New projects likely to change face of city
Food trucks may have played a vital role in shaping the future of Rock Hill.
The city staged its first Food Truck Friday on May 15. Officials enlisted six food trucks to show up at Fountain Park where people could go, eat some street food and listen to a free concert.
Six trucks turned out to be woefully inadequate. Organizers had expected about 1,200 to 1,500 people to show up, but instead attendance was estimated at more than twice that.
Long lines snaked down a closed section of Saluda Street. City volunteers ran low on beer, tickets, even small change.
“What were all these people doing on a Friday night before?” city downtown development manager Cathy Murphy asked at the time.
Organizers were prepared the following month with more trucks, more volunteers and more beer. And Food Truck Fridays, held each month on the third Friday, have been a huge draw, luring hundreds of people downtown for what became a regular community social event.
This phenomenon did not go unnoticed by planners at Comporium, who had played a key role in getting Fountain Park built and who had built Fountain Park Place, a new office building at the intersection of East Main Street and Elizabeth Lane. That throng of people crowding around the food trucks helped persuade Comporium officials that this is an opportune time for more downtown development.
Comporium announced plans last week to spend about $50 million on another project along Main Street, just across Elizabeth Lane, that will include a hotel and conference center, and eventually more office, retail and residential spaces. Marriott has committed to running the hotel, which is slated to feature a rooftop swimming pool and bar, and a street-level restaurant.
The plan also could include a new 500-seat performing arts center and a parking garage.
“We’ve seen the success of Food Truck Fridays, yoga classes on Saturday and even wedding proposals at Fountain Park,” said Matt Dosch, Comporium’s executive vice president for customer operations and external affairs. “That made us look at the whole neighborhood and reflect on the value of the park.”
The phrase “tipping point” – when the momentum of growth and development goes from static to unstoppable – is overused. But it is undeniable that Rock Hill is in the midst of a significant period of growth and development that is likely to transform the appearance of its historic downtown and beyond, especially on the site that will house Knowledge Park, the development that will occupy textile-production land once home to the Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Co.
Comporium’s announcement was preceded by the City Council’s approval last month of a second site for apartment buildings at the corner of East Main Street and Dave Lyle Boulevard. Construction on another apartment complex at 139 Main, site of the old F.W. Woolworth building, already is under way.
New residential space will help fulfill one of the crucial needs in downtown redevelopment: more people and more foot traffic. More people living and working downtown means more business for nearby shops and restaurants.
With all the activity in the city’s historic core, this seems likely to be regarded as one of the most productive and revolutionary eras in the city’s history. It seems certain to change the face of Rock Hill.
In fact, it’s hard to find the exact words to describe the significance of this group of projects. For now, we’ll go ahead and call it a tipping point.
This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 10:01 PM with the headline "New projects likely to change face of city."