Visit to Greenville, S.C.

In a recent visit to Greenville, South Carolina Mayor-Elect Ron Payne, Judge-Executive Reid Haire and members of the economic development and downtown boards saw the power of public-private partnerships in creating a downtown.

Just 20 years ago, downtown Greenville was in far worse shape that downtown Owensboro.  It was full of blight and infested with drugs and crime in the 1980s.  The city agressively redeveloped the downtown through a series of partnerships in which the city served as a "master developer" in aquiring property, financing catalytic projects, which attracted private

 investment.  

The catalyst for growth in the downtown, like Owensboro, was development along the riverfront, through public investments made in the arts, and by developing retail along the city's traditional "main street."

For more information and pictures, go to the Be A Part of the New Downtown Facebook site.