As the City of Greer celebrates 150 years as a chartered town, several projects are being worked on throughout the city limits.
According to city officials, Greer has about 15 capital projects currently underway for the month of March. GreerNews spoke with officials regarding six of its top projects, including its ForGreer initiatives and two additional trail projects.
Here’s a look at how these initiatives are progressing in the city, as of publication.
Sports and Events Center
The City Sports and Events Center is a multi-million dollar project that broke ground last August. The 200,000 square-foot facility is the largest project of the ForGreer initiative, a $100 million investment in four capital projects throughout the city.
Since last fall, Harper Construction crews have been working on the site. Precast wall installation was 100% complete as of early March, as was the construction of the roof decks for the auxiliary gym and tennis space. Currently, teams are working on structural steel installation, and the city is looking to approve utility easements for the site.
The Sports and Events Center is still on track to be completed by 2027.
Public Safety Training Center
The Public Safety Training Center will be a space supporting local law enforcement officers in their training. The project is expected to be the first of the ForGreer initiatives to see completion, with city staff currently predicting late April as the end date.
Insulation work was a priority for crews throughout the month of March. Construction on the wood roof of the burn tower was completed in the first half of the month, and final parking lot paving is expected to begin in early April.
The Groce Meadow Fire Department
A new fire station is expected to be constructed to provide services to the Lake Cunningham area as part of the ForGreer initiative. This project is still in its planning phase, with a solicitation for architectural services having been issued earlier this month.
City staff expects to award this project to an architectural firm in late April or early May.
Downtown Parking Garage
The final project of the ForGreer initiative, the city hopes to build a downtown parking garage consisting of over 500 parking spaces. Construction has not yet started on this project.
According to city officials, the project is on hold while staff work to discuss the continued development of downtown.
“The city has been working on a master plan of the area along Depot Street and is actively involved in discussions about the plan with the development community,” city communication staff said. “The city has remained intentionally flexible on the final plans for the new parking structure within that footprint to facilitate the most impactful new project for Greer.”
South Tyger River Greenway Trail
Outside of ForGreer, the city is also currently pursuing some trail projects. The South Tyger River Greenway Trail will be an ADA-compliant 0.7-mile trail, consisting of concrete, boardwalks and natural surfacing.
According to the city, the greenway will eventually connect Country Club Park, Greer Golf and Greer High School. While weather has posed a challenge for the trail’s construction, it is currently underway, with storm drain installation being completed in late February.
The South Tyger River Greenway Trail project is expected to be completed by June 13.
Wards Creek Trail
The Wards Creek Trail will be a pedestrian and cyclist trail, constructed with a combination of asphalt, concrete, shared-use roadway and boardwalk. The trail will be 10 feet wide, weaving through neighborhoods and into downtown.
Currently, the Wards Creek Trail project is in its planning stage. Plans have been submitted to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for final approval. There is no estimated timeline for approval from the SCDOT, but city staff notes this as typical.
The most recent update on the trail was a condemnation hearing that city staff attended on March 11 to determine the value of property condemned by the city for phase one of the project. The city was allowed to obtain this property, which was 4.37 acres, and the judge determined $19,000 to be a fair compensation for the landowner based on the city’s appraisal.
There is currently no set date for completion of the Wards Creek Trail project.
For additional information on Greer’s capital projects, visit the city’s ForGreer webpage. Greer’s Planning and Development Department’s website can be found here.
