Mary Black Foundation Announces Grant Awards

New grant awards will directly help the Northside Initiative. 

The Mary Black Foundation, a local non-profit that has been greatly influential in the Northside Initiative awarded several grants to several Northside Initiative projects.  Project grants include $84,250 to the Hub City Farmers Market for the Healthy Food Hub and $50,000 to the Butterfly Foundation for a culinary training program that will be located at the Healthy Food Hub.  

Grants such as these have made up a large part of the financial contributions directed at the Northside Initiative.  

To learn more about this round of grants awarded by the Mary Black Foundation, visit the Spartanburg Herald-Journal here. 

NDC Closer To Deal With The Old Sunshine Inn

Deal signals another step forward in area revitalization.

Northside Development Corporation is close to closing a deal to purchase the old Sunshine Inn, located within the Northside community.  The deal signals another step forward for the Northside Initiative and the effort to revitalize the area.  The old hotel is mostly unused due to code violations.  If successful in closing on the property, the plan is to demolish the building and grass the lot.  

NDC has settled on a price of $535,000, with a possible increase to buy an adjacent lot.  The Northside Development Corporation has worked diligently to help purchase other property within the community.  City Communications Manager Will Rothschild stated that the acquisition will signify a great step forward in that it “opens up possibilities for the Northside community” and “changes the entire gateway into the city”.

Read more about the acquisition and the Northside Initiative here. 

Milliken & Co Offers Support For Northside Initiative

A substantial boost to the Northside Initiative.

The Northside Initiative received a substantial boost from Milliken & Co. in the form of volunteers and a contribution of $250,000.  Milliken, with its dedication to Spartanburg as a whole, held a volunteer-day during its annual company meeting.  The efforts serve to support the financial contribution Milliken made earlier.  Volunteers were spread out around the community.  Projects included building a community garden at the Healthy Food Hub, working on a Habitat for Humanity home, and landscaping projects.  

Director of Milliken's public affairs, Richard Dillard, stated that the company “wanted to back up [their] financial commitment with hands-on support”.  The support of Milliken demonstrates the continued efforts of area companies, organizations, and leaders to ensure the success of the Northside Initiative.  

Learn more about Milliken’s support of the Northside Initiative in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal here.

Mary Black Foundation Awards $1 Million Grant For Early Childhood Development Center

A major commitment to the Northside Community.

As part of the continued efforts of the Northside Initiative, the Mary Black Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant for the construction of an early childhood development center within the Northside.  Community leaders, residents, and organizations all agree that education, especially early education is going to be critical to the success of the revitalization of the Northside as a community.  The grant comes along with other commitments from area organizations, including the anonymous donation of an additional $500,000 towards the project.  

The Mary Black Foundation’s chairwoman Ruth Cate announced the award and characterized the need for a child development center as “critical to the success of the transformational plan”.  There are still organizational details to be flushed out regarding the center, but this donation demonstrates the community’s commitment to the Northside and the Northside Initiative.  

Read more about the Mary Black Foundation’s grant at the Spartanburg Hearal-Journal here.

NDC Receives $350,000 Loan From Lowcountry Housing Trust

Funding to go towards Healthy Food Hub development.

The Northside Development Corporation has received a loan of $350,000 from Lowcountry Housing Trust.  The loan will go towards land improvements at the site of the Healthy Food Hub.  The facility will serve as a major anchor for the Northside community.  Including Hub City Farmers Market, a culinary training program, a community garden, and a retail store, the Healthy Food Hub will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to community residents.  

As part of Lowcountry Housing Trust’s work in diminishing health disparities and improving communities’ health, this loan will benefit the work that the Healthy Food Hub will do.  This partnership marks another for the ambitious project.  Curt McPhail of the Northside Development Corporation stated that NDC, the Healthy Food Hub, and partners were “fortunate to have [Lowcountry Housing Trust] as an investor.”

To read more about the Lowcountry Housing Trusts loan click here.

Grant Awarded From the EPA

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$65,000 grant to support continued development of greenspace and infrastructure.

The Northside Initiative received another major piece of support in the form of a grant for $65,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  The grant will allow for continued development of ideas around green infrastructure and natural spaces.  The grant plays a part of the larger redevelopment strategies and goals that are going into the Northside Initiative.  As Curt McPhail, project leader on the Northside Initiative, put it, the grant plays a large part of “starting our master plan for the Northside”.

Learn more about this exciting update here 

Northside Initiative Garners Grant for $375,000 from National Institutes of Health

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Grant to help fund studies for Healthy Food Hub project.

The Northside Initiative has garnered another grant of $375,000 from National Institutes of Health to study the effects of the Healthy Food Hub on Northside residents.  The grant, to be administered by University of South Carolina researchers, will track the effects of the Healthy Food Hub on dietary habits of community residents.  The Northside community is situated in what is called a “food desert” – an area more than a mile away from a large grocery store and without easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  Being located in a food desert can negatively impact the health of area residents.

The Healthy Food Hub, which will be the first completed project of the Northside Initiative, has the mission to provide healthy foods, both fresh and prepared, to community residents.  The facility will also house a community garden, along with a farmers market.  The locale will also house the Butterfly Foundation, a culinary training program.  The goal of the Healthy Food Hub is to improve the overall health and well-being of Northside residents.  Curt McPhail, project manager for the Northside Initiative stated that this grant will “provide measurable data on the [effects] of the Healthy Food Hub”.  The project is aimed to be finished in the summer of 2014.

Click here to read more on this article from the Spartanburg Herald- Journal. 

Columbia Residential Chosen As Master Developer

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Atlanta-based firm brings vast capacity & resources to the Northside Initiative.

As part of the effort of the Northside Initiative, Spartanburg Housing Authority has announced Columbia Residential as master developer. 

Columbia Residential, based out of Atlanta, is a regionally recognized developer with an extensive portfolio, one of the characteristics that defined the partnership.  A panel composed of community leaders, residents, and foundation members made the decision after visiting an existing community built by Columbia Residential. 

The news has been met with a great amount of excitement and optimism.  Harry Byrd, Jr. of Spartanburg Housing Authority has stated that Columbia Residential brings a great amount of “capacity and resources” to the project.  Curt McPhail, project manager for the Northside Development Corporation, also agrees that the partnership presents a tremendous step forward.  On having Columbia Residential as a partner on the project, McPhail stated that the news was a “really exciting” for the Northside and other partners.  

Read more about the Housing Authority’s partnership with Columbia Residential in the article from the Spartanburg Herald-Journal here.