Spartanburg update: Fairfield Inn under construction, Bath & Body Works, Hobby Lobby open
A flurry of growth continues with the opening of new stores and the development of a hotel and townhomes underway in Spartanburg.
Two new shops opened in the Hillcrest Market Place on the east side last month. Near Texas Roadhouse on Barritt Avenue on the west side, approval has been given for site rezoning for El Dorado Townes.
In the heart of downtown, construction of the new 136-room Fairfield Inn and Suites is underway. And the first steps are being taken to add a few more apartments to East Main Street.
Here are five recent city developments to know about:
Fairfield Inn site work begins on St. John Street
Site work has begun for the new Fairfield Inn and Suites on E. St. John Street between the Montgomery Building and the University of South Carolina Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics.
Plans are to lay the hotel foundation this fall, according to Om Patel, vice president of Development for Hawkeye Hotels.
Fairfield Inn and Suites Spartanburg will have 136 rooms and offer guests Wi-Fi, a fitness center, complimentary breakfast and a business center. The hotel design was approved in April 2022.
"We're seeing long lead times in procurement for certain equipment needed for the construction of the hotel but have been fortunate to be working with great subcontractors in an effort to get ahead of these delays. We're hoping to be ready to open by the end of 2024," Patel said.
The hotel developer, Hawkeye Hotel, was approved for a fee-in-lieu tax agreement in July 2021. The developer must invest $20 million into the project and make payments in lieu of taxes for 10 years, starting with $70,955 in the first year and ending the 10th year at $221,760.
The hotel will have 140 parking spaces in the free St. John Street Parking Garage reserved for guests and employees.
BURG Apparel sold to The Art Lounge
BURG Apparel, a Spartanburg-centric gift and clothing brand, has been sold to Brandi Dice, owner of The Art Lounge (1410 Skylyn Drive). The shop's location on the Rail Trail closed at the end of September.
Lanie Carter, founder of BURG Apparel and Arrowhead Design Group, said in an announcement on Instagram Sept. 5 that the decision to sell the business came from a desire to see BURG Apparel continue to grow while allowing Arrowhead Design Group to keep up with its increasing number of clients and the demand for services during this time of growth in Spartanburg.
The Art Lounge hosted a launch party from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. on Oct. 6 to introduce the brand's fall line.
East side Bath & Body Works, Hobby Lobby now open
Two of Hillcrest Market Place's highly-anticipated additions are now open. Both Bath & Body Works and Hobby Lobby opened in September.
Bath & Body Works is next to Garner's Natural Foods, and Hobby Lobby is next to Petco.
Construction on the planned Whataburger, to be located on the former Ruby Tuesday site, and Chick-fil-A's relocation have not yet begun.
Final approval for west side townhomes; studio apartments planned for East Main
Spartanburg City Council approved the rezoning for townhome development behind Texas Roadhouse.
The city's Design Review Board approved a variance for 249 E. Main St., the former McMahan Shoes, to allow street-level residential use in the building. Owner Brandon McKillop plans to renovate the building to create two studio apartments.
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg update: Fairfield Inn under construction; Hobby Lobby open
