Q. Downtown Greenville looked great this Christmas season. Ice on Main is very popular. Will it become an annual event?
A. Yes. Ice on Main will be a new Christmas season tradition for downtown. Thanks to UBS and many other generous sponsors, we were able to launch this great new project in first class fashion. And like everything we do, I believe it will only get better and better. I am hoping that additional sponsors will come forward so we can expand the days of operation next year.
Q. The rink fits beautifully into the overall plan for the downtown, does it not?
A. That is the whole point. It’s like keeping the lights on in the trees year around or the public art. It is all about creating a welcoming and interesting scene on the street level that attracts people and inevitably big investment. I believe it goes to the core of what we do and what separates downtown Greenville from other places. An ice skating rink is family friendly and, as anyone who watches can attest, energizing. Just like so much else along Main Street.
Q. So it is more than just entertainment, it is economic development?
A. Sure. That is what Greenville does so well. We have the big projects. The $100 million One Project at the old Woolworth’s site and other large construction projects underway. We have new offices expanding in our city, reinforcing our local economy. Downtown itself continues to be a serious hub for the financial and legal community, as well as a diverse mix of corporate headquarters. But we also have the walkable, pleasant place that is Main Street. That is the balancing act. Keeping the “human scale” of our downtown while growing. I believe a mix of both is what really makes the place exciting and sustainable.
Q. In that context, the ice skating rink is part of the “balance?”
A. Exactly. It is another way to make what we call the Central Business District also a People or Entertainment District. Downtown is for day time business workers, but it is also a place to live, to dine out, to stroll, to shop. It sounds easy, but it is not. Most cities can’t strike the right balance. They go too far one way or the other. We have to be mindful of that.
Q. How will downtown look different at the end of 2012?
A. Most conspicuously it will have three new great public spaces for people to enjoy: in front of the Hyatt at one end, Bergamo Plaza in the middle, and in front and back of the Peace Center. All of the spaces are under massive renovation and will come back far greener and far more people-friendly than they have been. By the end of the year, the One Project will be about ready. It will change the skyline but it will also boost the retail climate on Main – and that, too, will make Main Street even more people-friendly.