As you read this message, the City of Greer is embarking on one of, if not the largest building project ever undertaken in our downtown area. In the middle of a 12 acre campus style park setting construction has begun on a new City Hall. This 34,467 square foot facility will house the Administrative functions of the City as well as space for our Recreation, Finance, Codes, Engineering and Planning and Zoning. In addition to Council Chambers there will be a public use space component to the building as well. Particular attention was paid to the location and placement of the building and there was a concerted effort to make sure the character of the building was sensitive to our heritage yet reflective of our vision for the future. Public meeting space inside the building will be complimented by both active and passive recreation areas in the park as well as land dedicated for mixed use applications. This twelve million dollar building and park project will transform a once under-utilized and blighted area in our urban core into a thriving area of commerce, governmental and leisure activities.

In addition to this project, we will be simultaneously constructing a new Municipal Court House and Police Department Administrative Services facility at the corner of West Poinsett Street and North Main. This 37,188 square foot, seven million dollar facility will serve as the anchor for our municipal Court and Emergency Services with the Fire Station Headquarters and Detention Center adjacent to the new structure. This building will serve as a literal beacon to our downtown with its mixture of a period brick façade and glass front. With the addition of several new downtown parking areas in conjunction with the building projects we will be literally changing the face of downtown Greer forever.

While much time, thought and expense has gone into both of these projects regarding their function, design, physical appearance and location the construction of these facilities is almost secondary to their true impact on our City.

A resurgence in interest in downtown Greer has led to a vibrant, bustling niche marketplace that continues to evolve and grow. This growth is reflective of our community at large but more importantly downtown serves as the nucleus for our expanding City. Downtown is an area that all citizens of the City of Greer can call their own. Regardless of where you reside, school you attend, where you worship or work, downtown is YOURS! We can point with pride at the diversity of shops, restaurants and community activities that occur downtown that offer opportunities to a wide range of our citizens. A strong, thriving City is one of the keys to a prosperous area with a high quality of life for all of its citizens. While you will be seeing bricks and mortar going up in the coming months what we are really building is a sense of PLACE for all citizens to enjoy!                

.

Mayor Rick Danner

108 Davenport Ave
Greer, SC 29650
(864)879-4026
rdanner@cityofgreer.org
1/1/04-12/31/07