Presentation: State of the city 

Greenville City Manager Shannon Lavrin delivered the third annual “state of the city” address, highlighting Greenville’s continued growth. The presentation provided a recap of the work completed by the city in fiscal year 2025. Lavrin also highlighted key initiatives and projects that will be focused on during the upcoming fiscal year. 

The city has made significant progress on planning the multi-million-dollar renovation of Greenville City Hall. Lavrin said replacing the existing building would cost two to three times more than the planned renovation. Preliminary design plans for the project will go before the city’s Design Review Board on June 18. 

Plans were also announced in March for creating a downtown conference center as part of the Falls Park Conference District. More than $500 million in public and private investment is planned to transform more than six acres east of Falls Park into a new mixed-use district. Lavrin said the project will require substantial investment of time throughout the next year. 

The Greenville Police Department plans to launch a real-time crime center this year. This will provide a centralized, technology-driven hub for the department at the Public Safety Campus and Municipal Complex on Halton Road. Lavrin said the center will serve as mission control for public safety, providing officers with real-time data and support for more coordinated decision-making. 

Creating more parking in Greenville’s West End remains a priority for city leaders. In 2025, the city entered into a development agreement with RocaPoint Partners, the developer creating the $1 billion County Square project, for a new public parking garage on Howe Street. Lavrin said construction on the 400-space parking garage is slated to begin any day now. 

Progress has been made on designing the city’s new wheelsports park next to the Greenville Downtown Airport. The new park will consist of a bicycle playground, a pump track and a skate park. The city plans to look for a construction manager for the project this summer. Lavrin said the goal is to finalize the project’s design plans this year and start construction in early 2027. 

Several projects relating to the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail are also moving forward. Construction of the $4.7 million pedestrian bridge over Verdae Boulevard is expected to be completed by early fall. This project will allow for the trail to be extended to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. Lavrin said Greenville County has promised to have the trail paved upon completion of the bridge. 

“We hope that we have the Swamp Rabbit Trail extension completed by the end of this year,” Lavrin said. “The bridge is expected to be completed no later than October.” 

Additional trail projects that the city will focus on include:

• Airport Loop Trail: Five miles around the Greenville Downtown Airport
• Swamp Rabbit Trail rehabilitation: One mile between River Street and Unity Park
• Halton Road Shared Use Path: Three miles extending off the Swamp Rabbit Trail Green Line
• Zoo Trail: One mile between the Greenville Zoo and downtown Greenville
• West Village Connector: One mile connecting Unity Park and West Greenville

City staff will continue to work on upgrading the community centers in Viola and West Greenville. Construction of the new Viola Community Center is underway and expected to be finished by the end of 2026. Lavrin said the design vision for the West Greenville Community Center is also anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. 

Other key initiatives the city plans to work on in the next fiscal year include:

• Selecting a land planner for the city-owned property in Haynie-Sirrine, with construction aimed to begin in 2027 
• Creating infrastructure plans for the Greenline-Spartanburg neighborhood
• Potentially launching a pilot modular housing initiative to help with affordable housing
• Collaborating with a private developer on a missing middle housing pilot project
• Completing the city’s first Urban Forest Comprehensive Plan
• Improving the infrastructure, appearance and functionality of Court Street
• Transforming the alleyways in front of the Greenville City Design Center and at One City Plaza. 

Approved: State accommodations tax funding designations

City Council approved designating $2.4 million from the state accommodations tax fund to provide financial assistance for events and projects that promote tourism within the city. The events and projects receiving the funding were selected by the city’s Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee.

VisitGreenvilleSC will receive the largest total award amount of $1.6 million in state ATAX funding. The funding will be used to increase overnight visitation in Greenville and to support the organization’s tourism program for fiscal year 2026-27. 

The Metropolitan Arts Council was also awarded $300,000 to market and promote the arts community in Greenville. Other entities that received funding include Artisphere, Falls for Greenville, South Carolina New Play Festival, the South Carolina Children’s Theatre, Upcountry History Museum, the Children’s Museum of the Upstate and more. 

Approved: $2M for public space upgrades, safety improvements

The city received $20 million in earmarked funding from the South Carolina General Assembly in fiscal year 2023-24. The funding went towards a specific list of public space upgrades and safety improvement projects. 

City Council gave initial approval to appropriate $2 million in additional funding to four capital projects. This will reimburse the city funding previously set aside for these projects with additional state-earmarked funds. 

The funded projects include:

• $541,349 to the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan project
• $357,992 to the Cultural Corridor project
• $575,778 to the Stone Avenue Corridor project
• $598,594 to the Augusta Street utility undergrounding project

Approved: $241K for Hudson Street and Townes Street projects

City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate $241,976 to improvement projects on South Hudson Street and Townes Street. The funding comes from the city’s previous sale of right-of-way and temporary easements to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the bridge replacement project on Hudson Street. 

The city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department will use $45,000 to complete landscaping work on the right-of-way area affected by the bridge replacement on South Hudson Street. The remaining $196,976 will be used by the city’s Engineering Department to complete a road diet and improvements on Townes Street between West Elford Street and West Park Avenue. 

Approved: Annexation applications

City Council gave final approval to four annexation requests, including an application for two land parcels consisting of 7.56 acres off Conestee Road and Spanco Drive. Park District (PK) zoning will be applied to the parcel on the north side of the Reedy River, owned by the Conestee Nature Preserve. 

Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project owns the second land parcel, which encompasses the newly constructed Conestee Dam. The portion of the parcel containing the dam will be zone PK. The other section, located south of the Reedy River next to the historic Conestee Mill, will be rezoned Mixed-Use 3. 

The other approved annexation applications include:

• 7 acres of open space on Grove Road and West Faris Road, with the proposed city zoning of PK
• 0.78 acres of land at 201 Edwards Road, with the proposed city zoning of Residential House B District (RH-B)
• 0.31 acres of land at 116 Otis St., with the proposed city zoning Residential House D District (RH-D) in the Greater Sullivan Neighborhood Revitalization Overlay District

Additional items

• City Council approved a resolution to amend the city’s procurement procedures. The amendment will increase the limits for acquisition and procurement methods from $2,500 to $5,000.
• City Council gave final approval to rezone an approximately 0.24-acre property on Pine Street from RH-D to Residential Neighborhood A District (RN-A)

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Long-awaited upgrades are being made to one of the branch’s youth sports fields and the parking lot over the summer. YMCA staff, board members, donors and community supporters celebrated the start of renovations at a groundbreaking ceremony on June 8. The Caine Halter Family YMCA is located at 721 Cleveland St. in Greenville. 

The facility’s youth sports fields sit at the lowest elevation on the 26-acre campus, often becoming waterlogged from stormwater runoff after heavy rain. Jaime Johnson, executive director of the Caine Halter Family YMCA, said water can sit on the fields for up to two weeks, resulting in canceled practices and postponed games. 

The renovation project will solve this problem by raising the sports fields, creating an underground stormwater retention pond and adding new artificial turf. This will ensure the field can be used year-round. The parking lot will also be extended next to the sports field, creating 110 additional parking spaces for families and spectators. 

With the field upgrades, it will also be able to serve more children through its youth sports program. Sam Franklin, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greenville, said the nonprofit organization has doubled the size of its youth sports programming since 2017. Approximately 13,000 children were served in the YMCA’s youth sports program in the past year, with ongoing waitlists.

“Since COVID, we’ve had 200 plus kids on the waitlist for spring and fall soccer, probably another 100 in flag football,” Franklin said. “It was because of the field, we just didn’t have the space.”

The enhanced sports field will allow for six new youth soccer teams for the age group with the greatest demand: children ages three to seven. More than 120 additional boys and girls will be able to participate in the branch’s sports programming. Johnson said the improvements would also allow the branch to potentially add new adult sports programs. 

The youth sports field and parking lot renovations represent the latest project of the Caine Halter Family YMCA’s $8.5 million “Building a Brighter Tomorrow” capital campaign. The public phase of the capital campaign kicked off in October 2023. Since then, the campaign has raised $6.7 million and supported several other improvement projects at the 66-year-old branch, including:

• Installing a retractable enclosure system over the branch’s outdoor pool
• Renovating the branch’s original gymnasium 
• Upgrading the branch’s tennis center to add three pickleball courts

Field 1 will be closed over the next few months while renovations are underway. The branch’s three remaining fields will still be accessible. According to the YMCA, a portion of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail behind the sports field will be temporarily closed in mid-June for the project. Renovations are expected to be completed in August. 

The final phase of the “Building a Brighter Tomorrow” capital campaign will be installing a new community pavilion next to the youth sports field. The pavilion would feature restrooms, gathering space, a picnic area and storage. Franklin said they also hope to raise more funding down the road to re-turf the other three youth sports fields. 

For more information, visit ymcagreenville.org/caine-halter-capital-campaign. 

History and Facts

The YMCA of Greenville was founded in 1876 in downtown Greenville. The Caine Halter Family YMCA, previously the Cleveland Street YMCA, was constructed in 1960. Today, the YMCA of Greenville serves more than 85,000 people across its branches and programs.

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The two educational institutions signed an agreement on June 4, allowing the school district to use welding space at the college’s Brashier Campus in Simpsonville. The space formerly housed Greenville Tech’s welding program. It will be used by the school district’s Golden Strip Career Center starting the 2026-27 school year. 

High school students will be able to complete two years of welding classes on the Brashier Campus with access to hands-on class activities at Greenville Tech’s new Center for Welding and Automation Excellence. The college’s welding program will move into the new 44,000-square-foot facility in August. 

“By partnering with the district to use our former welding space, we expand access to welding education and give students a seamless way to follow pathways that advance their professional credentials and earnings,” said Larry Miller, president of Greenville Technical College. 

An average of 300 students apply for the school district’s welding program each year. GCS currently has 100 welding booths across its four career centers. Greenville Tech’s former welding space will provide 120 additional booths, plus the 300 booths created by the new Center for Welding and Automation Excellence. 

This partnership represents a 350% increase in the school district’s welding program capacity to help address the ongoing workforce shortage of welding technicians. According to GCS, there are currently 400,000 welding job openings nationwide. 

“By expanding access to welding education at a time when skilled trades are critically important to our economy, we are creating more opportunities for students to graduate with valuable industry credentials, college credit and clear pathways to high-demand, high-wage careers,” said Superintendent Burke Royster. 

In April, GCS Board of Trustees authorized the transfer of $455,000 from the district’s general fund for one-time facility upgrades and five-year operating costs to use Greenville Tech’s welding space. The board also authorized the lease agreement for the space at its regular meeting on May 26.

Students in 10th through 12th grade at any of the district’s 15 high schools are eligible to take the new welding course at Greenville Tech’s Brashier Campus. One morning and one afternoon course will be available, serving 20 students in each session.  

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The planning document will outline strategies for enhancing the public transit system’s services over the next five years. Greenlink’s current Transit Development Plan was adopted in 2018 and updated in 2021. 

“The transit development plan is our roadmap,” said Katerina Moreland, transit finance and compliance administrator for Greenlink. “It defines our goals, objectives and our next steps as we look to continue to improve our system across all of the greater Greenville area.”

Greenlink kicked off the planning process at the beginning of the year with consultants from Montreal-based engineering firm WSP. Initial public input was collected from a community survey and a 70-person focus group. 

Potential bus route improvements have been identified in five areas within Greenlink’s transit network, based on collected community input and data analysis. The proposed changes were presented at six public meetings held June 1-3. Community members are invited to complete an online survey to provide additional feedback on the recommendations. 

Bus improvement areas

Changes have been proposed to Greenlink’s bus routes serving the Woodruff Road and Mauldin areas. A new route is recommended to provide public transportation to Bridgeway Station and the new GE Vernova Park in Mauldin. Greenlink is also exploring extending service coverage further down Woodruff Road with a new route to reach the Walmart Supercenter, Aldi and Publix. 

“We want to get people to places where they work, go to school, get food or access healthcare,” said Andrea Gray, public engagement manager for Greenlink. “We’re trying to make sure people can get around our city in a very efficient way.”

Another proposed improvement would be extending Route 509: Haywood along Pelham Road to the Walmart Supercenter in Greenlink’s East Greenville service area. The public transit system is also considering updating Route 505: Rutherford to provide more services along Pleasantburg Drive and extend to the Greenville State Farmers Market. 

Read more Greenlink news

One of Greenlink’s loop routes, Route 506: Woodside, is recommended to be split into two routes to provide more efficient service to Berea. Transit users would be able to ride the bus on either the Cedar Lane Road or Old Buncombe Road routes from downtown Greenville to Food Lion in Berea. The proposed route along Old Buncombe Road would also provide service coverage to Heritage Green on College Street.

Greenlink has proposed extending Route 503: Poinsett farther north to downtown Travelers Rest and the Prisma Health North Greenville Hospital. Gray said the updated route would provide service to the Walmart Supercenter in Travelers Rest, which was a request made by students at Furman University. 

The final recommendation involves splitting Route 504: Anderson into two separate routes running to the southwest area of Greenville. The route change would add more bus service along White Horse Road, reducing the need for transit users to cross the busy road. Gray said bus service would also be added back for the Staunton Bridge neighborhood. 

Next steps

Greenlink and its consultants plan to examine the financial feasibility of the proposed bus route changes presented at public meetings. Moreland said this will determine how much funding it would take to implement changes in coming years. 

The recommended transit improvements will be further refined based on these findings and public comments. A draft version of Greenlink’s 2026 Transit Development Plan will be developed over the summer with updated recommendations. Greenlink staff expect to create the final planning document in fall. 

For more information, visit https://www.greenvillesc.gov/2738/Greenlink-2026-Transit-Development-Plan.

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Recognizing the importance of discarded oyster shells is one of the reasons Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) established its oyster shell recycling program in 2017. By building community support and key partnerships with restaurants, ReWa has contributed about 430,000 pounds to the state Department of Natural Resources oyster shell recycling and planting program.

Building a virtuous cycle

As a water resources utility, partnering with SCDNR’s South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement program was a natural fit for ReWa, according to Haley Denison, the ReWa watershed and natural resources specialist who coordinates the utility’s oyster shell recycling program.

In a very real sense, oysters perform a similar function to ReWa in filtering water and improving water quality. The animals inside oyster shells pull the nutrients they need to survive from the water surrounding them. At the individual level, the effect is tiny but multiplied by the hundreds and thousands of oysters that make up an oyster reef and the impact on water quality and the health of the surrounding ecosystem is profound.

“There are a lot of parallels,” Denison said. “(Oysters are) improving water quality, filtering up to 50 gallons a day from a single adult oyster once they’re mature.”

To many people, they’re also delicious.

Capitalizing on that fact was one of the reasons the Table 301 restaurant group opened The Jones Oyster Co. in late 2022. According to Steve Seitz, Table 301 vice president and chief operating officer, the restaurant and staff were committed from the start to recycling the thousands of discarded shells the restaurant generates every week.

But that would have been extremely hard, if not impossible, without ReWa’s shell recycling collection site near the intersection of Mauldin and Wenwood roads.

“I drive my pickup truck to the drop station up to three times a week on average,” Seitz said. “If it wasn’t available, I don’t know how we’d do it.”

Those three trips each week represent on average about 10,000-12,000 shells. The volume was so significant that ReWa had to significantly expand its drop-off site as soon as The Jones Oyster Co. started adding its shells to the program.

From the mountains to the sea

Even though Greenville is more than 200 miles from the coast, ReWa’s oyster recycling program represents a significant percentage of shells recycled through the SCORE program, according to Holly Sommers, SCDNR’s coordinator for the program.

Part of her job is educating the public about the critical importance of oyster shell recycling. Oysters need oyster shell to replenish themselves, Sommers said, and a healthy oyster reef is typically home to more than 120 species of fish and other marine animals.

Despite having one of the best shell recycling programs in the country, SCDNR has to purchase shells from shucking houses each year to accomplish its task of maintaining and replenishing oyster reefs all along South Carolina’s coast, Sommers said.

That’s expensive.

“(That’s why) it’s so important that we work with whoever we can throughout the state to recycle as much shell as possible,” she said.

But beyond collecting recycled oyster shells, ReWa staff and volunteers transport the shells to the coast and participate in reef builds. According to Denison, seeing how the shells are returned to the sea to sustain and bolster marine ecosystems underscores the interconnectedness of the entire water cycle.

“Just from working in the water industry, you learn pretty quickly how connected all of your actions and your network really can be,” she said.

She added that every reef build has been rewarding and that each time she and the other volunteers learn something new. They also enjoy meeting other volunteers from all over the Palmetto State.

“People are always fascinated to learn where the shells are coming from, that even up in Greenville we’re still recycling the shells,” Denison said. “They love to hear about the efforts we’re doing, so it’s a good community-building experience.”

Good to know:

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ oyster shell recycling and reef building program is funded through sale of saltwater recreational fishing licenses.

ReWa shell recycling, by the numbers

• Since it began in 2017, the program has recycled more than 429,495 pounds of oyster shells.
• ReWa volunteers used 13,125 pounds of shells collected this year for a reef build April 30 along Old Towne Creek in Charleston.

Why oyster recycling matters

According to SCDNR, the closure of most oyster canneries and shucking houses along the coast in recent decades has greatly reduced the amount of shells available to cultivate and restore the state’s oyster beds. Also, the increasing popularity of backyard oyster roasts and sale of by-the-bushel oysters have further reduced shell availability, as most of those shells tend to end up in a landfill.

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Upstate soccer fans will probably never know all the effort, collaboration and sheer tenacity it took to propel a new soccer stadium from an idea to the actual structure taking shape at Mauldin’s BridgeWay Station, but they will get the chance to help define the impact of that space and guide its continuing evolution.

Placemaking

The vision for a home stadium for Greenville Pro Soccer’s clubs was, from the outset, bigger than creating just a soccer facility. That vision pulled in the interest and financial support of state and local governments to partner with the soccer clubs and private enterprise to make the facility a reality.

For Hughes Investments Inc. founder and CEO Phil Hughes, GE Vernova Park is in many ways a fulfillment of the vision behind BridgeWay Station.

“From our first conversations with the City of Mauldin and Greenville Pro Soccer to now, we have been setting the stage for this milestone moment: the first home match at GE Vernova Park,” Hughes said. “We look forward to continuing to work alongside these incredible partners and building memories at BridgeWay Station for many seasons to come.”

Although fraught with challenges and unexpected hurdles, the years-long process of bringing the stadium to life has been hugely rewarding, said Ryan Peiffer, VP of development at Hughes Investments.

Even more rewarding is the prospect that fans and other visitors to the stadium and BridgeWay Station will shape the character of both and build community that will extend far beyond game days, Peiffer said.

“GE Vernova Park will change the way people experience BridgeWay Station, and it will provide a true gathering place for the community – a place where families create memories, friends come together, and the energy of the Upstate can be experienced year-round,” Peiffer said.

Believing in that broader vision and impact is one of the reasons GE Vernova became a partner in the stadium and secured naming rights. Investing in the community GE Vernova’s employees call home and where they spend so much of their time and energy was important to the company and its people, said Jason Reagan, GE Vernova Greenville Plant Leader.

“We’re proud that GE Vernova Park will carry that same energy by bringing people together, creating lasting memories and celebrating the pride we all share in this community and the people who make it special,” Reagan said.

The stadium also represents a significant investment for the City of Mauldin and is an emblem of the city’s commitment to improve the quality of life of its citizens, said Taft Matney, the city’s mayor pro tempore and chairman of city council’s economic planning and development committee.

“GE Vernova Park is a tremendous example of what can happen when public and private sectors come together around a shared vision,” Matney said. “This multi-use stadium gives the Greenville Triumph and Greenville Liberty a permanent home, creates a new destination for residents and visitors, and strengthens Mauldin’s position as a hub for sports, entertainment and economic development.”

Soccer’s promise

Soccer is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and the Greenville Triumph and Greenville Liberty teams have built a devoted and enthusiastic fan base over the years.

Ensuring those fans have the best possible experience at GE Vernova Park is among the teams’ highest priorities, according to Zach Prince, club general manager and sporting director.

While the stadium will not be completely finished on opening day, it will give fans a satisfying taste of what it will become and how important it is to the future of local soccer, Prince said. “Soccer is a vehicle to drive community and positivity in the community.”

Prince said part of his vision for both soccer and the stadium will create an environment where it’s common for people to “high-five a stranger.” He added this is the type of energy and atmosphere the Triumph and Liberty teams want to create for their home stadium.

A great deal of thought and effort has gone into the various elements that will shape fan experience during games, from the caliber of the seating and the type of food on offer to what’s being displayed on the scoreboard and how long people have to stand in line, said Prince.

“While the space is still very much under construction, I want people to understand we’re not using that as a crutch and saying…it’s going to be great,” Prince said. “We want to make it great right now.”

For more information or tickets to upcoming games, visit greenvilletriumph.com.

GE Vernova Park fast facts

Besides being the home to the Greenville Triumph and Greenville Liberty soccer teams, the multi-use stadium will also host concerts, festivals and other community gatherings. The stadium:

• Is owned by the City of Mauldin, which contributed about $4.5 million toward its cost
• Features 4,006 seats but will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 visitors for non-sports events through on-field activation
• Will be operated by Hat Trick Properties LLC, a company created by Greenville Pro Soccer

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Bryson’s family announced his passing in a statement, according to the Variety. Multiple media outlets reported on Sunday, May 31 that Bryson was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.

Born April 13, 1951, Bryson grew up living in both Greenville’s Southernside neighborhood and on his family farm in Mauldin. According to the city of Greenville, he started performing with Moses Dillard and the Tex Town Display at Mayberry Park when he was 14 years old.

Greenville City Councilmember Lillian Brock Flemming recalls growing up in Southernside with Bryson in a statement following his passing.

“I am saddened by his passing after his stroke,” Flemming said in a statement. “His presence and God given talent will be greatly missed by this world! I thank God for the opportunity to play together and share our lives as young people. I am praying for his family!”

The R&B singer was best known for recording the theme songs for two Disney films in the early 1990s. Bryson won two Grammys for his duet “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle. Both tracks won Academy Awards for Best Original Song. 

Bryson was given a key to the city by Greenville Mayor Knox White during his performance at The Peace Center in May 2023.  At the show, state Sen. Karl Allen also presented Bryson with a sign representing a section of North Academy Street that was named in his honor. A mural celebrating Bryson was also unveiled on the wall of The Commons at Unity Park in September 2024.

“Peabo Bryson had an unmistakable voice that touched people around the world and a deep sincerity on and off stage,” White said in a statement. “His many lifelong friends in Greenville are a testimony that his character was as genuine as his talent.”

Details will be announced at a later date for the celebration of life and memorial arrangements for Bryson.

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This idea stands at the center of the experiential nonprofit organization’s new partnership with the Prisma Health Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital in Greenville. The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient care for those with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, amputation, multiple trauma, cancer and other neurological conditions. 

Premier Arts Collective began hosting bi-monthly therapeutic art workshops at the hospital in March. Elizabeth DuBose, administrator of Roger C. Peace, explained that the workshops offer patients, caregivers and staff an opportunity to connect, reflect and engage in recovery beyond traditional therapies.

“At Roger C. Peace, rehabilitation is more than physical recovery – it’s about supporting the whole person,” DuBose said. “Partnering with Premier Arts Collective allows us to integrate creativity and self-expression into the healing process in a meaningful way.”

The new therapeutic art workshops were inspired by Brad Carraway, a therapeutic art facilitator with Premier Arts Collective, and his daughter, Katarina. In 2021, Katarina Carraway became a patient at Roger C. Peace after being involved in a traumatic accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. 

She became involved in an outpatient support group program with the hospital for people with spinal injuries. Brad Carraway started offering therapeutic art-themed events for his daughter’s support group and expanded to working with other outpatients at Roger C. Peace. He later connected the hospital with Premier Arts Collective to create an inpatient therapeutic art program. 

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Katarina Carraway said. “I love to encourage others to explore their creativity in ways that feel accessible and empowering, while also advocating for more inclusion and accessibility.”

Therapeutic art workshops

Alison Hughey, a board-certified music therapist, led the most recent workshop at Roger C. Peace on May 29. During the workshop, patients sang along to classic songs like Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The workshop also allowed patients to work on their physical therapy goals while playing instruments.

One of the patients who participated in the music therapy workshop was Ken Hurt. Hurt has been undergoing rehabilitation at Roger C. Peace since early May after suffering a stroke. He enjoyed the camaraderie formed during the workshop with the other patients. 

“I wouldn’t typically sit in a room like that, but I would go out to a bar and do the exact same thing that we did,” Hurt said. “It helps remind you that this is semi-normal. It’s an odd location but a normal experience – interacting with people, singing some songs, laughing a little bit and telling some stories. That’s good – anything that can lift your spirits.”

Premier Arts Collective provides therapeutic art and music programs across Upstate South Carolina and beyond. Logan Rice, the organization’s vice president, said the patients at Roger C. Peace are one of the many populations that the Premier Arts Collective serves, from survivors of sexual assault to underserved children and youth.

“The arts are so versatile, and in environments like this at Roger C. Peace, there are just so many ways they can be beneficial to this population,” Rice said. “We’re looking to do five programs at the hospital over the course of 2026 and then – Lord willing – keep going in the years to come.”

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The city’s Planning and Development Department is exploring ways to expand Greenville’s housing supply by promoting the creation of missing middle housing. This concept refers to house-scale buildings containing multiple residential units. Examples include duplexes, triplexes, four-plexes, townhomes, cottage courts, courtyard apartments and similar developments.

Mary Douglas Hirsch, the city’s director of planning and development, said missing middle housing is “gentle density” that can be used for infill development within the city. Missing middle housing is ideal in walkable neighborhoods near retail, food, open space and other amenities. These housing types sit between detached single-family homes and high-rise apartments on the housing-density spectrum. 

“We’re dusting off this concept as we’re looking at a variety of tools to achieve more housing. This is not the silver bullet,” Hirsch said. 

Construction of these housing types has been widely missing in the United States since the early 1940s. Existing examples can be found in neighborhoods and historic districts across the city of Greenville, including in Hampton-Pickney, Greenline-Spartanburg and the West End. 

Missing middle housing can appeal to a range of demographics, from empty nesters looking to downsize to young professionals. Greenville City Councilmember Tina Belge explained that this housing type can also provide more attainable options for middle-income households and create homeownership opportunities. 

“We’ve gotten pretty imbalanced in our homeownership and rental in our city and homeownership is just not attainable for so many people,” Belge explained. “More missing middle housing is not only to lower price points so they can rent at a more affordable price, but maybe also purchase.”

Greenville housing study and planning

The concept of missing middle housing was reintroduced by Daniel Parolek, founding principal of California-based Opticos Design, in 2010. In 2019, the team at Opticos Design completed a two-part study of the regulatory barriers to creating these housing types in the city of Greenville and Greenville County. The study results and recommendations were presented to the Greenville City and County Councils in 2020. 

Hirsch said the study set the stage for the creation and adoption of the GVL2040 Comprehensive Plan in 2021. The plan promotes missing middle housing strategies and outlines areas within the city suitable for this housing type, such as around downtown Greenville, Augusta Street and the Village of West Greenville. A five-year update of GVL2040 is currently underway.  

The city also overhauled its zoning and land development regulations to adopt the new Greenville Development Code in 2023. Existing zoning barriers restricting the creation of missing middle housing were removed from the new code. A new zoning category, Neighborhood-Scale Zoning Districts, was also created for these housing types. 

Neighborhood-Scale Zoning Districts allow low-intensity housing options ranging from 2.5 to 3 stories tall. These buildings can accommodate between 4 and 12 residential units, with a 16-unit max when the development bonus is applied. This zoning type can be found in pockets throughout the city, often as a transition between single-family residential neighborhoods and commercial areas.

Despite the new zoning framework, city staff have not seen many missing middle housing options, outside of townhomes, being created in Greenville. The city invited Tony Perez, senior associate with Opticos Design, to visit Greenville in May to meet with city officials, developers and the community about missing middle housing. 

Perez led a housing workshop with the city’s Planning Commission on May 13. Commission members discussed the current barriers that prohibit developers from building missing middle housing, such as financing issues, utility fees and building codes. Hirsch explained that the city will explore ways to mitigate these barriers for developers.

Planning staff is also interested in completing a pilot project for missing middle housing on city-owned land in partnership with a home builder. Hirsch explained that the project would help test out building this housing type to work through any hurdles. The pilot project would also create new housing for the community. 

“Over the summer, we’re going to be exploring this more and figuring out what our next steps are, but planning will be following up with other departments at the city and our city council on next steps,” Hirsch said. “We’ve got good momentum and interest, so I’d like to continue the conversation.”

Definition of missing middle housing

“House-scale buildings with multiple units in walkable neighborhoods.”

Source: Opticos Design

Examples of missing middle housing

• Duplex
• Triplex
• Cottage court
• Townhome
• Multiplex
• Courtyard apartments
• Accessory dwelling units
• Live/work building

Missing middle housing study

Opticos Design, the architects behind the missing middle housing movement, completed a two-part study of the city of Greenville and Greenville County in 2019. The study was commissioned by Impact Greenville, a coalition consisting of the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, Upstate Forever, the Greenville Housing Fund, Greenville Community Foundation and the city of Greenville.

Population growth

The city of Greenville had a total population of  79,396 residents in 2025. By 2030, the city’s population is projected to reach 85,616 residents.

Source: City of Greenville

***

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied units

Year: 2025

• Renter occupied: 56%
• Owner occupied: 44%

Year: 2030 (projected)

• Renter occupied: 54.5%
• Owner occupied: 45.5%

Source: City of Greenville

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Clemson’s Board of Trustees formally selected Guskiewicz during a special-called meeting held May 27. He received a five-year contract with a $1.2 million base salary from the university. Guskiewicz will succeed longtime president James P. Clements, who retired in December 2025 after 12 years at the university. 

“I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to accept the opportunity to serve as Clemson University’s 16th president,” Guskiewicz said. “To be entrusted with leading a university as respected, ambitious and beloved as Clemson is both humbling and inspiring.”

Guskiewicz brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education to Clemson. He has served as Michigan State’s president since March 2024 and was the chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2019 to 2024. According to Clemson, he represented both institutions through leadership roles in various national higher education, research and civic organizations. 

In addition to his leadership experience, Guskiewicz is a renowned neuroscientist and researcher in sports medicine. In 2022, he received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for his work surrounding sports-related concussions. Guskiewicz said Clemson has the opportunity to further elevate its research enterprise and national profile. 

“Clemson is a university with tremendous momentum,” Guskiewicz said. “It’s already considered an outstanding public research university, but what excites me most is its potential for what comes next.”

The search for Clemson’s new president began in December. A presidential search committee was formed by the university’s board, which worked with Funk Associates, a Texas-based higher education leadership recruitment firm.

Search Committee Chair Cheri Phyfer said in-person conversations were conducted with the university’s various constituents, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders, to help guide the search process. She explained that Guskiewicz was selected from a strong and talented pool of candidates. 

“Dr. Guskiewicz brings authenticity, steadiness and a genuine kindness to his leadership style,” Phyfer said. “He brings both vision and humility to the role, and we are confident his leadership will guide us to even greater heights.”

According to Clemson, Guskiewicz’s official start date is still being finalized. Guskiewicz said he anticipates starting sometime in August to help ensure a smooth transition for Michigan State University. 

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These guidelines are used to manage the design, character and function of downtown Greenville as it continues to grow and evolve. New projects in the city’s downtown design district must comply with the standards outlined in the document, which cover everything from building massing to architectural detailing. 

The first draft of the updated downtown design guidelines was presented during the city’s project preview meeting on May 26. Community members are invited to review and provide feedback on the draft guidelines on the city’s project website. The guidelines were last updated in 2017. The existing guidelines  prioritize enhancing walkability, green space and pedestrian activation in downtown Greenville.   

The adoption of the Greenville Development Code in 2023 expanded the boundary of the city’s downtown design district, bringing in new neighborhoods, districts and zoning types. The expansion required the city to update its guidelines. 

City staff started working on the downtown design guidelines update in May 2025 with consultants from Cooper Carry and ADP Urban Planning and Development. Edward Kinney, a principal landscape architect with the city, said the updated guidelines incorporate most of what was already in place, with a few additions. 

For example, the draft guidelines outline four specific character districts found within the general downtown area of Greenville. Each district has unique design priorities and standards to ensure new development reinforces the area’s existing characteristics.

“We wanted to find tools that would help guide design to address the unique areas of downtown,” said Allison Bickers with Cooper Carry. 

The Halprin District incorporates the area on the north end of downtown Greenville. It is named for Lawrence Halprin, who redesigned Greenville’s Main Street between College and Broad streets in the 1970s. The draft guidelines prioritize preserving the district’s historic and natural features while strengthening the retail storefront experience. 

The proposed boundaries of the West End District stretch from South Academy Street down to the intersection of Augusta and Dunbar. Priorities outlined in the draft guidelines include protecting the district’s historic commercial character and public spaces while welcoming adaptive reuse and appropriate infill development.

The Unity Park District focuses on the area surrounding the city’s 60-acre park, including Mayberry Street, South Hudson Street and Welborn Street. Some of the proposed priorities for the character district include promoting park-centered architectural designs, strong pedestrian infrastructure, flood mitigation and expanded tree canopy. 

The final character district contains the Village of West Greenville and the Pendleton Street corridor. The draft guidelines focus on maintaining the district’s artistic character, promoting mixed-use growth and adding gathering spaces. 

The updated downtown design guidelines also include a new section for residential projects that fall within the expanded downtown design district boundary. Specific design standards have been created for four residential building types:

• Small-scale multi-family housing
• Single-family detached housing
• Single-family attached housing
• Existing single-family housing

Following the project preview meeting, the city’s consultants will analyze the collected public feedback to finalize the draft downtown design guidelines. The Design Review Board is tentatively scheduled to review the updated guidelines in August. The guidelines will also need to be reviewed and approved by the city’s Planning Commission and Greenville City Council for final adoption. 

For more information on the city’s downtown design guidelines and to submit online feedback, visit greenvillesc.gov/2676/Downtown-Design-Guidelines.

Design principles

The first draft of the updated downtown design guidelines includes a revised list of design principles. These principles reflect the city’s vision for the continued development of downtown Greenville. 

• Contextual fit
• Design quality
• Human scale
• Variety and adaptability
• Pedestrian priority
• Green infrastructure
• Strengthen connectivity
• Comfort and activation

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The theater’s production of Disney’s “Frozen,” running June 5-28, promises snow effects, elaborate costumes, projections and plenty of theatrical magic — all created by local artists and performers, director Max Quinlan said.

“It’ll be a really lovely thing to have some snow effect in the heat of summer,” Quinlan said with a laugh. “We’ll have a snow-filled summer at Greenville Theatre.”

The stage musical, based on the beloved 2013 animated film, spotlights songs that have become Disney classics, including “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”, “For the First Time in Forever” and the Oscar-winning “Let It Go.”

The story centers on the relationship between sisters who are princesses, Elsa and Anna. Elsa has uncontrollable magical powers to freeze objects and people, forcing her into exile even as she inherits the throne.

Greenville Theatre’s local cast of more than two dozen, meanwhile, guarantees bountiful vocal heft for the musical’s showstopping ensemble numbers.

Quinlan describes the season-closing musical as one of Greenville Theatre’s most technically ambitious productions.

“This show really allows our staff to shine,” Quinlan said. “The set construction, all of our costumes are designed and built in-house. The wow factor of the outfits and the magical world is all done by local artists of the Upstate.”

Stage spectacle

Audiences familiar with Broadway or touring versions of “Frozen” can expect some of the spectacle that made the musical famous. Greenville Theatre uses projections, lighting effects and puppetry to bring beloved characters to life.

Olaf, the cheerful snowman, will appear through a blend of live performance and puppetry, played by familiar Greenville Theatre performer Neel Patrick Edwards. Sven, Kristoff’s loyal reindeer companion, also will be featured in a design Quinlan said has required weeks of preparation.

“The person doing that has been practicing with the mechanics of it for over a month now,” Quinlan said. “It’s going to be really wonderful to see that come to life.”

The production stars Erica Doran as Elsa and Kelsey Crews as Anna, whom Quinlan called “powerhouse” performers capable of handling the show’s demanding vocal roles.

Beyond the visual spectacle, Quinlan said the story’s emotional message remains at the center of the production.

“To me, the show is all about love,” he said. “Even though Elsa has all these powers and magic within her, the true magic comes from accepting love and giving love to others.”

For Quinlan, “Frozen” carries special personal meaning. His 4-year-old daughter, Sofie — “the biggest ‘Frozen’ fan there is,” he joked — inspired his connection to the show. He’s dedicating the production to her, though he hopes she resists the temptation to rush on stage during “Let It Go.”

The musical also marks Quinlan’s final production as Greenville Theatre’s producing artistic director before transitioning to an artistic consultant role.

“It feels very personal to me,” Quinlan said. “I’ve loved my time here, and I’m excited that my final show is all about love.”

Want to go?

What: “Disney’s Frozen: The Musical”

When: June 5-28

Where: Greenville Theatre, 444 College St.

Tickets: $45

Info: 864-233-6238 or greenvilletheatre.org

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Editor’s note: This is part of a continuing series of columns, stories and photos by Greenville County Historical Society examining the history of Greenville and the Upstate.

If Richard Pearis represents Greenville’s uncertain beginnings, Vardry McBee represents something very different: direction.
The first paper ever presented to the Greenville County Historical Society, in 1961, focused on McBee – and for good reason. Few people shaped this city more deliberately or more deeply.

When McBee purchased more than 11,000 acres from Lemuel James Alston in 1815, Greenville was still a small courthouse village with little to suggest it would become the economic and cultural center of the Upcountry. McBee saw possibilities that others did not. He understood water power, transportation routes and geography long before Greenville became a city.

Born in 1775 near present-day Gaffney, McBee came from a family whose finances had been badly damaged during the Revolutionary War. He received little formal education, apprenticed as a saddler in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and gradually built a reputation as a merchant with unusual discipline and financial judgment. By the time he turned his attention to Greenville, he had already proven himself.

He spent decades laying what we might call the infrastructure of ambition. He built mills along the Reedy River, operated stores, invested in roads and railroads, and promoted Greenville as a place of commerce and stability. In 1820 he donated land for the Greenville Male and Female Academies. He gave land for churches that still anchor downtown today — Christ Church Episcopal, First Baptist, Buncombe Street Methodist, First Presbyterian. He later supported the founding of Furman University and backed the railroad connection to Columbia completed in 1853.

But Greenville’s early growth came with contradictions that deserve to be named. McBee was not simply a civic benefactor. By 1860 he had become the district’s largest enslaver, holding fifty-six people in bondage according to the federal census. The prosperity he built, and the city that prosperity made possible, rested on that foundation.

Greenville still reflects systems McBee helped put into place. The city’s growth was never accidental. From the beginning, it was shaped by a remarkably small circle of landowners, merchants, and financiers who controlled both the economy and civic life. That concentration of power set patterns that have never fully disappeared.

The questions Greenville still wrestles with – who benefits from growth, whose stories get told, whose labor gets counted – trace directly back to this period. McBee gave Greenville direction. What we do with that inheritance is still being decided.

Next: The role of enslaved people in the founding and building of Greenville.

Russell Stall is a Greenville native, former at-large Greenville City Council member, and certified city planner. He serves as executive director of the Greenville County Historical Society. For more information, visit greenvillehistory.org.

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Introduced: $473.9M budget

Council introduced for first reading an ordinance establishing a $473.9 total budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which includes $286.6 million for the general fund.

The proposed budget is slightly lower than the current fiscal year total of $477.2 million but higher for the current general fund budget of $275.1 million.

Council will have to approve three readings for the budget to take effect before the end of the fiscal year June 30. Council is also likely to hold a number of budget workshops with the first scheduled for May 21.

Among the proposals included in the budget are an average 2.5% pay increase for all county employees with an additional 2.5% for public safety workers. The proposal also includes about $27 million for road maintenance.

The budget ordinance was approved by the Committee of the Whole without discussion during a meeting prior to the main council session.

Discussed: Penny tax for roads

Council appears to be ready to revisit a local option sales tax for roads following council member Curt McGahhey (District 21) advising council at a meeting earlier this spring that he intended to bring the matter back before council this year.

The council’s roads, infrastructure and public works committee took the first step on that path Tuesday afternoon following a discussion of the necessity of finding more money for the county’s deteriorating roads.

McGahhey, who chairs the committee, said the matter required urgent action following the General Assembly’s passage of a bill that would extend the ability to impose a local option sales tax for capital projects to the state’s municipalities. The governor signed the bill — S.866 — into law May 19.

McGahhey told his fellow committee members he felt extremely confident the City of Greenville would take advantage of the law and that if it passed such a tax the chances of the county being able to pass its own local option tax for roads would be effectively zero. He said this year would likely be the county’s last chance for a penny road tax.

The committee directed county staff to prepare a draft ordinance for a local option transportation tax before its next meeting in June.

Such a measure would face an extremely tight timeline as it would have to be passed before August in order for it to appear as a referendum question for county voters on November’s ballot.

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