Spartanburg City News Christopher George

As part of ongoing efforts by the City and partnering organizations throughout the Spartanburg community, the Homeless Engagement and Response Team (H.E.A.R.T) program was launched in partnership with the United Way of the Piedmont in 2022 to provide direct outreach to people experiencing homelessness in Spartanburg and to assist in connecting those residents with available service providers.  Responding to the ongoing challenges related to homelessness in our community and recognizing the increasing need for direct assistance for unsheltered residents, the H.E.A.R.T. provides a direct point-of-contact between those in need and the services that can make a difference in their lives. Today on the podcast, we're talking with members of the H.E.A.R.T. program and the leaders who coordinate their efforts.

Back in 2020, the City was fortunate to receive a Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant from the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The purpose of these funds is to remediate lead-based paint hazards and reduce other health hazards in the homes of families with children under the age of six and to safely improve the housing stock of older homes in the City of Spartanburg. Over the last four years, the program has turned out to be a great success story, creating a new pathway for improving the lives and health of vulnerable residents while also improving the city's existing housing stock. To date, 38 homes have either completed the program or are currently in the process of doing so. Today on the podcast, we're talking with the program's manager, David Maher about the program and the work the City's team is doing to create safer home environments for residents throughout our city. Listen below for more, and follow this link to learn more about how your home could potentially qualify for assistance with lead-based paint hazards.

With a redesign plan for Morgan Square poised to be taken up by City Council in the coming months, one question many may have is how the space can attract more visitors on a regular basis. Long a focal point for some of Downtown Spartanburg's most successful large events, the City's focus now turns to ways to increase Morgan Square's use as a daily communal gathering spot for less structured, smaller scale activity. In other words, what can the City do to ensure that the new Morgan Square is more than just a pretty space? Today on the podcast, we're talking with Dan Biederman of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV) about exactly that. Working concurrently with the process that created Morgan Square's new design, the team at BRV recently completed a programing plan for the space focused on establishing a daily hum of activity and ensuring that Spartanburg's most prominent public space can reach its full potential, connecting residents and visitors with the square more routinely and boosting foot traffic for the entire downtown footprint. A renowned expert on programming public spaces, Dan Biederman’s work includes the dramatic turnaround of Bryant Park in New York, which in the 70s and 80s was the city's most dangerous park. Today, Bryant Park is an international model of urban revitalization and is among the most actively used parks in the world. Thanks to the work of BRV, the model pioneered there has since become a template for creating successful programming models for public spaces throughout the country. 

First opening its doors in April of 1961, Spartanburg City Hall will soon be no more, making way for the construction of a new joint municipal government facility to be shared by the City of Spartanburg and Spartanburg County. As the City says its final farewells to the current City Hall—likely the last building to ever carry the name—Dr. Phillip Stone, Archivist at Wofford College and Brad Steinecke, Assistant Director of Local History at Spartanburg County Public Libraries join us to discuss the history of that building and the various facilities the City of Spartanburg has used to do the local public's business over the years. 

On the heels of the recent Council update on the City’s plan to enhance Morgan Square, we recently sat down with representatives from the design firm responsible for creating the square’s new design, Brenda Diaz-Flores and Darren Meyer with MKSK, to discuss how the design was created and what residents can expect before construction on the new square begins next year. Development of the Morgan Square plan was guided by a select steering committee of local leaders, downtown stakeholders, and area residents, representing the culmination of nine months of sustained public outreach and engagement. Enhancements envisioned by the plan include permanently pedestrianizing the sections of W Main and Dunbar streets along the square, creating festival streets that will both increase the functional size of Morgan Square and create a cohesive feel across the entire space. Additionally, an enlarged performance lawn at the square's eastern end would have adjacent public restrooms and a staffed visitor center, and a new stage orientation would allow upwards of 800 audience members to enjoy performances.  Other highlights include lounging terraces, bench swings, an outdoor dining zone for adjacent restaurants, a 70 percent increase in Morgan Square's total green space, and potentially a programmable water feature. 

Recently, we . In a move designed to grow the City's leadership capacity, Limehouse's emphasis will be on innovation and operational efficiency, joining City Manager Chris Story and Mitch Kennedy who has been promoted to Deputy City Manager.  Limehouse comes to Spartanburg from Charleston, SC where he has worked in state and local government for 17 years, most recently as Strategic Partnerships Manager for Public Services with Charleston County and Program Administrator for CORE SC. Today on the podcast, we're getting to know our new City teammate and learning more about what motivates his work in local government and why he and his family have chosen Spartanburg.