Downtown Weekly Update - Friday, July 29

Please see below update on events, protests and details about downtown.

Events / Peaceful Protest Schedule

Upstate Shakespeare Festival - Thursday, July 28 - Sunday, July 31: 4:00 - 9:30 p.m. (Falls Park)
Greenville Heritage Main Street Fridays - Friday, July 29 - 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. (NOMA Square)
TD Saturday Market - Saturday, July 30 - 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Main Street & McBee Street)
Picketing Notice - Reproductive Rights - Sunday, July 31 - 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Graham Plaza)
Picketing Notice - Anti-Trump Agenda - Tuesday, August 2: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. (One City Plaza)
Piedmont Natural Gas Downtown Alive - Thursday, August 4: 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. (NOMA Square)
Greenville Heritage Main Street Fridays - Friday, August 5: 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. (NOMA Square)

Subscribe to road closures and event schedule notifications

Downtown Merchant Association: Next Meeting - Tuesday, August 16

As a reminder, we will not have a July monthly meeting. However, we look forward to gathering together on Tuesday, August 16, at 4:00 p.m. at Swanson's Warehouse. Look for more information about the August meeting as the date approaches.

If you were unable to attend the June meeting, please take time to review the recap notes at your convenience.

Apply to Join a City Board

The City of Greenville is accepting applications for the fall cycle of boards and commissions. Applications must be submitted by August 1.

More information and a list of upcoming vacancies are available at https://greenvillesc.gov/1188/Upcoming-Vacancies.

Apply Online

City Chooses Safety and Sustainability for Traffic Signal Upgrade

While the change won't be visible to passersby, a traffic signal upgrade soon will be quietly saving lives throughout the City of Greenville.

City Council earmarked $1.6 million of the Neighborhood Infrastructure Bond for the project in the 2022-23 budget. Installation work will begin in September.
By July of 2023, nearly all of the 203 traffic signals in the city will be upfitted to include uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units and battery backups. The UPS units will provide a constant stream of power to traffic signals, a critical safety issue for motorists during power outages.

Road Closure: Run2Overtime - Saturday, August 6

Road closures will take place from 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. next Saturday, August 6, during the Run2Overcome 5K and 10K. For additional road closure information and the running route, view Calendar • Greenville, SC • CivicEngage (greenvillesc.gov)

Duke Energy Services Sidewalk Vault on Main Street

Duke Energy will be working on Main Street to update and maintenance the sidewalk vault located at 135 S. Main Street. Sidewalk closures and periodic road closures are expected through mid-August. Detours for pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be maintained and posted throughout the duration of the project.

Corporate and Small Business Volunteer Opportunities Available at Fall for Greenville

Fall for Greenville is looking for corporate volunteer partners and small business partners to join together in making the 2022 festival weekend a success.

With the Corporate Volunteer Program, partnering organizations will have the opportunity to volunteer in various positions throughout the three-day event and, in return, will receive a donation to the pre-selected 501c3 non-profit of their choosing.

The Small Business Volunteer Program gives businesses the opportunity to register employees for volunteer positions while receiving recognition of their businesses support of the festival. In addition, groups will have the opportunity to volunteer in various locations together, providing a great outlet for employee team building.

To communicate your interest or learn more, please contact Volunteer Services Coordinator - Ali Cumbee McGowens at acumbee@greenvillesc.gov or 864-467-2726.

4-Pillar Approach to Addressing Homelessness in Greenville

United Housing Connections (UHC)- a City of Greenville partner- is a 501c3 non-profit organization that connects people experiencing homelessness to safe, sustainable housing and support services. Lorain Crowl, CEO of United Housing Connections, and the UHC outreach team attended the June Downtown Merchant Association meeting to share updates on the impactful outreach and initiatives taking place in downtown Greenville to address homelessness.

UHC outlined the 4-Pillar Approach to Addressing Homelessness in Greenville, which includes Homeless Task Force Meetings, Outreach Programs, Panhandling Program and Day Shelter Program.

The virtual monthly Homeless Task Force meetings held on the 2nd Monday of each month (via Zoom) are a great place for downtown merchants, service providers, City staff and Greenville Police Department representatives to join in an open forum. The meetings are designed to collaborate on solutions, voice concerns, address issues and provide education about current outreach initiatives. The next meeting will be held on Monday, August 8, at 8:30 a.m. We encourage and invite you to attend.

Join Meeting

Additional Resources
Below are a list of UHC resource materials available to downtown merchants. Feel free to print and post in your business.

Keep Your Change to Be the Change: Panhandling Poster
Outreach Program: Giving Ideas Flyer

To request for materials to be delivered to your business, please fill out the Panhandling Resource Collateral Order Form and submit to outreach@uhcsc.org.

Falls Park Spring Garden Bridge Restoration in Progress

The Spring Garden Bridge has been removed from Falls Park, to be restored off site and returned in about six weeks.

Andrea Mains, a Washington, DC based landscape architect, designed the original Spring Falls Bridge in 1987, and it was installed over the next three years when the Carolina Foothills Garden Club began a refresh of the park. That bridge was replaced in 1997 with the current bridge, which spans Vardry Creek in Spring Falls Garden.

Spring Falls Garden and the Sanctuary Garden along the same creek make up what was once the Furman Arboretum. It was South Carolina’s first arboretum thanks to a 1932 partnership between Furman University, the Greenville Garden Club and the Greenville Park and Tree Commission – what is now the City’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.

City's Week in Review Available via Text

Would you like to receive the City's Week in Review newsletter via text every Friday? Text "GVLthisWeek" to 866-874-2232 to start receiving it next week. Check out the latest edition available in English and Spanish at https://www.greenvillesc.gov/1652/Week-in-Review

2022 More to Enjoy Sign Application

The City of Greenville is continuing its More to Enjoy wayfinding program, which features newly-designed business directory signs at key Main Street intersections. The purpose of the program is to encourage downtown visitors to discover shops and restaurants located on side streets in the Central Business District by listing business names and providing directional arrows. The signs are designed to be eye-catching while still incorporating seamlessly into the City’s overall downtown branding campaign.

Submit an application or apply for renewal by filling out the 2022 More to Enjoy application. Space on the signs are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. For questions or more information, please email Cameron Campbell at cjcampbell@greenvillesc.gov.

City of Greenville Week in Review

The City’s Communications Department has created a Week in Review video. These videos post every Saturday on the City’s Facebook page.

Questions / Concerns

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Cameron Campbell at c jcampbell@greenvillesc.gov or 864-467-4351.

You can also submit your questions at https://cityofgreenvillesc.formstack.com/forms/downtownmerchants

If you have an after-hours or weekend emergency, please contact Greenville Police Department's non-emergency line at 864-271-5333.

Thank you and have a great weekend!