Knox White, Mayor of Greenville

UpstatebizSC:
Greenville was recently featured in an issue of US Airways, the first ever profile of a downtown as opposed to an entire city. You have been Mayor for fourteen years and presided over a remarkable transformation in Greenville. 

Knox White:
US Airways did a great, 28-page profile piece on Greenville and we are proud to have been included in this publication. 

Over the last decade certain key projects have driven our success.  The Poinsett opening in 1999 was pivotal to bringing downtown revitalization past the Hyatt block.  Falls Park blasted open the river corridor and the stadium did the same for the far end of the street.  Like the earlier Hyatt project and the Peace Center, all were public-private partnerships and catalysts for redevelopment but I like to point out that all the big projects are not the whole story.  Our commitment to a walkable, pedestrian friendly Main Street connecting all of these projects also plays a big role in creating the magic that is downtown Greenville.

UpstatebizSC:
How did the idea for Falls Park come about?

Knox White:
Opening up the Reedy River corridor has always been a major part of our strategic plan. Before Falls Park, however, the south end of Main Street on the river corridor was mostly deserted warehouses and dilapidated buildings. The concept of a park was a hard sell because we were basically saying let’s spend $13 million to build a public park around a waterfall few have ever seen and tear down a highway bridge that is a major artery into downtown.

We fought a long political battle, but were eventually able to get the project approved.  Three years after the park opened it generated over $150 million in surrounding private investment (hotels, condos, restaurants, and retail) and now the river corridor is the centerpiece of the city. The park is a beautiful place for people of all ages, and has drawn national and even international attention to Greenville. 

UpstatebizSC:
What has been the key to Greenville’s success?   It has succeeded in downtown development where many other cities have failed.  Why?

Knox White:
Great public/private partnerships and insistence on good urban design. 

I am a big believer and have a great passion for urban planning and design. We kept focused on the prize: a pedestrian experience unlike any other. Scale is important. We have setback requirements for towers so that as you walk along the street, you don’t feel overwhelmed. It’s not just about the big projects, but rather what you experience between the big projects – public art and landscaping.  It was the small details that were important. You have to be conscious of connectors to make the pedestrian experience authentic and natural.

In the early 1990’s, we were also one of the first cities to recognize the importance of emphasizing residential development and worked hard to attract apartments and condominiums. Residents were a huge part of our strategy. This strategy has been in place in many cities for years, but Greenville has proportionality more people living downtown than just about anywhere in the country.  

Top notch restaurants have also been a key part of the overall success of our downtown development. Greenville started with a few great restaurants and now I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we have become a culinary destination.

Details matter. Vision, strategic planning, overcoming obstacles to that vision, and building on early successes.

UpstatebizSC:
Did the city subsidize downtown development? 

Knox White:

We invested in public infrastructure to attract and leverage private investment.  We also spurred development by selling certain city-owned properties.  For example, a city owned parking lot became a large condo project.  Based on that success, we sold three additional properties for residential development.  Recently, we sold the city hall garage and site which is now the new Marriott Courtyard Hotel and mixed use project.

We aim for a high level of quality in all developments. Out-of-town developers now come into downtown Greenville with respect for what we have accomplished – and they don’t want to be the ones to mess it up!

UpstatebizSC:
How do you build on your successes?  How do you plan on matching the phenomenal success of the past fourteen years?

Knox White:
By continuing to focus on mixed use development and quality design.  Going forward we will continue to use the river as an asset.

UpstatebizSC:
What is your background and education?  Why did you get in to politics?

Knox White:
I’m from Greenville and attended Wake Forest University undergrad and USC Law School.

I worked for then Congressman Carroll Campbell in Washington and also in his eventual successful campaign for Governor. I was always interested in government and politics. 

UpstatebizSC:
What is the biggest obstacle to future growth?

Knox White:
In terms of a specific project, the biggest obstacle is that we have a major city public works facility located right along the Reedy River that we will have to deal with if we are going to realize our full potential along the river. 

UpstatebizSC:
What cities do you admire for their downtown development?

Knox White:
We keep an eye on projects all over the country. Portland, Oregon is always doing edgy things and has done an excellent job of developing an outdoor lifestyle environment. They, too, have a good pedestrian atmosphere and appropriate sense of scale. 

UpstatebizSC:
You operate in a council form of government, or weak mayor as some call it.  Would you prefer a strong mayor system?

Knox White:
There is nothing set in concrete that determines whether one system is better than the other. It depends on the personalities. We have a tradition of having a strong mayor in the sense that the people of Greenville expect the mayor to be very active and to set the vision. 

The more fragmented a community is politically, the better suited it is perhaps for a strong mayor system. The business community here works well with government and it’s a relatively cohesive community when it comes to how people vote in elections. Greenville is a collaborative community by history and by instinct so the council form of government is workable. 

UpstatebizSC:
What downside do you see to the part-time mayor?

Knox White:
The biggest downside is that it cramps your ability to be proactive. Most of my time as Mayor is spent in meetings with neighborhood groups, developers etc., but if I had more time, I could do more.  It’s as simple as that. 

UpstatebizSC:
How has the economy affected the City of Greenville?

Knox White:
We are doing better than most cities because we have a strong, diversified economy with well established levels of international investment. Our finances are in good shape, we have strong bond ratings, and we have accomplished this without raising property taxes in fourteen years.  But state allocations are down, and business license revenue is down, so next year’s budget is going to be even tougher.

UpstatebizSC:
What are your political aspirations?

Knox White:
It’s great to be at the forefront of economic development on the I-85 corridor, one of the fastest growing regions in the country, in the world, for that matter. I have no political aspirations other than being Mayor of Greenville.  It is challenging and enormously creative job.  That’s why I like it.

UpstatebizSC:
What is your leadership style?

Knox White:
You have to be collaborative in this day and age, however, I do think that a leader has to use his bully pulpit to set the vision for your organization and sell it. That job of selling the vision gets easier as you establish a track record and acquire credibility.

UpstatebizSC:
What are you most proud of in Greenville?

Knox White:
Falls Park, the baseball stadium and the Poinsett Hotel are the three most transformational downtown projects of my fourteen year tenure as Mayor. We had to overcome major obstacles in order to move forward with each of these projects.  In each case, we achieved storybook endings.

We lost our baseball team, and the City spent five years tying to build a stadium that we could not afford. A new group came in and built a baseball stadium at its own expense. Now people come from across the Southeast to see our scaled down version of Fenway Park, Fluor Field. People now can’t imagine Greenville without Falls Park – and it did not even exist five years ago. The Poinsett, a 1920’s building that had not been torn down, is a miracle in its own right and gives downtown Greenville a much needed shot of historic authenticity.

I wish more people in the state knew how successful Clemson CU-ICAR has been in this city.  We have had some great successes recruiting energy technology companies such as Proterra and more announcements are coming.  There is a great interplay and connectivity between the City and CU-ICAR prospects.

Artisphere, our annual spring arts festival, is another project that really speaks to the spirit of collaboration in this town. It has developed into a true regional event that receives incredible private sector support and attracts top visual artists from across the United States.

I encourage people to come downtown any night of the week, but especially on weekends, to experience downtown Greenville. Bring the family, bring a business associate, it’s a pedestrian experience unlike any other downtown in America. That is our greatest achievement.