g-man430
October 26th, 2007, 05:16 AM
I couldn't find the original thread for this, so I just made a new one. I told you it involved county square and wasn't dead. :banana: Who was right? I was. :D
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.
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.