Spartanburg City Council recently voted to approve a $188,500 purchase of two properties on the corner of W. Saint John and N. Forest streets that will eventually be home to a new headquarters for the City Police Department.
The future station is one of the facilities included as part of a temporary countywide one percent sales tax increase approved in 2017 to construct a County Judicial Center and new homes for City and County police and administration.
Though no designs have been completed yet, city staff envisions a two-story structure totaling around 45,000 square feet to be situated at the corner with parking beside and to the rear of the building. In his presentation to council, City Manager Chris Story said that relocating the police department relatively quickly will allow the current City Hall block to be considered as a location for the planned joint city-county administration facility also approved in the 2017 sales tax referendum.
In further action, council approved allocating $200,000 in previously approved trails funding for a new trail along Vanderbilt Road and Fairforest Creek. The 1.2-mile trail will be part of the future countywide 32-mile network of trails planned by Partners for Active Living and its partners, called “The Dan.” In addition to the funding approved by City Council, the $800,000 Vanderbilt Road trail is also funded with $200,000 from the Mary Black Foundation and $400,000 from Spartanburg County Parks. For more information on “The Dan,” listen to the recent City of Spartanburg Podcast episode with Laura Ringo and Ned Barrett from Partners for Active Living.
For more from the Sept. 23 city council meeting, see the full video and roundup of live tweets below.
Spartanburg City Council meeting, September 23, 2019
Prepared by the City of Spartanburg.