Greenwood Moves Forward on Middle School Property

(photo courtesy of the city of Greenwood)

The city of Greenwood has begun work on the redevelopment of the former Greenwood Middle School property. Plans call for the demolition of the vacant school on the 19-acre site, which will eventually serve as a mixed-use property with recreational, retail, office, and residential space. 

The city acquired the property last year and demolition of the school is expected to cost $1.1 million. The school’s gymnasium will not be demolished. Instead, the building will serve as the starting point for a new downtown fieldhouse.

The Greenwood Redevelopment Commission must still vote to approve funding of the demolition. The city says planning and design work has already begun for the new fieldhouse. 

"We’ve reached a major milestone in our efforts to revitalize Old Town Greenwood," Mayor Mark Myers said in a news release. "Infrastructure improvements surrounding the former middle school property are already underway, but this is the first project to redevelop the actual site. To attract residents, businesses and visitors to the city’s core, we must continue to invest in a diverse array of public amenities that improve our quality of life."

The city says some of the current and future projects planned for the school property and surrounding area include 1.9 miles of new or reconstructed streetscape, nearly 10 acres of new or upgraded open space, more than 75,000 square feet of potential retail and office space, and residential space that could include more than 450 apartments and 130 townhomes.

Myers says the redevelopment project will continue the "tremendous momentum" of the city’s downtown.