TATT CHAT RECAP:
Link to Presentation, here.
Link to Recording, here.
- David Feild, TATT Chairman
- Guest Speaker
- Katherine O’Neill, Chief Economic Development Officer for OneSpartanburg, Inc.
Questions for Katherine:
- How is Spartanburg County managing the necessary infrastructure needed to meet the demands of the rapid growth? This has been a big issue in Greenville County. – One thing that Spartanburg has had in its favor, due to industrial growth, a lot of the road infrastructure was already in place. They’re focusing on the SW corridor of the county for the amount of industry coming in. Now there’s a focus on road widening, sewer water expansion projects, working with SSSD to guide growth and performance-based zoning in the SW area of the county to drive industry and infrastructure in that area.
- What is the one thing, as you look into the next 3-5 years, that you have to be focused on moving forward? – Educational attainment. Recruiting business is great to get into the area, but in order to diversify, educational attainment has to be a priority.
- Has anyone heard of any prospects for the Belk Distribution Center in Union County? Due to time, this question was not answered.
- Are there plans to widen Reidville Rd west of Hwy 290 to meet residential and industrial expansion? Due to time, this question was not answered.
Resource Update
Liz Seman, Chief of Staff to the President at Furman University – FU has shown to be a highly vaccinated campus which has helped campus life get back to normal. Celebrating first Joseph Vaughn Day (first African-American graduate), co-host men’s NCAA March Madness 1st and 2nd round, Furman Engaged event to display their talents, and now they’re rolling toward the end of the semester. Check out their website for more ongoings at Furman.
Andrea Cooper, Upstate Forever – UF is a conservation organization that covers the 10 Upstate counties and the main initiative is clean water. The Upstate population is growing rapidly and the issue is how to accommodate this growth. There is a Historic and Natural Resources Trust initiative that is a focus currently. It leverages local dollars to attract state and federal support for conservation. There are many ways to get involved so please visit their website to see what’s best for you.
Adjourn- David Feild