What the contract funds
Spartanburg City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 26 to award Crescent Industries of Pauline the $1.5 million Greenville Branch stream-bank stabilization contract. The company submitted the lowest bid. The work includes native plantings and is funded by a grant from the state Rural Infrastructure Authority, according to The Post and Courier. The site is near West Main Street, just past Fifth Third Park.
Park features are not part of the award
The city also sought bids for trails, bridges and benches at the city-owned site, but none of those features is covered by the approved contract. A separate agreement for them has not been presented to council, The Post and Courier reported. City Manager Chris Story described a long-term goal of connecting Highland residents to Main Street with trails; officials have not publicly announced a schedule for the proposed park elements. The stabilization portion is expected to take 180 days, according to the outlet’s report.
The Post and Courier reported that Public Works Director Jay Squires told council the project is intended to keep bank soil in place when heavy rain sends water through the stream. Councilmember Leslie Rodgers described the work as serving beautification and risk-reduction aims, the outlet reported.
Other cities’ stream projects
Davenport, Iowa, planned work on Goose Creek to address erosion and improve access to the water. The project includes a limestone-chip walking path and access points; city officials described floodplain benching as a way to contain rising water within the banks, according to KWQC.
Greenville has also outlined a Southernside streambank project to restore an eroding tributary of the Reedy River through grading and in-stream structures, according to the City of Greenville. These projects provide comparison, but they do not change what Spartanburg has approved: bank stabilization and plantings, with the park features still awaiting a separate decision.
