Neuse Task Force Members Visit
Riverfront Development

The Liberty Bridge, which spans Greenville, SC’s Reedy River, connects the two sides of the Falls Park on the Reedy. The 345 foot long bridge was funded by Greenville's Hospitality Tax and has become a tourist attraction on its own.

Mother Nature, civic pride and visionary leadership joined forces in Greenville, SC over the past 25 years to transform a deteriorating downtown into a lively business and tourist mecca.

That was the main impression gained this week when members of Pride of Kinston’s Waterfront – Now! Task Force toured South Carolina’s leading Upstate city. Some 3.5-4 miles along the picturesque Reedy River winding through downtown have been transformed into a system of parks, bike and running trails, amphitheaters, gardens, art installations, pedestrian bridges and picnic shelters.

Restaurants, hotels, condominiums, offices and retail stores overlook the river. A 345-foot Liberty Bridge connecting two sides of Falls Park on the Reedy is a signature installation, and has become a tourist attraction in its own right….and a symbol of the city’s renaissance.

Greenville’s Main Street, steps away from the Reedy River, and once a barren stretch of forlorn buildings, is now a day-and-night destination for commerce and relaxation. Greenville’s development makes the point that beauty and economic development, when mixed with love and good taste, can be comfortable companions.

Illustration: More than 116,465 people come downtown to work on a daily basis --more than double the entire Greenville population of 56,000. This according to Greenville’s economic development department. Greenville ranks 1st in a survey of similar sized cities for the largest percent change in daytime population.

A member of the Greenville police force told the Kinston group, when asked how things have changed in downtown, commented: “Fifteen years ago, there was only one restaurant downtown….and it was a honky-tonk bar.” Today, there are 82 restaurants in the downtown area.

Greenville’s transformation took place during a period when the region’s textile manufacturing industry – once the throttle of Upstate South Carolina’s economic well-being – began to fade away.

“Now we focus on knowledge-based economic development,” observed Mary Douglas Neal, manager of Greenville’s downtown development, a division of the city’s economic development department. She briefed the Kinston delegation Tuesday on developments over the past 25 years.

Reedy River developments and the downtown revitalization efforts are a case study of successful public-private partnerships, according to Ms. Neal.

Efforts by community activists, park advocates and Greenville’s hospitality tax yielded millions for the parks and other installations along the river.

Greenville, SC downtown development manager Mary Douglas Neal briefs Kinstonians on her city's river and downtown developments over past 25 years. Listening to her presentation are (from left to right) Sharon Kanter (with back to camera), Dr. Charles Herring, Ms. Neal, Bill Ellis, Kinston-Lenoir Parks and Recreation Director, and Lyn Turner, co-chair of the Pride's Kinston Waterfront-Now! Task Force.

City and county governments – in league with investors – put up large sums of money for major downtown projects (such as the Hyatt Regency Hotel in 1982, Peace Center for the Performing Arts in 1991, and a West End Market in 1995). These “anchors,” and others, stimulated additional investments by local entrepreneurs, according to Ms. Neal.

The support and energy required to embellish the banks of the Reedy River fed the energies and support for developments along Greenville’s Main Street, she adds. And Main Street developments yielded encouragement for river-related projects.

She said a streetscape plan for downtown in 1979-1980 was a significant catalyst sparking the “new” Greenville. From that plan, Main Street was narrowed to two lanes, diagonal parking was instituted and sidewalks were upgraded and widened. Other planning ventures have been undertaken since that time, she added. A downtown master plan developed in 1998 is scheduled to be updated in 2007.

On Wedneday, the Kinstonians were given a tour of the Reedy River parks, bridges, art installation and gardens by Paul Ellis, director of Greenville’s Parks and Recreation Department. He was accompanied by Jan Cox who runs the department’s community programs.

Making the visit to Greenville were co-chairs of the Pride task force Lyn Turner and Tommy Pressly. Also on the trip were task force members Bill Ellis, Kinston-Lenoir Parks and Recreation Department, John Shimer III, Dr. Charles Herring, Sharon Kanter and Adrian King, Pride director.

NEWS BRIEFS

• PUBLIC MEETING: The Kinston Waterfront-Now! Task Force will hold a second public meeting on Monday, Nov. 27, 2006 at 6:00 pm at Rochelle Middle School, 301 N. Rochelle Boulevard. The meeting, hosted by Task Force Member and Rochelle principal Edwin Jones, is to gain community input as the task force works to develop its priorities among the various options outlined by a report from the North Carolina State University College of Design. The Rochelle meeting will be held in the school’s auditorium.
   
• OPEN HOUSE: Pride will host its annual Downtown Christmas OPEN HOUSE 5:30 – 7:00 pm Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006 to coincide with the lighting of Queen Street tree lights. Downtown merchants and friends are invited to attend. Address is 327 N. Queen Street in the Kinston Enterprise Center.
   
• RADIO AD CAMPAIGN: An ad campaign urging consumers to do their Christmas shopping (and dining) in downtown Kinston gets underway Monday, Nov. 20, 2006 and runs through Dec. 17. Some 76 commercials will be aired on 98.9 THE COUNTRY CLASSIC BEAR radio station.
   
• LANDSCAPING: Pride has awarded a contract for $6,778 to Wheat Swamp Landscaping in La Grange to refurbish the Cypress Landing parking lot at the corner of Caswell and Herritage Streets. The work is scheduled to be completed by mid-December.
   
• GIFT: The Home Gardeners garden club has donated funds to Pride to replace planting pots which were destroyed on Herritage Street several weeks ago. THANKS!
   
• DISPLAY CONTEST: The annual downtown window display contest has been announced. Store owners are being encouraged to come up with creative window designs. The windows will be judged Dec. 1, 2006. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards will be announced at the Dec. 5, 2006 Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce Christmas party.