The following article originally appeared in the City of Spartanburg Citizen News Blog.
At their meeting on August 23, Spartanburg City Council voted to continue the closure of W Main Street to vehicle traffic in front of Morgan Square for 12 months, during which time the city will engage in a community-led planning process to consider more permanent physical changes to the space.
The move came after council heard an overview of downtown data collected by city staff, including an increase in City Hospitality Tax revenue, increased pedestrian activity, and cell phone carrier data showing increased downtown visits this spring and summer over the same time period in 2019, signs which point to a Downtown Spartanburg economy resurgent after weathering worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
With the decision being made to continue Morgan Square’s expanded outdoor dining and pedestrian space for another year, and with staff tasked with beginning a process to consider a rethinking of the space, today we’re talking with City Manager Chris Story to get his perspective on Morgan Square as it fits currently in the Downtown Spartanburg landscape and how residents and stakeholders from all across our community will come together to decide its future.
Want to listen to the City of Spartanburg podcast on the go? You can find it on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher or search “Spartanburg City News” in your favorite podcast app. Theme music provided by Spartanburg singer-songwriter, David Ezell.
Prepared by the City of Spartanburg.