'We have to get this right': Redesign plan kicks off for Spartanburg's Morgan Square

A redesigned Morgan Square should be more than a fountain and a statue, the former parks director in New York City told a Spartanburg audience Tuesday.

"It should be a people-centered space," said Mitchell Silver, featured speaker at the Morgan Square Redesign kickoff event at Chapman Cultural Center. "If it's inclusive and a space for all, you want to hear those diverse voices to make sure you get it right."

Darren Meyer, a landscape architect with MKSK of Greenville – the firm chosen by the city to develop the Morgan Square redesign plan – said the goal is to "capture the spirit of a historic place while looking boldly ahead to a fresh, iconic and vibrant space in the heart of Spartanburg."

Tuesday's event was organized by the Morgan Square Enhancement Committee. It's the beginning of a year-long process to gather public input, capped off with a recommendation to City Council on exactly how Morgan Square should be reconfigured.

"We have to get this right," said Mayor Jerome Rice. "Not for 2023, not for 2024, but for 2075. We have to get this right."

Morgan Square is in the 100 block of West Main Street, bounded by Magnolia, Dunbar and Church streets in downtown Spartanburg.

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Brad Steinecke, assistant director of local history at Spartanburg Public Libraries, said Morgan Square dates back to 1787 when it was the public meeting place in the center of Spartanburg County.

As Spartanburg grew from a village to a city over the next 100 years, Morgan Square remained a central gathering spot.

Up until the World War II era, the downtown remained densely populated with residents and businesses, most within walking distance to shopping and business needs, said Phillip Stone, archivist at Wofford College.

A suburban trend started after World War II with more people moving away from the city center, Steinecke said. In the late 1950s and 1960, city leaders tried to bring back people downtown with paved streets and parking around Morgan Square.

Then the COVID pandemic in 2020 caused another abrupt change in the look of Morgan Square, said Halsey Cook, CEO of Spartanburg-based Milliken & Company and chairman of the enhancement committee.

Early in the pandemic, Morgan Square was closed off to vehicle traffic, and remains closed today.

"We went outside as a city. We spilled out of the restaurants where we couldn't sit together and we enjoyed the outside," Cook said. "People took more walks and the restaurants – that's how they survived."

Silver said a lot of the lessons learned while transforming New York City's parks into popular gathering places can be applied to Spartanburg.

"Parks serve many goals," he said. "They're not just green spaces that sit in isolation. These are outdoor living rooms, social gathering places. In the 21st century, they're not just an amenity, bit it's a vital part of the city's infrastructure.

"You are a very diverse community. Generations are also important. You want to make sure it's a place for all ages and families and singles and households."

Mayor Rice added, "This is a decision that all of us will make. Everyone won't be pleased, but it will be the best decision that we can come forth to you with."

Spartanburg area residents are invited to take part in a brief online survey about the future of Morgan Square here.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Redesign plan for downtown Spartanburg's Morgan Square kicks off