Oregon Avenue Construction Set to Wrap Up
December 20, 2007
By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal Staff Writer
GREENWOOD, SC - With one project drawing to a close, Uptown Greenwood is seeing the beginning of another.
Construction crews have long been at work on Oregon Avenue doing major landscape, streetscape and lighting improvements. However, according to Assistant City Manager Charlie Barrineau, the work is nearly complete.
“Once they have the road paved, all that will be left is some cleanup,” Barrineau said, adding that the work on Oregon has been done by Lynnstar, of Greenville.
The assistant city manager said the asphalt should soon be poured, possibly as soon as today but certainly shortly after the Christmas holidays.Numerous streetlights -- which have already begun to be illuminated after dark -- were installed on Oregon, as were new curbing and landscape accents. All lines, such as water, power, phone and cable lines, were buried. Also, once paved, new parking spaces will be created.
The refurbishment is critical to the continued aesthetic development of the nearby Emerald Triangle, which has seen the remodeling (and subsequent resurgence) of the Federal Building and Greenwood Community Theatre. The Museum is set to get a major facelift in 2008.
As the Oregon Avenue streetscape project near its end, facade improvements on Maxwell Avenue got under way last week, beginning with properties owned by Jon Holloway at 140 and 146 Maxwell.
Holloway, who operates a high-end photo gallery on Maxwell, said he was thrilled to see the facade work get going and to see Oregon nearly completed.
“I’m excited about what this will bring to Greenwood when it’s all finished,” Holloway said. “I think people’s eyes will really be opened when Oregon is finished and also when they do the landscape improvements on Maxwell. I see this being a destination point in Greenwood within a year, year and a half.”
Holloway’s gallery is already up and running, despite the fact that facade work is being done. The top floor of the gallery, which has been completely overhauled and is festooned with Holloway’s work, has already hosted a number of social events, including Wednesday night’s CapitalBank Christmas event.
Beginning in January, the gallery will become the host of a monthly music series, Music on Maxwell. The first featured artists will be The Everybodyfields.
In all, 23 buildings on Maxwell will see physical improvements to their facades. The total cost for the facade improvements is $815,000. Of that amount, Barrineau said about $450,000 is being provided by a grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce’s Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Grant Program.
Separately, the city has set up a $350,000 loan pool for property owners in the Uptown Overlay District for the project. The terms of the loan are five years at 3 percent interest.
Town and County has been awarded the contract to do the work.
Barrineau said Holloway’s buildings got first crack at improvements because Holloway has already made major investments on his studio there and was most ready for the construction so he could complete his vision.
Also, Barrineau said city officials wanted work to begin on the lower part of Maxwell so as to minimize disturbing the merchants on Main Street during the Christmas season.
He said the property owners -- the ones on Maxwell who will see facade improvements and others Uptown -- have, for the most part, been very cooperative throughout the entire process.
The assistant city manager touched on why Maxwell and Oregon have been the center of construction and improvement efforts in Uptown.
“The biggest reason for making the renovations to Oregon and Maxwell is their proximity to our community’s cultural assets -- the Arts Center at the Federal Building, Greenwood Community Theatre and The Museum,” Barrineau said.
Holloway was quick to give Barrineau credit for his role in the work on Oregon and Maxwell.
“Charlie certainly deserves quite a bit of credit,” Holloway said. “He has been the middleman in making all of this happen.”
Oregon Avenue January 2006 - Note the above ground electrical lines and dated street lamps.
Oregon Avenue December 20, 2007 - New asphalt, buried electrical lines, new street lamps, landscaping...WOW!
Oregon Avenue January 2006 - There are no sidewalks present on the left hand side of the road; therefore, Oregon was not pedestrian friendly.
Oregon Avenue December 20, 2007 - New sidewalks on the left and right make Oregon walkable.
Oregon Avenue December 20, 2007 - The night time view is VERY BRIGHT with the addition of 20 Holophane Granville luminaires.
Oregon Avenue October 1, 2007 - The project included the removal of all of the road base and existing sidewalks.
Oregon Avenue December 20, 2007 - New sidewalks included a decorative brick trim to acent the historic buildings along Oregon Avenue.
Oregon Avenue December 7, 2007 - Crews from Wilson Brothers Construction of Honea Path worked many days to pour the new sidewalks.
Oregon Avenue December 4, 2007 - Greenwood CPW took great pride when installing the new luminaires.
Oregon Avenue November 25, 2007 - Harmony Landscaping of Greenville planted 4 speices of trees including Natchez Crape Myrtle, Chinese Lacebark Elm, Trident Maple, and a Yoshino Cherry.