicle Replacement(Fixed Route) 2 0 0 Total Vehicles 7 5 9 3 Cost Per Vehicle$ 1,050,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,500,000 $ 2,300,000 Total Bus Cost $ 7,350,000 $ 6,000,000 $ 13,500,000 $ 6,900,000 Contingency for Startup (Specialized Tools, Equipment, Training) $ 1,230,000 Fast Charging Stations (6 @$1,150,000) $ 6,900,000 Overnight Charging Stations (2 @ $60,000) $ 120,000 19Specifications for the Proterra vehicles are shown on the GREENLINK project website, at www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/ .
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191B Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: The State of South Carolina and local governments inGreenville County have offered a multi-million dollar incentive package to Proterra. Proterra has promised a significant amount ofprivate investment, as well. Together, the estimated value of the incentive package and the private investment exceeds $40,000,000. 1B Project Status: Draft specifications for the transit vehicles have been developed.20Upon funding approval, the buses can beordered and placed into service within 24 months. The hand-built buses will not require construction of a new building, as there are several vacant buildings available large enough to accommodate the near-term demands. 1B Environmental Findings: Since this project involves the purchase of vehicles, an environmental categorical exclusions isappropriate under: Class IIc, Type 17 (The purchase of vehicles by the applicant where the use of these vehicles can beaccommodated by existing facilities or by new facilities which themselves are within a CE.) 1A and 1B Financial Sustainability. The utilization of the battery electric vehicles is expected to pay considerable financialdividends through a lower cost of operation than a convention diesel-powered vehicle, which will average less than 4 miles per gallon.Even with the decreased operational cost, the BRT service is expected to have an operational expense of up to $1.2 million per year.Community leaders realize that ongoing operational funding for the BRT will be required in order to operate a reliable and sustainable service. The Greenville Transit Authority’s transit vision and master plan, now underway, in addition to other deliverables, will recommend funding levels and sources needed to support BRT, fixed route and demand response services, both now and in the future.The project consultants have discussed typical funding options for transit systems with community leaders and have stated that a $10 per vehicle registration fee is a promising option. It is anticipated that decision makers, in order to implement the recommendations ofthe transit vision and master plan, will adopt this fee or another dedicated transit funding source in early 2011, to coincide with the budget development process for the jurisdictions served by the Greenville Transit Authority. 1A and 1B Project Benefits: The project will provide additional transit services in Greenville and Pickens Counties while generating real-world data and improvement recommendations on the utilization of advanced transit vehicles. The purchase of the buses will create new manufacturing jobs and will create or save jobs for suppliers of the proposed manufacturing plan. If the project proves the expected effectiveness of the advanced- technology vehicles, it will also provide significant boost to the expansion of the nation’s green economy. While the advanced-technology vehicles, at this stage, are more expensive than conventional vehicles, the combination oftechnologies employed is highly promising. According to the manufacturer, the lower operating cost of the vehicles will offset their higher initial cost once the vehicles are in full production, at which time the price will likely be reduced to approximately the same as a similar-capacity diesel/electric hybrid. The vehicles also promise significant benefits in operating cost decreases, maintenance expense decreases and reduction ingreenhouse gas emissions. Obtaining funds to subsidize the operating costs of transit systems is an ongoing concern across thenation. Data generated by the manufacturer shows that the fast-charge electric buses are approximately 4.5 times more efficient, in terms of energy used, as compared to a conventional diesel vehicle. Maintenance cost is also expected to be less, resulting from adrive train with fewer moving parts. Finally, the zero-emissions vehicles produce no CO2and other pollutants. A conventional dieselvehicle produces an estimated 2.9 grams of CO2for every mile driven. In addition to providing a viable service for commuters and the other aforementioned advantages of a new public transit service, this investment will facilitate transit oriented development of approximately 188 acres of land on parcels directly connected with the proposed dedicated busway. For example, the recently-completed master plan for the Haywood Road area recommended a mixed-use transit oriented development on a vacant 8.5-acre parcel. The project would contain approximately 50 residential units and 12,000 square feet of commercial space, arranged around a BRT station. This development cost is estimated at $15 million, with $3 million of that total being devoted to required public infrastructure improvements.21Another possible project could be located on the BRT route,20The above-referenced specifications may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 21The Haywood Road Master Plan, which contains the proposed “Haywood Station” development, may be found on the GREENLINK projectwebsite, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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20near the intersection of Pleasantburg Drive and Laurens Road. The mixed-use transit oriented development at this location, near the community’s convention center, has a projected build out of more than $114 million.22Far larger development impacts are expected in the Verdae development and the CU-ICAR campus, through which the BRT willtravel. Verdae is a 1,100 acre “city within a city” designed as a sustainable community around transit oriented neighborhoods. Asmany as 2,000 homes, ranging from high-end, LEED-certified single family residences in traditional neighborhoods, to “green” multi-family workforce housing developments, to continuing-care retirement residences, will eventually be located at Verdae. When the office and retail portions of the development are completed, Verdae will represent one of the largest sustainable neighborhoods in thenation. Within a short walk of Verdae’s promise is the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), a university-sponsored graduate engineering school and automotive technology research and development park that is projected toproduce more than 20,000 new jobs, over 20 years, through direct and spin-off development. If Verdae and CU-ICAR are to reach their significant potential in the near future, they will need an excellent public transportation system to provide access for people livingand working in and around the two developments.231C. Develop an alternative fueling station to support research in alternative transportation fuels and to encourage use of alternative fuels in public and private fleets. This project will develop an alternative fuels fueling station on the campus of the CU-ICAR.24The alternative fueling station will bea source of cleaner fuels, including compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen and propane. In the short term, CNG and propane fuels can be used for fueling of public and private vehicle fleets, thus reducing greenhouse gases, improving air quality and reducing relianceon foreign oil. The proposed station will be located directly on the BRT route and is in the center of the fixed route transit systemoperated by the GTA. Also, the location is within two miles’ driving distance of major fleet operations of UPS, Federal Express, AT&T,Duke Energy, City of Greenville and Greenville County. Another use of the alternative fueling station will be for transportation/motion research conducted by CU-ICAR, towards the goal ofreducing reliance on fossil fuel usage. Also, the station’s generation and dispensing of hydrogen will permit the utilization of thehydrogen fuel cell/electric hybrid transit vehicles, three of which are planned for the project. The fueling station in Greenville will also help power research into the utilization of hydrogen as a fuel for automobiles and other purposes, such as powering generators for refrigerated trucks and for backup electricity provision to homes and businesses. 1C Grant Funding Requested: $1,000,000. 1C Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: The SC Research Authority expects to raise approximately $1,500,000 in private funding by the end of 2009. 1C Project Status: A conceptual design has been completed and final engineering is ready to move forward. Based on theexperience for a similar station in Columbia, S.C., necessary approvals from the State Fire Marshall can be completed within three months. The project can be completed, using a design/build approach, within 9 months. 1C Environmental Findings: Environmental reviews for the project are underway and can be completed in December 2009. Noadverse findings are anticipated. 1C Project Benefits: A similar fueling station, developed by the University of South Carolina and City of Columbia, helped createmore than $24 million of private investment in endowed professorships at the University. It is anticipated that the Greenville station will have a similar effect for CU-ICAR. Also, research in the use of hydrogen for residential electric power will occur within the nearby Verdae development, where a hydrogen generator will be used for standby or supplemental power supply within a mixed-usedevelopment. This is critically important as a back-up power supply which may be required during hurricane and other disasterrecovery. It is expected that such non-vehicle uses of hydrogen will increase the market and, therefore, affordability for fuel cell technology. 22Information on this proposed development, tentatively named “University Station,” since it is located near several higher-education institutions, may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger. 23Maps of the Verdae and CU-ICAR campuses may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 24A map showing the station location and a conceptual design for the stations may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridgegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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21With close proximity to and aligned with the current research at CU-ICAR, the provision of alternative fuel research is closely linked to transit safety and is integrated into the design of the vehicle. The use of alternative fuels will help facilitate the purchase and use ofalternative fueled vehicles on the BRT system and will reduce consumer automobile usage and greenhouse gas emissions. The key is the research component driven at the graduate engineering level through CU-ICAR. Automotive technology research will be a driver of new future green jobs. Specifically, CU-ICAR, working with Greenville Technical College and other area vocational-tech programs will retrofit, replace and repair alternative fueled vehicles and support fueling infrastructure. Also, the creation of the alternative fueling station for research purposes will lead to the prototypes for commercialized use of alternative fuels within the mainstream economy. Private manufacturers of the equipment, working in conjunction with the research university, may increase the speed to market of alternative fuels within the community. GOAL 2. Provide a model for economic, environmental and social sustainability through promotion of transit orienteddevelopment.Each project described under Goal 2 will provide overarching benefits to the community in the areas of economic stimulus, livability, sustainability, safety and job creation. In the near term, providing practical public transportation options will provide betteraccess to jobs and services for low- to moderate-income people as well as helping promote using transit to citizens who have other transportation options. Increased use of public transportation will also create jobs as the operation of the expanded service will call formore bus operators and technicians. Citizens who have jobs, in turn, will benefit consumer spending and the creation of more jobs. The public transit routes will be planned in cooperation with major employers and major destinations. Moving commuters from single-occupancy vehicles to public transportation will help relieve stress on those commuters and will reduce the financial demands of operating a personal vehicle. The strategies in this component will help relieve congestion while also improving air quality andtransportation safety. In the longer term, shifting the community’s economic and community development paradigm away from sprawl-creating suburban development to transit oriented redevelopment will help preserve the area’s natural beauty while making moreeffective use of already-built public infrastructure and the scarce public resources that build and maintain that infrastructure. All projects described under this goal are technically feasible and achievable within two years. 2A. Construct pedestrian and bicycle connections to public transit, planned in conjunction with other transportation andeconomic development improvements, in order to support healthy recreation activity, provide for "bike and ride" commutingand to support application of transit oriented design in urbanized areas. This program builds on a county-wide, multi-jurisdictional initiative to construct inter-connected walking and biking facilities. The Greenville County Recreation District, along with all cities in the two-county area, have created or are in the process of creating walking and biking master plans intended to develop the area as a walkable and bikable community. Several of the components of these plans are “shovel-ready” and have already selected locations and completed preliminary designs. This project will provide up to 70% funding for quick implementation of the “shovel-ready” walking and biking facilities, focused on integration of biking and walking facilities with transit services. To be eligible, the improvements must be located within a ten-minute bike ride from transit services. The construction of all the projects will be bid out and construction-managed together, in order to achieve economies of scale and lower construction costs. 2A Grant Funding Requested: $7,000,0002A Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: Private contributions, State and local governmentfunding will contribute $3,000,000. 2A Project Status: A standard trail and sidewalk design has been engineered and adopted. Routes and segments have beenidentified and the matching funds have already been raised. Invitations for bids can be written/released within 3 months of the grantaward. Construction can be implemented immediately, once a contractor has been selected, and will be completed by 2012.252A Environmental Findings: Since the project involves construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths, and facilities, an environmental categorical exclusion is appropriate under: Class IIc, Type 3 (Construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths, and facilities.) 25Conceptual designs and other information related to improvements that would be accomplished under this component are located on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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222A Project Benefits: Making bike and walking trails accessible to more neighborhoods will encourage healthy lifestyles and willimprove quality of life for residents, thus improving livability. The creation of designated bike and walking trails will also improve pedestrian safety. Linking the trail systems to transit will make “bike-and-ride” commuting a low-cost transportation option for many people. 2B. Construct a LEED-Certified Multi-Modal Transportation Center serving citizens and university students in four counties.This project will construct a multi-modal transportation center serving Clemson University and the City of Clemson as well as the surrounding Upstate, S.C. counties of Greenville, Pickens, Oconee and Anderson. The Center will include offices for City of Clemson departments, as well as retail space, a public bicycle program and bicycle transportation center and a park-and-ride facility. The project was conceived as a transit-supportive joint development project involving Clemson University, the City of Clemson and Clemson Area Transit. The Center’s design will attain a minimum of LEED Silver Certification by employing green building techniques to minimize theimpact of the facility on the environment, thus providing a demonstration of green building techniques for similar future structures. The project will create a transit oriented joint development project to serve Clemson University and support its mission as a major economicengine for Upstate S.C. In addition to Clemson University’s resident student population (numbering more than 18,000), the project willserve Upstate residents attending or working at Clemson University and will facilitate the growing educational relationship between Clemson University’s facilities in Clemson with its graduate education centers in Greenville. Clemson University is one of the State’s largest public universities and Greenville is Upstate, South Carolina’s center for businessand commerce. In addition to the aforementioned CU-ICAR and its graduate school of automotive engineering, Clemson University has a presence at Greenville’s University Center, where Clemson undergraduate classes are taught and a graduate biotechnologycenter is operated in cooperation with Greenville Hospital System. Clemson University also plans to expand its graduate business school to a 100,000 square foot facility in downtown Greenville.Also, while it draws students from more than 90 countries, approximately 70% of Clemson students are from South Carolina, with the majority of those coming from Greenville and Pickens Counties. Also, more than 100 Clemson faculty and staff live in the Greenville and Pickens Counties. The facility will serve as a primary transfer point for inter‐city and intra-city public transportation services, urban and rural transit connectivity to the Regional BRT, the Clemson AMTRAK passenger station, walking trails, local taxi services, and direct Greyhound Bus inter‐state connectivity. From the multi-modal center, airport shuttle buses will run to Hartsfield International Airport, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, and the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. The Center will be designed to facilitate nearby transit oriented development; particularly student housing and retail services. 2B Grant Funding Requested: $14,000,000. 2B Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: Land equity as well as other cash and in-kind servicesamounting to $4,000,000. 2B Project Status: The multi-modal facility conceptual design has been completed.26The land for the multi-modal center has been identified. Clemson University and City of Clemson are poised to issue a design/build request for proposals to initiateconstruction within 180 days of the grant award and complete construction of the facility within 24 months. 2B Environmental Findings: All necessary environmental reviews and approvals have been acquired for the project by ClemsonUniversity 2B Project Benefits: The facility will provide park and ride options for tourists, visitors, students, and employees, will represent a major investment in upstate South Carolina’s rural transportation infrastructure and support transit oriented development across the area, and will facilitate consistent and reliable transit connectivity to major employers. The project will provide sustainable long termbenefits, helping mitigate pollution and improving air quality, reducing traffic congestion plus maintaining and creating jobs. It will alsofacilitate the growing educational relationship between the main Clemson University campus and its graduate and continuing education 26The conceptual design for the multi-modal transportation center may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/.
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23centers, including the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, in Greenville, S.C. The multi-modal facility willenhance mobility to attract and support regional and national events that will create opportunities for economic growth and jobs bysupporting the transportation needs related to ongoing local university programs and events and other economic activities. 2C. Educate the public on the benefits of using transit and supporting transit oriented development. This project will create a region-wide public education campaign encouraging riders who are not dependent on transit to routinelyuse public transportation, including “bike and ride” services. Consisting of television info-mercials, promotional signage, television, newspaper, radio and internet public service announcements and social networking, the campaign will involve both the GreenvilleTransit Authority and Clemson Area Transit and will be coordinated by a professional marketing agency. Developers, builders and architects will also be targeted for promotion of transit oriented development and green building technology. 2C Grant Funding Requested: $200,000.2C Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: Local transit agencies will provide in-kind servicesvalued at more than $25,000. An estimated $200,000 in free newspaper and website advertising space as well as public serviceairtime and billboard space will be donated by regional media outlets. 2C Project Status: A request for proposals can be written and issued within 3 months of funding being awarded. The project canbe ready for launch within 6 months of being initiated and can be completed by 2012. Environmental reviews and approvals will not be required for this project component as it only involves disseminating public information. 2C Environmental Findings: Not Applicable. 2C Project Benefits: Educating the public about the benefits of transit will help promote more transit ridership, thus boostingfinancial sustainability for struggling transit agencies. This will contribute to a state of good repair as the increased funding will helpimprove the existing transit system. Educating the development community will help promote more utilization of transit oriented designthus contributing to overall livability. 2D. Create unified regional development regulations that promote transit oriented development and provide disincentives for development that encourages urban sprawl. This project will develop unified land use regulations that encourage transit oriented development. This regulatory improvement process goes hand-in-hand with the Public Education Program outlined in project 2C, in order to promote public understanding of the benefits of economic development created by the BRT as well as an appreciation of the development density and diversity necessaryfor the success of the system. In concept, the zoning and other land use regulations of the Upstate communities should providedeveloper incentives, such as higher development density and lower permit fees, if the developer’s plans incorporate featuresassociated with transit oriented design, housing diversity and energy-efficient construction. The new regulations will encourageincentives for meeting LEED-ND standards for all transit oriented development. Redevelopment in areas served by existinginfrastructure and public transportation will be favored over development that requires installation of new public infrastructure.Development patterns that encourage sprawl will have disincentives built into the governmental regulations. The regulations will be structured to allow application in all partner jurisdictions to promote uniformity for the development community. 2D Grant Funding Requested: $150,000. 2D Non-Federal Funding and In-Kind Service Contributions Funding: Universities, advocacy groups and local governmentsthat are involved in the project will contribute in-kind services valued at more than $50,000. 2D Project Status: An intergovernmental steering committee has been explored and can be formed within 3 months. A request for proposals will be written and issued within 3 months of the group’s formation. The project can be completed within 12 months of being initiated. Environmental reviews and approvals will not be required for this project component. 2D Environmental Findings: Not Applicable. 2D Project Benefits: Providing strong, transit-supportive, unified development rules among the partner jurisdictions, this projectwill assist in changing the paradigm for Upstate region economic development, leading to less road congestion, more transportation
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24safety, better air quality, better access to services and job opportunities and an improved quality of life. This innovative project alsodemonstrates increased intergovernmental partnership between local governments in the project area.Project Schedule All projects below will be substantially completed within a two year timeframe. For purposes of describing the timeline, the time required for each of the steps necessary to achieve success are described in quarterly increments. Goal 1. Encourage economic development and green job creation; improve air quality and safety and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Dedicated Busway (Construction cost for 3.8 mile long County-owned rail ROW, including bridges, stations, at-grade crossings/signal preemption.) North/South Transitway (improvements to existing roads) 1A East/West Transitway (improvements to existing roads) Q1 Develop RFP for design services.Q2 Release RFP for design services; select consultant and finalize contract. Q3-Q4 Design public improvements and develop/release IFB for construction. Q5 Select construction company Q6-Q11 Complete construction of public improvements. Q12 Begin service. 1B Utilize advanced fast-charge electric/battery buses and hydrogen fuel cell/electric hybrid buses, equipped with electro/mechanical active vehicle suspensions, for a new regional bus rapid transit service. Integrate and evaluate advanced electric buses in daily fixed route service. Purchase and install a charging station network. Prior to Q1 Write specifications for buses. Q1 Write and release IFB for buses. Q2 Receive bids, select company(ies) to provide buses and issue purchase order for purchase. Q11 Receive buses. Q12: Begin service. 1C Design and install an alternative fueling station to support research in alternative transportation fuels and to encourage use of alternative fuels in public and private fleets. Prior to Q1: Write specifications. Q1: Write and release RFP for design/build contract.Q2: Receive proposals and select contractor; finalize contract. Q3-Q9: Construct fueling stations. Q10: Open for business. GOAL 2. Provide a model for economic, environmental and social sustainability through promotion of transit oriented development. 2A Construct pedestrian and bicycle connections to public transit, planned in conjunction with other transportation and economic development improvements, in order to support healthy recreation activity, provide for "bike and ride" commuting and to support application of transit oriented design in urbanized areas. Q1 Finalize designs and develop IFB for construction of all improvements. Q2 Review IFB responses and award bid. Q3-Q8 Select contractor, finalize contract documents; implement contract. 2B Construct a LEED-Certified Multi-Modal Transportation Center serving citizens and university students in four counties. Q1 Develop RFP for design/build services. Q2 Release RFP for design/build services; select consultant and finalize contract. Q3-Q8 Design and construct multi-modal center. 2C Educate the public on the benefits of using transit and supporting transit oriented development. Q1 Develop RFP for Marketing Services. Q2 Release RFP for Marketing Services; select consultant and finalize contract. Q3 Develop Creative Concepts and Marketing Materials. Q4-Q8 Implement Marketing Plan. 2D Create unified regional development regulations that support transit oriented development and provide disincentives for development that encourages suburban sprawl. Q1 Q1: Appoint Steering Committee for project; develop RFP for consulting services. Q2 Q2: Release RFP for consulting services; select consultant and finalize contract. Q3-Q6 Develop proposed regulations.Q7-Q8 Brief jurisdictions on proposed regulations; advocate adoption.
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25Project Partners, Governance, Management and Evaluation Project Partners. The GREENLINK grant application is the culmination of an unprecedented collaboration of countygovernments, city governments, regional transportation and planning agencies, State agencies, a research university and privatebusiness, all engaged in a partnership to help green the future of South Carolina.27Project Governance, Management, and Evaluation. If this grant request is funded, the GTA, with the assistance of the City ofGreenville, will employ an experienced third party program manager, CTE, to provide administrative management to the grant-funded activities during the life of the project. CTE will ensure that the project is conducted in a fully transparent manner and in compliance with all applicable State and Federal laws and regulations. The contractor will also provide for measurement of activities and the publishing of progress reports, via a project website. The project manager will employ, as needed, other contractors to perform specific components of the project. It is probable, for example, that construction management personnel will be needed for several of the GREENLINK project components. GTA also asserts that it will comply with the requirements of subchapters IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.28Thiscertification of compliance is attached to this document. The Greenville Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS), Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has stated that upon asuccessful grant application the MPO will coordinate the amendment process for including GREENLINK projects and funding in the FY2010-2015 Transportation Improvement Program. A letter of support confirming this statement is attached to this document and is alsoavailable on the project website. A GREENLINK Management Committee will be formed by the Greenville Transit Authority. The Management Committee will beresponsible for providing policy oversight to the multi-jurisdictional project. The Management Committee will be composed of the chief administrative officers of each partner organization. The project budget for the program management is $1,000,000. Partner agencies will provide office space and indirect services (procurement, information technology, accounting, etc.) valued at more than $200,000. As a result, grant funding requested for project management and governance is $800,000.The success of GREENLINK will be evaluated against the specific outcomes, shown below. The GREENLINK project teamexpects to regularly track and document project performance in each of these areas, which align with the TIGER grant program selection criteria. Anticipated Outcome Baseline for Measurement Construct busway on time; under budget Budget and plans for busway construction Construct pedestrian and bike improvements on time and under budget Budget and plans for pedestrian and bike improvement construction Expand transit ridership Current ridership statistics Improve public attitudes towards public transit Survey prior to marketing campaign Expand number of transit “choice riders” (those who have other transportation options) Survey of ridership prior to implementation of BRT service Increase transit oriented development (residential and commercial development within one mile of transit service) Measurement of transit oriented development before BRT service begins Develop and implement development regulations encouraging transit oriented development Develop proposed regulations; obtain adoption in all affected jurisdictions Implement new transit services on time and under budget. Budget and plans for new transit services Lower transit operating and maintenance costs Per-mile operating and maintenance cost for existing transit vehicles 27Descriptions of each project partner and links to each of the project partner’s websites may be found on the GREENLINK project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/. 28A signed certification stating that GTA will comply with the Federal wage rate requirements is attached and is also located on the project website, www.ridegreenlink.com/tiger/ .

edit.

I am not citylife, gman, or infoman. I am g-man430 and only g-man430.g-man430 (SSC) = citylife (UP)

I pointed to the evidence before and was instantly called a liar. Everyone else is now saying it and they haven't been labeled liars. The evidence is overwhelming by now. Just be honest and we can all be friends again. :)

Thanks for the good information lately g-man430/citylife. :lol:

g-man430 (SSC) = citylife (UP)

I pointed to the evidence before and was instantly called a liar. Everyone else is now saying it and they haven't been labeled liars. The evidence is overwhelming by now. Just be honest and we can all be friends again. :)

Thanks for the good information lately g-man430/citylife. :lol:

Yes I am citylife. I knew I couldn't keep a secret any longer. I just wanted to be back at urbanplanet to provide you guys with news and information. :) Sorry for calling you a liar. It's just I didn't want to get banned again. Hope you understand. :cheers:

Yes I am citylife. Sorry for calling you a liar... It's just I didn't want to get banned again. Hope you understand. :cheers:I have yet to understand Chicago-style politics.:gunz::runaway:

I hope BRT is successful enough to where local leaders will consider taking it to the next step: light rail.

^^ Yeah, I wonder which SC city will get the rail first?.....:hm:

Hard to say. Charleston seems to be extremely dense, Columbia has a major university, and Greenville has the most ambition for mass transit along with lots of economic development along this old rail line. It could be either of them. I think which ever metro area grows the fastest and wants it the most will get it in the future.

Good article here from Automotive News on ICAR: http://www.autonews.com/article/20090928/A.../309289992/1199 (http://www.autonews.com/article/20090928/ANA03/309289992/1199)

Another article here from the Greenville News on the new building that is planned for ICAR: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20...-auto-companies (http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091008/BUSINESS/910080327/1003/Clemson-plans-help-for-new-auto-companies)

New medical school in 2012: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910060379

BMW adding 700 jobs at Greer plant: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091009/NEWS01/91009009&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

^^ Yeah, I wonder which SC city will get the rail first?.....:hm:

I lean towards Charleston. It's already got the density (at least downtown) and is growing the fastest as an MSA. And preliminary plans for commuter rail are already in place.

I lean towards Charleston. It's already got the density (at least downtown) and is growing the fastest as an MSA. And preliminary plans for commuter rail are already in place.

Yeah, but Greenville has the preliminary plans for bus rapid transit and high speed rail already in place. :lol: Density wise though, Charleston wins. :yes: What if Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson become one MSA again? :dunno: Greenville has a very good application for bus rapid transit, not just because it has the population to support it but because of the bus plant that would come here along with research that would be done by CU-ICAR. The bus plant along with supplier base alone would create 6,176 new jobs by 2015 according to the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE).The US-DOT would be dumb, crazy, and stupid not to give Greenlink the TIGER grant money. All of those people working for the bus plant/supplier base would pump money back into the economy by eating at restaurants and shopping at retail stores. It would basically pay for itself in a few years thanks to taxes collected.

How much of a longshot is it for us to get the TIGER grant money? The future of BRT (and ultimately, perhaps LRT) in the Upstate seems to hinge on receiving that grant. It seems that we have put together a really nice proposal, with a great deal of support from businesses and lawmakers. And the research that has gone into planning the stations, bus routes, etc. is excellent. I really hope it works out for us! :banana:

How much of a longshot is it for us to get the TIGER grant money? The future of BRT (and ultimately, perhaps LRT) in the Upstate seems to hinge on receiving that grant. It seems that we have put together a really nice proposal, with a great deal of support from businesses and lawmakers. And the research that has gone into planning the stations, bus routes, etc. is excellent. I really hope it works out for us! :banana:

Hard to say. 1,380 applications were submitted worh $56.5 billion. Only $1.5 billion will be awarded. Greenville has several advantages going for it: bus plant with jobs, CU-ICAR research, population that would support it, economic development along old rail line corridor like Verdae along with development along shared road corridor like Easley Town Center, entities/companies that are supporting the plan, large employers along or near bus route like Fluor/Hubbell Lighting/downtown Greenville companies, large shopping centers along or near bus route like Haywood Mall/Shops at Greenridge/the Point/Magnolia Park, universities along or near bus route like Clemson/Greenville Tech/University Center/Tri-County Tech, air quality improvement, poverty level citizens having good transit option to get to work, unemployment rate improvement, etc.


http://media-newswire.com/release_1100322.html

The US-DOT wants innovative projects: Can't get much more innovative than electric buses that would be built at CU-ICAR with research there too. The buses would pull into a charging station where they would be fully charged in 10 minutes. Find me a current transit system that does something like that. The buses would have a special designed suspension system developed by the University of Texas that would make the buses feel more like a light rail train rather than a regular city bus. A hydrogen fueling station would be built at CU-ICAR also. This hydrogen fueling station would be used for research and to fuel the buses that run to Clemson University. It would be expanded in the future to be used to run fleet vehicles for the City of Greenville, Greenville County, AT&T, Duke Energy, UPS, and FedEx according to the application.

The US-DOT wants projects that would create jobs: The construction of the BRT would create 1,086 construction jobs and the bus plant along with suppliers would create 6,176 permanent jobs by 2015. 2,268 of the bus plant/supplier jobs would be created by 2012 when the BRT would be completed and opened. This does not include other economic development that would be built along the corridor like mixed-use developments which would also create construction and permanent jobs.

The US-DOT wants projects that help the environment: Can't get more environmentally friendly than a LEED silver certified multimodal transit center, electric buses that use no gas, bus stations that are run by solar power, reduction in CO2 by the cars that would be taken off the road, bike/walking trails, hydrogen powered fleet vehicles, etc.

The US-DOT wants projects that aren't completely dependent on only federal funds: The federal government would provide $99,950,000 while local governments/companies would provide $57,975,000. Greenville County would donate the old rail line between downtown and CU-ICAR for the development of BRT saving the federal government from having to buy the right of way. This is worth $9,000,000 alone. The county would also implement a $10 vehicle fee tax that would pay for the transit system after it is up and running according to the application.

Hard to say. 1,380 applications were submitted worh $56.5 billion. Only $1.5 billion will be awarded. Greenville has several advantages going for it: bus plant with jobs, CU-ICAR research, population that would support it, economic development along old rail line corridor like Verdae along with development along shared road corridor like Easley Town Center, entities/companies that are supporting the plan, large employers along or near bus route like Fluor/Hubbell Lighting/downtown Greenville companies, large shopping centers along or near bus route like Haywood Mall/Shops at Greenridge/the Point/Magnolia Park, universities along or near bus route like Clemson/Greenville Tech/University Center/Tri-County Tech, air quality improvement, poverty level citizens having good transit option to get to work, unemployment rate improvement, etc.


http://media-newswire.com/release_1100322.html

The US-DOT wants innovative projects: Can't get much more innovative than electric buses that would be built at CU-ICAR with research there too. The buses would pull into a charging station where they would be fully charged in 10 minutes. Find me a current transit system that does something like that. The buses would have a special designed suspension system developed by the University of Texas that would make the buses feel more like a light rail train rather than a regular city bus. A hydrogen fueling station would be built at CU-ICAR also. This hydrogen fueling station would be used for research and to fuel the buses that run to Clemson University. It would be expanded in the future to be used to run fleet vehicles for the City of Greenville, Greenville County, AT&T, Duke Energy, UPS, and FedEx according to the application.

The US-DOT wants projects that would create jobs: The construction of the BRT would create 1,086 construction jobs and the bus plant along with suppliers would create 6,176 permanent jobs by 2015. 2,268 of the bus plant/supplier jobs would be created by 2012 when the BRT would be completed and opened. This does not include other economic development that would be built along the corridor like mixed-use developments which would also create construction and permanent jobs.

The US-DOT wants projects that help the environment: Can't get more environmentally friendly than a LEED silver certified multimodal transit center, electric buses that use no gas, bus stations that are run by solar power, reduction in CO2 by the cars that would be taken off the road, bike/walking trails, hydrogen powered fleet vehicles, etc.

The US-DOT wants projects that aren't completely dependent on only federal funds: The federal government would provide $99,950,000 while local governments/companies would provide $57,975,000. Greenville County would donate the old rail line between downtown and CU-ICAR for the development of BRT saving the federal government from having to buy the right of way. This is worth $9,000,000 alone. The county would also implement a $10 vehicle fee tax that would pay for the transit system after it is up and running according to the application.

This might be your best post ever. Outstanding! :guns1::dj::banana2::applause:

Yeah, but Greenville has the preliminary plans for bus rapid transit and high speed rail already in place.

But the difference is that Greenville is apparently going to do BRT first, and based on how well that goes, go on to rail transit. Charleston isn't implementing BRT as a "trial" first; it plans to go straight to commuter rail transit.

But the difference is that Greenville is apparently going to do BRT first, and based on how well that goes, go on to rail transit. Charleston isn't implementing BRT as a "trial" first; it plans to go straight to commuter rail transit.

Greenville is going the smart way in my opinion. Commuter/light rail is expensive and the federal government is not going to fund something like that in a city the size of Charleston even with the pro-transit advocates currently in charge of congress/presidency. It's a lot cheaper to start off with BRT first than switch over to light rail when needed. The federal government is more likely to fund Greenville's BRT line due to this. It truly sucks in my opinion that the government won't pay for light rai/commuter rail in cities the size of Charleston and Greenville. :bash: Correct me if i'm wrong but i'm pretty sure we're the only country who spends more money on highways than mass transit. :nuts:

Here is what Charleston is asking for from the TIGER grant: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/09/city-to-seek-1463m-federal-grant/ It costs more than Greenville's and creates less jobs. Greenville's proposal would cost a little over $46 million less and create over 6,000 permanent jobs/1,000 construction jobs, while Charleston's would create a little over 3,000 jobs none of which are permanent. It's not very innovative either. However, it is something that is needed badly in the area. It seems to flood downtown everytime it rains there. I'm sure Greenville (the forum member) knows all about that. :lol: Oh and the federal government would be providing all the funds for this project. The DOT has already announced that they would prefer to fund projects that aren't completely dependent on federal funds.

Here is another one that Greenville is competing against: http://georgiatransitconnector.com/ Atlanta is asking for $298.3 million to build a streetcar system. It sounds like a nice proposal that is kind of innovative, but I can't seem to figure out why it's needed right next to the MARTA subway line. :dunno: Have people in Atlanta never heard of a bicycle or walking? Don't buses already run alone this route? It is around the same distance that the downtown Greenville-ICAR BRT line would be but costs three times as much. They claim 4,241 new permanent jobs would be created from developments along the corridor but there is no guarantee of that like there is with the bus plant that would be built in Greenville. This is another project that is completely dependent on federal funds. No local match.

Oh and we can't forget about Chicago's big package either: http://www.chicagopressrelease.com/press-releases/create-program-seeks-300-million-tiger-grant-projects-lead-to-thousands-of-new-jobs-economic-environmental-benefits-congestion-relief CREATE is asking for $300 million to expand the freight/passenger rail line in the area. I find this proposal to be the best out of the Atlanta/Chicago/Charleston ones because it's rail related which I think the country needs to bring back and it has a local match of $117.4 million. However, it only creates 4,500 jobs which is less than Greenville's and costs three times as much. They're only temporary jobs too while most of Greenville's are permanent. Do the math. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the job creation of this project doesn't justify the cost of it.

:ohno: Knowing the federal government, they'll screw over the mid-small cities again and only give the money to the large cities just because they're large. Greenville has a great proposal that shouldn't be denied just because we're not the biggest city in the south. After reading the TIGER grant applications from Charleston, Atlanta, Chicago, and Greenville, I find Greenville's to be the best one. We have innovation, jobs that are permanent/temporary, research, developments along corridor, population base, local match, support from entities/companies, etc. Out of the four proposals, it is the cheapest one and creates the most jobs.

Greenville is going the smart way in my opinion. Commuter/light rail is expensive and the federal government is not going to fund something like that in a city the size of Charleston even with the pro-transit advocates currently in charge of congress/presidency.

Commuter rail and light rail aren't the same thing. For one, light rail is much more expensive than light rail, and light rail is better suited for much larger metro areas (i.e., the size of Charlotte). Here, I'll let Joe Riley explain it to you. (http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/mar/13/commuter_rail_feasible_here/) :)

As far as Atlanta's streetcar proposal, streetcars complement heavy rail, not compete against it. Heavy rail stops every couple of (or even several) blocks, whereas the stops on streetscars are shorter and more frequent. Check out Portland, which has a great mix of light rail and streetcars. Also, streetcars are fixed-rail, so they have the potential to generate transit-oriented development, unlike buses.

Also, streetcars are fixed-rail, so they have the potential to generate transit-oriented development, unlike buses.

Why do you say that buses don't have the potential to generate transit-oriented development? BRT (in Greenville, anyway) will function much like light rail would, with stations, platforms for loading, and much faster movement of people from one stop to the next when compared to driving or walking. Heck, the BRT buses Greenville will be using even look like trains. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I now realize that you might've been referring to regular buses which share the road with cars, in which case I agree that they don't have the potential to generate transit-oriented development.

I just hope both Greenville, Charleston AND Columbia all get their transit systems they ultimately desire. :)
If Greenville does indeed build this BRT line, then I wish them the best. I do hope it is faster. And if indeed they have their own lanes, they should be much faster.
Question.....Does a BRT line have different speed limit regulations than other traffic? Just curious. :D

Why do you say that buses don't have the potential to generate transit-oriented development? BRT (in Greenville, anyway) will function much like light rail would, with stations, platforms for loading, and much faster movement of people from one stop to the next when compared to driving or walking. Heck, the BRT buses Greenville will be using even look like trains. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Well, I suppose I shouldn't say the potential for TOD isn't there, but it's lower. As of now, there are really no examples of BRT generating TOD like rail-based transit does. That doesn't mean it can't or won't happen, but that's where things stand as of right now. More than anything, there has to be the political will and planning to make it happen. Perhaps Greenville could be a pioneer in this area.

I think Greenville is in a pretty unique position with this. Converting an old rail line into BRT, as opposed to running it along a road, allows the availability of more developable land along the route. Plus, the route crosses through many out dated corridors that are begging for reinvention (Laurens Rd, Haywood Rd, Pleasantburg Dr), and the largest tract of undeveloped urban land in the entire state: Verdae.

I just hope both Greenville, Charleston AND Columbia all get their transit systems they ultimately desire. :)
If Greenville does indeed build this BRT line, then I wish them the best. I do hope it is faster. And if indeed they have their own lanes, they should be much faster.
Question.....Does a BRT line have different speed limit regulations than other traffic? Just curious. :D

My understanding is that the BRT in Greenville will actually be on what used to be a rail line, so it won't be sharing the road with cars at all. I also believe traffic signals will be coordinated so that the BRT always has right-of-way when crossing streets.

I am not sure how fast the BRB buses go, but I am sure the maximum speed it reaches depends on the distance between two stops. I bet g-man can tell us how fast the buses will go. :)

^^ Yeah, if anyone can, g-man CAN! ;)

Part of the BRT line in Greenville will be on the old rail line. The rest of the BRT will be on shared roadways. There will be queue jumpers at traffic lights to give BRT buses the green light when they get there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queue_jump They don't really go faster than a regular bus but they do go from stop to stop more faster/frequently due to having a ROW/green light at intersections along with having more buses on the route. This will only happen though if we land the TIGER grant. Do I think we will? Honestly, no. It's not that we don't have a good application. We do. It's that we have too many cities we're competing with. The DOT will go to the larger cities like they always do.

We're ready. The question is are you? http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20...1/YOURUPSTATE02 (http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091014/YOURUPSTATE/910140376/1401/YOURUPSTATE02) ;)

We are thrilled to be joining the 700,000 square foot campus and excited to be the exclusive Bowling and Family Entertainment Center for Magnolia Park. SUPERPLAY USA, a Bowling and Family Entertainment Center will offer an all encompassing entertainment and dining experience where guests can immerse themselves in a State-of-the-Art "family playground"; offering 34 lanes of private bowling, laser tag, an interactive game room, sports bar, martini bar, party rooms, and a billiards room.

:banana:

A place for the teenagers who say there's nothing to do: check.
A place for me to hang out and have fun: check.
An entertainment complex at Magnolia Park that has a movie theater right next to it and is what we wanted: check.

-I think we've got ourselves a winner. :D And if anybody complains about this, I will shun you. :uh: Yeah, I know it should go downtown. I've only heard that about 2,343 times before. It's time to just move on and stop complaining about not having everything downtown. Some things are going to go in the suburbs. That's just the way it is. Oh and the reason these things don't go downtown is because the demographics aren't there. Email TIC Properties if you don't believe me. Maybe we'll get lucky and somebody will decide to put something like this at Washington Square. Don't count on it though.

This is random I know but on this show called "Everybody Hates Chris" they just mentitoned Greenville, SC! :lol:

Infoman, help us find balloon boy. :D

:lol: ok I will!

This is random I know but on this show called "Everybody Hates Chris" they just mentitoned Greenville, SC! :lol:

What did they say?

It was probably New York Born saying something bad about us again. ;) We're getting a Magnolia Parking Lot Town Center with Costco, Rooms To Go, and a knock off Dave and Busters. High-end at its finest. :D

Oh and regarding the bars downtown Greenville. There are several. I told you which ones over at urbanplanet. Remember, i'm citylife. He's being mean to me. :cry:

What did they say?

The show was said something like this

Chris Talking: "My father was always cheap, and the Greyhound always seemed like the cheapest way to get to a place"
Chris Dad Talking (He's talking to somebody over the phone who's at the bus station): "Okay so we have to Go to 'Greenville, South Carolina, Richmond, Baltmore, New York, and Baltimre again, and Back to 'Greenvile South, Carolina"

That was the 1st time that they said it. Then on the 2nd time the father was actualy at the bus station.

Chris Dad Talking (this time he's at the bus station talking to somebody who work's there): "I need 5 tickets to Greenville, South Carolina, 2 Adults & 3 kids"
Clerk: "Where are the kids?"
Chris Dad Talking: "I'm trying to Get out of New York City to go to some country city, do you really think that I wanna stay here? I gotta funeral to go to"
and that's basically the last time they mentioned it... :lol:

Me and Greenville are arguing on urbanplanet on whether bars downtown are touted as family friendly. :hug: :lol:

Me and Greenville are arguing on urbanplanet on whether bars downtown are touted as family friendly. :hug: :lol:

I thought you were saying that the bars were family friendly, but I now understand that you meant downtown Greenville is family friendly. I definitely agree with the latter. :cheers:

By the way, g-man you should read the sticky thread at the top of the city-data Greenville forum if you haven't already. I guess SunnyKayak doesn't realize that the person's opinion was likely formed as a result of the trolls he/she continues to allow to post there.

I'm suspended from posting there, which makes even less sense to me. Whatever.

"I'm suspended from posting there, which makes even less sense to me. Whatever."
^^ A rebel without a reason! :lol:

The bars family friendly? :lol: That would be hilarious. Imagine kids going in there at 2am in the morning. Greenville is a rebel? :uh: Faint.

By the way, g-man you should read the sticky thread at the top of the city-data Greenville forum if you haven't already. I guess SunnyKayak doesn't realize that the person's opinion was likely formed as a result of the trolls he/she continues to allow to post there.

I'm suspended from posting there, which makes even less sense to me. Whatever.

I was suspended from there too, but i'm now back. I'm pretty sure Sunnykayak banned New York Born. At least I hope so. :) Oh and: http://www.city-data.com/forum/charlotte/788598-what-advantage-living-charlotte-over-greenville-3.html

G-man430, where are you getting that erroneous 1,321,980 figure from in your signature? That can't be coming from an official source, especially since the Census Bureau cites the CSA (remember, they split up the MSA and now the region is considered a CSA) population at 1.24 million. You should know better.

G-man430, where are you getting that erroneous 1,321,980 figure from in your signature? That can't be coming from an official source, especially since the Census Bureau cites the CSA (remember, they split up the MSA and now the region is considered a CSA) population at 1.24 million. You should know better.

:dunno: http://www.magnoliapark.com/demographics.html :D :bowtie: :wave: :hug:

"I'm suspended from posting there, which makes even less sense to me. Whatever."
^^ A rebel without a reason! :lol:

:rock: :lol:

And g-man, I like your signature. :okay:

:rock: :lol:

And g-man, I like your signature. :okay:

You like Obama? :uh: I knew you'd convert. :D :hug:

:dunno: http://www.magnoliapark.com/demographics.html :D :bowtie: :wave: :hug:

The 1.3 million figure comes from the Upstate Alliance and includes counties not included in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson CSA like Greenwood, Abbeville, Oconee, etc. If you changed it to "South Carolina's largest region" or something like that, that would be accurate since all of those counties do not constitute an MSA according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But you know that a shopping center's website is not an official source for population figures.

And g-man, I like your signature. :okay:

Why?

Why?

Obama. :uh: :banana: :bow: :master:

Obama. :uh: :banana: :bow: :master:

I seriously doubt that, LOL.

Why?

For Clemson, mostly. I also like the fact that he is acknowledging the connectivity between Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson.

I also like the fact that he is acknowledging the connectivity between Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson.

Sure, but he can do that using accurate designations and figures.

Accurate designations and figures? You mean like this: http://recenter.tamu.edu/Data/popm/pm3160.htm Personally I don't give a crap what Census thinks. Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson should be one MSA again. They all share the same airport even. Greer and Powdersville have caused all three counties to become interconnected. I live in Powdersville (Anderson County) but work in Greenville. I am over 30 minutes from downtown Anderson but only 10 minutes from downtown Greenville. Why am I not included in the Greenville MSA? Somebody at Census must be smoking crack. They either need to quit smoking that stuff or pass some over here.

Oh and regarding Magnolia Park: Shops at Greenridge has low-end (Lowe's/Ross) and high-end tenants (J.Jill/White House Black Market). Why can't this development? :dunno: :D

Accurate designations and figures? You mean like this: http://recenter.tamu.edu/Data/popm/pm3160.htm

That's not accurate either and you know it.

Personally I don't give a crap what Census thinks. Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson should be one MSA again.

But it's not. The Census Bureau makes the rules, not you. You can't just go making up your own designations as you see fit. And like I said, the CSA designation includes all three cities; you can use that number. Like I said, just say it's "South Carolina's largest urban/metropolitan region" or something that's much more accurate. I don't doubt that Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson will probably be recombined into an MSA again one day, but until that day comes, you've got to cite what they give. Hell, when that day comes, the Census Bureau will probably be using an entirely different term other than "metropolitan statistical area." Either way, you're still trying to justify using information and designations that you know are inaccurate.

Better? :dunno: Census needs to update their definition of MSA in my opinion. It's just not working well anymore for any metro area. Greensboro and Winston-Salem should be one MSA too in my opinion. What would I do without you krazeeboi? :D

Better? :dunno: Census needs to update their definition of MSA in my opinion.

Perhaps they do, but you don't have any power over that.

It's just not working well anymore for any metro area.

It works well for the vast majority of metro areas, actually.

Greensboro and Winston-Salem should be one MSA too in my opinion.

Maybe, but the folks in Winston-Salem don't really mind. It actually gives them more exposure having their own MSA. In the same way, I'm pretty sure the folks in Spartanburg and Anderson don't really care one way or the other.

I do have the power. I am g-man. :D Yeah, the vast majority but not all of them. I live in Anderson County and I care. :cry: :pet:

G-string,

Like Krazee said most people dont even know what the hell MSA means and it isnt like it stops people from moving here. Growth doesnt respect municipal boundaries. You know that.

-Eman

Did you just call him G-string? ROFL!!!!!

^^ :lol: LOL! That's funny! :hahaha: g-string! :hilarious

:lol:

By the way, g-man you should read the sticky thread at the top of the city-data Greenville forum if you haven't already. I guess SunnyKayak doesn't realize that the person's opinion was likely formed as a result of the trolls he/she continues to allow to post there.

I'm suspended from posting there, which makes even less sense to me. Whatever.

Just use another name and keep on posting....just like Akhenton06 did (and still does)....you know, Akhenton06 was supposedly living in Rochester, New York. Remember? :rofl::rofl:

edit

edit

What did g-man do this time? LOL

Credit to Harper Corporation for these great aerials of Verandas at the Point and Carolina First:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/Carolina-First-Site-4_l.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/Carolina-First-Site-5_l.jpg

More to come later.

Jobs: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izwCFuIqA-53m4x0p-qgNTGLfRCQD9BISVF82

More jobs: http://www.wyff4.com/news/21504394/detail.html

Did I mention jobs: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20091101/ARTICLES/911011065/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Upstate-woos-three-electric-vehicle-manufacturers

Oh and Charleston likes Greenville now: http://www.sundaygazettemail.com/News/200911030787

Lowe's:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-32.jpg

Tri-Tech USA:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-34.jpg

Tri-County Tech's new campus:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-26.jpg

Magnolia Park Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-15.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/023-13.jpg

Easley Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-33.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-31.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-33.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-30.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-29.jpg

Powdersville shopping complex:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/013-20.jpg


More to come later.

What is that complex in Powdersville going to be? I notice they are moving several houses and tearing all those old buildings down. Looks to be pretty large. Have you found out about this?

What is that complex in Powdersville going to be? I notice they are moving several houses and tearing all those old buildings down. Looks to be pretty large. Have you found out about this?Rumor is that the development will likely include a new Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walgreen's. A new grocery supermarket is also possible. Good news overall for Powdersville, although I hope similar developments will be slow to materialize in the future. Better planning will ensure a more sustainable community down the road.

Hey, is the I-Max Theatre still going forward? :? :hm:
If so, where is it going to be again, exactly? G-man? Anyone? :?

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091218/BUSINESS/912180309/High-tech-jobs-headquarters-coming-to-Greenville

High-tech jobs, headquarters coming to Greenville

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091213/OPINION/912130308/Building-a-school-and-a-future

Building a school and a future


http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091221/NEWS/912210308/Greer-sets-sight-on-the-future

Greer sets sight on the future

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20091222/NEWS/912220333/New-development-plan-will-guide-Mauldin

New development plan will guide Mauldin

http://www.ifoapplestore.com/db/2010/01/13/future-stores-old-canada-site-finally-greenville/

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100201/NEWS/2010356/Greenville-lands-bus-plant

Greenville lands bus plant
By Rudolph Bell and Tim Smith • Staff Writers • February 1, 2010

A Colorado company will build an electric bus factory in Greenville that will employ more than 1,000 people.





The Proterra plant is expected to be announced Thursday at ICAR, Clemson’s research park off Interstate 85.

Proterra has previously said it is considering Greenville for a $68 million plant and a research office at ICAR.


---------------------

Awesome news, Infoman! Huge employment! :yes:

Hope! Change! Results! :applause:
:D

http://www.ifoapplestore.com/db/2010/01/13/future-stores-old-canada-site-finally-greenville/

This is great news as well, Infoman! Way to go! :okay:

Anybody see the latest plans for the old Greenville Mall (Magnolia Park) site? I can't read the small details on the plan and was wondering what else besides the kids playplace was planned.

^^ Yeah, that's what I was wanting to know, as well. :yes:

Anybody see the latest plans for the old Greenville Mall (Magnolia Park) site? I can't read the small details on the plan and was wondering what else besides the kids playplace was planned.

http://www.menindevelopment.com/magnolia2.html

Greenville, SC Apple Store- http://www.ifoapplestore.com/photos/haywood_plan.gif Behind Helzberg Diamonds is former Hair Plus. Between Abercrombie and Helzberg is former Childrens Place. Walls are now up around both tenant spaces to make way for Apple. Both spaces connect to each other and will be made into one large space for Apple.

Former Hair Plus space:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-33.jpg

Former Childrens Place space:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-33.jpg


New ICAR building which will start construction in Spring 2010 in technology neighborhood I. Rendering from Greenville News:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/emergingtechcu-icar.jpg

Very cool. Thanks, man! :yes:

Meh, another corporate headquarters and jobs to go with: http://www2.wspa.com/spa/news/consumer/economy/article/major_packaging_firm_announces_corporate_headquarters_in_fountain_inn_sc/32989/ ;)

^^ Awesome! Greenville doesn't ever seem to come off the roll. It's always on it! :yes: :D

:D Wipe me down: http://www.constructionjournal.com/project_view.aspx?tab=2&id=650660&t=Bass+Pro+Shops+

Great googly moogly: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kemet-and-united-states-department-of-energy-sign-contract-for-151-million-government-grant-85971227.html

The troll is back. :rock: Bring it on. http://www.hockeygreenville.com/

:cry: http://www.wyff4.com/news/22731324/detail.html ;) :nocrook:

Let's get this party started. :dj:

This is your disclaimer: Alot of the things you're about to see are pretty dangerous and you probably shouldn't imitate them. So, that means all you little jerks out there; don't do anything you see in these pics. ;) Welcome to the new deja vu-

Comfort Inn:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-35.jpg

Buffalo Wild Wings:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-18.jpg

Courtyard by Marriott:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-34.jpg

Tri-County Tech's Easley campus:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/035-9.jpg

Future Washington Square site:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-34.jpg

Kroc Center complex:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-36.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-34.jpg

The Custom House mixed use development:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-36.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-37.jpg

Powdersville Station:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/033-11.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/034-13.jpg

Great Escape movie theater and IMAX:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/031-9.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/032-11.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/030-13.jpg

BMW:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/028-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/029-16.jpg

CU-ICAR:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/025-16.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/026-13.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/027-15.jpg

Magnolia Park Town Center Rooms To Go and future Superplay USA:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-20.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-23.jpg

Carolina First complex:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/021-16.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-16.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/023-14.jpg

Verandas at the Point:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/020-14.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/024-17.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/019-16.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-17.jpg

Verdae mixed use development project:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/010-26.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-28.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-30.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/013-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-24.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-21.jpg

The latest Manpower employment outlook is forecasting the Greenville metro area as fourth best in the nation for hiring in the second quarter: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100310/BUSINESS/303100036/Greenville-area-ranks-4th-in-nation-for-second-quarter-hiring-potential

Article on Magnolia Park: http://www.journalwatchdog.com/business/576-a-mall-story

A Florida-based company by the name of Astra/CFX that will provide tire and wheel assembly for BMW’s next generation of the X3 sports activity vehicle is investing $9 million to launch its site here and will bring about 50 contract jobs, at first, with an eye to an additional 100 in the future according to this article from the Greenville News: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100311/BUSINESS/303110013/Tire-and-wheel-assembly-company-will-bring-jobs-to-Greer

:nocrook: GREENVILLE WANTS MORE FIBER: http://www.examiner.com/x-33316-Boulder-Technology-Examiner~y2010m3d12-US-Cities-get-creative-to-grab-Googles-attention and http://www.wyff4.com/news/22804668/detail.html and http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/03/google-broadband-greenville-county.html

Photo update of Courtyard by Marriott project downtown: http://www.triangleconstruction.com/m@b_march10/index.htm

Renderings of NEXT apartment complex which has started construction: http://www.dp3architects.com/portfolio/community/next-residential/

:rock: Aloft by W or Sheraton: http://hotels.buildcentral.com/projects/project_detail.asp?project_id=1576481&searchandor=2&searchin=1&searchstate=SC&searchdate=0&searchsortby1=uploadeddate&searchsortorder1=desc&searchproduct=18&searchoption=2&searchproductmultiple=0&resulttotal=27&page=&provider_id=1000&category_id=1050&product_id=1093&subscriptiontype=0&UID={082103AF-F823-422B-9D43-8867B47AD9B3}

-Copy link and paste in browser

New marketing package with updated site plan of Easley Town Center: http://www.cedarwooddevelopment.com/images/projects/Easley-Marketing_Flyer.pdf

Bring back the penguin. :horse:

Last page for more updates. Apple, Pandora, Francesca's Collections, expanded American Eagle, new Panera, and possibly Anthropologie for Haywood Mall. :D

Did G-man die?

WHAT? :uh: G-man never dies. :banana: He's being mean to me. :cry: The troll is back. :naughty: :dj: Another new restaurant for Greenville: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100313/BUSINESS/303130021/1004/NEWS01/Owner-of-3-El-Patron-restaurants-in-Anderson-to-open-local-branch

Hey Raleigh-NC, did you poison G-man's doughnut?:lol: Perhaps he ate too many at one time and is now sick? He will be back. He cannot resist the power of The Force.:drool:

:rant: You want to step outside mister? Don't make me go Kazoo on you. :lol: And where is infoman? Conflabat. :bash: :cry: Blood Connection opens new location: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100311/YOURUPSTATE/3110305/1427/CITYPEOPLE

Right here sir! :lol:

Damn Greenville is still building at a rapid pace! :) Great photo's G-man, is there any word on who's going to the Carolina First Campus? I know they're still going there but they're not taking the whole campus. I LOVE BW3, they're always busy so trust and believe they're not closing!

And Damnnnn, they should just cancel MPTC. :/ Haywood Mall, and Haywood Road is going to take all the tenants that are supposed to go there.. :lol: they should just make MPTC into a office complex or something with buildings ranging from 4-12 levels. Ahhhhhh it feels good to dream...

Two huge Greenville updates to share:

-Southwest Airlines will begin offering service to GSP within the next year :dj: :dance:

-Trader Joe's will be opening on Woodruff Road near Academy Sports & Outdoors :banana: :pepper: :carrot:

StevenW, now you have no excuse not to visit Greenville. Drive up one day, fly Southwest out of GSP, and stop at Trader Joe's to get some goodies to take back to Columbia with you. :cheers:

How dare you update this thread. :rant: It was supposed to die a slow painful death but no you just had to resurrect it. :ohno: :cry: :D

How dare you update this thread. :rant: It was supposed to die a slow painful death but no you just had to resurrect it. :ohno: :cry: :D

:lol:

I know StevenW is eager for a Trader Joe's, so I was excited to get to post it here for him to see. :)

:D Fine, you win:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/traderjoes.jpg

YAY :) Finally, since I don't live in Greenville does that mean its not going to MPTC anymore?

StevenW, now you have no excuse not to visit Greenville. Drive up one day, fly Southwest out of GSP, and stop at Trader Joe's to get some goodies to take back to Columbia with you. :cheers:

I think StevenW lives in Newberry.

We've got three Trader Joe's here in Charlotte, but I'm nothing close to being up on these types of stores, so I haven't been nor do I have a clue what all the hoopla is about.

YAY :) Finally, since I don't live in Greenville does that mean its not going to MPTC anymore?

Correct. Many of the stores originally planned for MPTC have decided to locate in other developments in the area. Thankfully, Trader Joe's is one of them.

What recession? :dunno:

BMW to hire 500 new workers:
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4273049

CT&T announces new electric car plant for Spartanburg that could hire 370:
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100702/ARTICLES/7021022/1086

Cooper Standard to expand and hire 60 additional workers:
http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/35070-cooper-standard-to-expand?rss=0

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport announces major $98 million expansion/renovation:
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100714/ARTICLES/7141019/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Greenville-Spartanburg-Airport-to-receive-98M-upgrade

Trader Joe's:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/136.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/135-1.jpg

Apple:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-43.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-43.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-38.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-40.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-43.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/004-44.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-41.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-30.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-25.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-20.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/019-19.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/020-18.jpg

Dang I miss Greenville......cant wait till I can come back.

You guys ready? ;) G-man is back for the attack.

I-385 widening project in Mauldin area starting construction: http://www.wyff4.com/news/26028234/detail.html Official website: http://www.scdot.org/inside/I-385/default.shtml

Draexlmaier is planning a major expansion of its Spartanburg plant that will add hundreds of jobs over the next few years: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/5248679979_1fdb59c53d_b.jpg

ZF Group has started construction on a new manufacturing facility that will hire 900 jobs in northern Laurens County just a few miles south of Greenville County. Hiring has also started for the jobs: http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/dec/09/15/gov-sanford-visit-laurens-county-wednesday-meeting-ar-1187366/

BMW is in the process of hiring 1,600 new workers at their plant: http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/11/20/bmw-ramping-up-production-spartanburg-plant-could-be-running-near-capacity/

Coast Sign to put a manufacturing facility at SC-TAC in Greenville County and create 135 new jobs beginning in early 2011: http://www.wyff4.com/news/25535485/detail.html

:drool:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-47.jpg

More :drool: Video of announcement: http://www.gspairport.com/livestream.aspx
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/035-10.jpg

Verdae document talking about things in the works for development: http://issuu.com/kadair/docs/verdaetab_2010

Cheddar's restaurant for Magnolia Park: http://m.greenvilleonline.com/BETTER/news.jsp?key=411518

:cry: A major medical school is planned between GHS and USC in Greenville but the lowcountry folks aren't happy about it mainly due to MUSC competition: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/37224-musc-upstate-medical-school-must-not-be-state-funded?rss=0 Too bad too sad I say.

ICAR-
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-34.jpg

GHS expansion
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-42.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-46.jpg

Easley Town Center-
Kohl's:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/002-49.jpg

Walmart:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/001-50.jpg

ZF Group manufacturing facility-
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/003-45.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-41.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-45.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-43.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-37.jpg

Verdae-
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/020-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/017-25.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-27.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/013-32.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/018-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/019-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-27.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-28.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-32.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/023-18.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/010-33.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-32.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/021-21.jpg

Spinatour of new TCTC Easley Campus: http://www.spinatour.com/sys/tct/tour.html

Spinatour of Proterra's first Greenville produced bus: http://spinatour.com/proterra/ecoridebe35/tour.html

Former hospital in Greer sold. Plans for site in news article here: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/37383-allen-bennett-campus-sold-for-1-4-million

Bids go out on January 18th for the Greenville Technical College IT and Logistics Facility. Renderings and info here: http://www.fmarch.com/gtc.html#

The 2011 South Carolina International Auto Show presented by Motortrend returns to Greenville January 14th: http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/greenville/pressrelease/1587

Walgreens confirmed for Powdersville: http://powdersvillepost.com/view/full_story/10666997/article-Walgreens-coming-to-Powdersville?instance=home_viewed

Construction to officially start Monday on I-385 widening project: http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/dec/30/2/i-385-widening-project-starts-monday-greenville-co-ar-1281512/

La Parilla, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, etc. slated for Magnolia Park in addition to Cheddar's: http://www.greenvillesc.gov/PlanningZoning/PlanningApplications/Applications/2011/JANUARY/PlanningCommission/01-13-2011/Z-01-2011-MagnoliaParkPhase3.pdf

GSP Airport to land another low-cost airline carrier. Announcement on January 18th. Word on the street is that it will be Vision Airlines. :okay:

Greenville Hospital System expansion:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/034-15.jpg

CU-ICAR:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/029-19.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/030-16.jpg

New church going up in Simpsonville:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/025-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/024-21.jpg

Easley Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/038-9.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/039-10.jpg

I-385 widening project:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/028-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/027-21.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/026-19.jpg

Magnolia Park Town Center:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/013-33.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/014-30.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/015-33.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/016-28.jpg

ZF manufacturing facility:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/019-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/022-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/021-22.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/020-22.jpg

Verdae:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/005-49.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/006-45.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/008-39.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/007-45.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/009-36.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/011-34.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/012-29.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f221/g-man436/010-35.jpg

In looking through former post in this thread, I would like to make an apology for the ignorance had. I had no clue for the most part what I was typing, I honestly believed at that moment I was doing everything right by posting useless information by the masses. So once again, my apology to skyscapericty, other forum members, and the people who viewed my non-sense. Thank you.

Now with that said, "Are their any new developments?".

Now with that said, "Are their any new developments?".

A ton. Hopefully i'll have pics soon to share. :)