Construction nears for $15M expansion of Morgan Square in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. with plans for a new event pavilion, performance stage, outdoor dining areas, green spaces, and more to enhance pedestrian-friendly and event-friendly atmosphere. City officials aim to make Morgan Square a premier public gathering space in the South.
Logo courtesy of City of Spartanburg
After the Spartanburg [S.C.] Design Review Board unanimously approved plans for expansions to the Morgan Square downtown project in early December, city officials said the proposed multimillion-dollar redevelopment could get under way next spring, WYFF-TV reported Dec. 17.
City Manager Chris Story updated Spartanburg City Council members recently regarding the more than $15 million project that, he said, aims to make the area more friendly to pedestrians and host a wide variety of events.
"We're trying to get to the point where we have one of the best main streets in the South," he explained. "We've got the ingredients coming together … and Morgan Square will be the hub of that."
The expansion project includes a new event pavilion that features a visitor kiosk, restrooms and storage buildings, all covered by an overhead canopy.
Other highlights include:
- A new stage orientation that will allow upwards of 800 audience members to enjoy performances and continue to serve as the home of longtime city events, such as Music on Main.
- An enlarged performance lawn with additional pedestrian zones and terraces at the square's eastern end.
- Dedicated areas for outdoor dining.
- Adding more green space.
- Making sections of West Main and Dunbar streets easier to maneuver for pedestrians.
- Creating festival streets that will both increase the functional size of Morgan Square and bring a cohesive feel across the entire space.
Story noted, however, that a final design tweak to the Morgan Square expansion could be included.
"We think it makes sense to connect it a little bit further westward to incorporate the block immediately to the west of [the venue], and that'll add some cost," he said.
The pavilion is set to be located at the front of the square along North Church Street and Main Street in Spartanburg.
Morgan Square has been central to the hub of downtown Spartanburg since even before the city's incorporation in 1831. Now, officials are itching for its reconstruction to begin after nearly three years of planning, seeing it as a chance to tap into the city's unreached capabilities.
"This design for the future of Morgan Square provides an opportunity to maximize the space's potential as Downtown Spartanburg's premier public gathering space," according to the city of Spartanburg's online project page.
The city council must now approve the redesign and project budget before the 10-month construction can take place, a vote that is expected in the next two months, Story told WYFF-TV. After its expected approval, work on the project is likely to get under way late next spring or early summer.
Local Leaders Helped Steer Morgan Square's Expansion
Guided by a select steering committee of local leaders, downtown stakeholders, and area residents, the Morgan Square Enhancement Plan represented the culmination of nine months of sustained public outreach and engagement, the city noted on its website.
The ad hoc committee was established by the Spartanburg City Council in July 2022 to oversee the design and public input process for physical enhancements to Morgan Square in order to meet the changing needs of the Upstate South Carolina city's residents, business owners and visitors.
Upon completion of its work, the committee approved an initial design which was presented to the city council in August 2023, and a revised version of that plan was submitted to the group this past Nov. 7.
"The design for the future of Morgan Square provides an opportunity to maximize the space's potential as Downtown Spartanburg's premier public gathering space," the final plan read. "The renewed Morgan Square will also feature a 70 percent increase in total green space."
Big Draw in Bringing People Downtown
The Morgan Square project comes as construction moves forward on nearby Fifth Third Park, the stadium where the Minor League Baseball Hub City Spartanburgers play their home games, as well as the joint city-county complex and planetarium.
Throughout the past few decades, Morgan Square has seen a variety of iterations. Its current layout, with one street blocked off to car traffic, was established during the COVID-19 pandemic after rules governing outdoor dining went into effect.
Jarvis Steele, who recently moved to Spartanburg, told WYFF-TV that he is on board with the redevelopment.
"One of the reasons why we picked this area, me and my fiancé, is because of how much opportunity to get out and be in the community there was, so any more opportunity to do that, I'm super excited about," he said.
Story called Morgan Square "the heart of the city's downtown" as it prepares for another iteration in its history.
"It's just evolving to reflect the needs and character of downtown at the given moment," he said about the square. "That's what it should do as a sort of living room area for the heart of the city."
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