We’re flying high with excitement because of the new details unveiled for the Downtown Airport District — the City of Greenville’s focus area around the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) and Greenville Convention Center.
Conceptual designs along the proposed Runway Loop Trail — a 4.5-mile trail that would connect the entire Airport District’s perimeter — could include a skate park, a beer garden, and food venues + a few residential sites are approved for development including two multifamily developments and an apartment complex.
After hearing from the public who asked for an affordable grocery store, the planning study also brought forward the idea that the southwestern quadrant of Laurens Road and Pleasantburg Drive is a worth taking a look at as a potential site for a value grocer.
There are also conceptual plans for pedestrian-friendly sidewalks + traffic safety improvements.
If you need a refresh, the public priority projects are:
- Improvements to Pleasantburg Drive, Laurens Road, and Haywood Road.
- District brand identity + way-finding signage
- Realignments to Airport road and Eisenhower + Exposition Drive
- A community park and shared parking deck at the convention center
- An airplane viewing platform along the Swamp Rabbit Trail
- Safe neighborhood connectivity to the SRT and district amenities
The upgrades were proposed by the Airport District Planning Study — a planning effort aimed at combining the goals of the city with the “logistical requirements” of the Greenville Airport Commission — and public input. You asked, they answered.
