The City of Spartanburg is thrilled to announce the selection of Fredalyn Michelle Frasier as its new City Planning Director.
Fredalyn, a distinguished leader in urban planning and design, returns to her South Carolina roots to manage Spartanburg’s ambitious growth and development strategies.
Fredalyn’s extensive career in urban planning is marked by her leadership of interdisciplinary teams on transformative projects across the Southeast and the Bahamas. From post-Katrina planning efforts in New Orleans, to Tax Allocation District planning for the Atlanta Beltline and regeneration strategies for Nassau, her work is a testament to her expertise and passion for community sustainability. Her experience in South Carolina is particularly notable, where she has significantly contributed to landmark community development projects. Fredalyn spearheaded the Lowcountry Model Communities Revitalization Master Plan in North Charleston and led the multidisciplinary team for 72K acre East Edisto Land Development Strategy for MeadWestvaco in Charleston/Dorchester/Berkely counties and early in her career she led the planning team responsible for the first Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Hilton Head Island.
During her most recent tenure as the Planning & Urban Design Senior Director with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and Central Atlanta Progress, Fredalyn was charged with facilitating an efficient downtown development review process and successfully established operational and programming elements for the Downtown Arts and Entertainment District, enhancing public spaces and promoting local art and culture. Through various initiatives, Fredalyn bolstered creative engagement, working collaboratively with stakeholders to establish core program elements while providing significant financial support to the local arts community. These projects promoted unprecedented cultural and public space programming and funding to over 150 local artists and creatives in the past four years and have played a central role in enriching public gathering spaces, and the cultural landscape in Downtown Atlanta.
Fredalyn’s journey in urban planning began at EDAW/AECOM Design + Planning and led to prominent roles within the firm, and later with SAFEBuilt Corporation as a Project Director contributing significantly to the building permitting optimization effort for the City of Atlanta.
As Spartanburg’s City Planning Director, Fredalyn will lead the city’s planning department, with a critical focus on comprehensive development and the update to zoning and land use regulations. A pivotal part of her role includes advancing the city’s new and award-winning Comprehensive Plan, a $750 million initiative set to reshape Spartanburg through significant investments by local, regional, and national developers. This includes a landmark $435 million minor league baseball stadium, encircled by extensive mixed-use development.
“We are thrilled to welcome Fredalyn back to South Carolina and into our Spartanburg community,” said City Manager Chris Story. “Her comprehensive experience, coupled with a deep-rooted commitment to community development, positions her as the ideal team member to direct our city planning initiatives toward continued sustainable growth and prosperity.”
“Spartanburg is undergoing one of its most exciting phases ever, and we are excited to welcome Fredalyn to Spartanburg. Given her wealth of experience, Fredalyn will be able to work collaboratively with developers, and manage an efficient development review process. This will further our community’s attractiveness for future investment and economic development prospects,” said OneSpartanburg, Inc. Chief Economic Development Officer Katherine O’Neill.
“I was impressed by Ms. Frasier’s breadth of experience, and I am excited to see her bring her knowledge and understanding to Spartanburg,” offered City Planning Commission Chairperson Dr. Phillip Stone. “I look forward to working with her as all of the boards and commissions help to implement our comprehensive plan over the next few years.”
“Taking on this role feels like coming full circle for me, blending my years of professional experience with a personal commitment to making communities better places to live,” said Frasier. “Working across different regions and with communities of every demographic blend has taught me a lot about what it takes for a place to flourish in its own unique way. I’m excited to apply these insights in Spartanburg, contributing to the significant work already in progress, and helping to bring impactful ideas to the table. I was drawn to the collaborative spirit that exists in Spartanburg and look forward to working together with the city team and the community in advancing the city’s goal to be a thriving, inclusive and sustainable place for everyone.”
The Boland Group supported the City of Spartanburg in conducting the Planning Director search, winnowing the field from over 250 prospects and sources from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia to four very competitive finalists in 90 days.
Written by the City of Spartanburg.