project: FOUNTAIN INN MASTER PLAN
date: 2005 – 2006
location: FOUNTAIN INN, SC
client: CITY OF FOUNTAIN INN
contact: EDDIE CASE, CITY ADMINISTRATOR

Urban Collage, Inc. prepared a Strategic Master Plan for the City of Fountain Inn, SC that will serve as a guide for future growth, development and revitalization within the historic city. The plan for the city of 6,000 focuses on developing physical and economic revitalization strategies for sustaining and improving the City’s downtown core and surrounding areas.

Core issues included the need to stabilize and improve the downtown business environment, aesthetic improvements to historic downtown buildings, preserving the City’s historic character, and management of increasing residential development pressure. Plan initiatives include narrowing Main Street to promote a more pedestrian-friendly downtown shopping area, promoting higher quality residential development to provide additional housing opportunities and price points and developing new marketing materials to promote the town to prospective employers, residents and visitors.

In addition to physical plans for the downtown area, Urban Collage assisted the City in implementing new Central Business District Guidelines, residential subdivision guidelines, and a new signage ordinance.

Implementation Highlights:

• In October 2007, the City of Fountain Inn purchased the old train depot to become a new Visitor’s Center, Chamber of Commerce, History Museum and Farmer’s Market.
• Since the plan’s completion, the City has approved development of 210 new housing units consistent with the aim of the Master Plan.
• The City has implemented park improvements, hired economic development staff, and revised multiple ordinances.

project: ROSEWOOD HILLS MASTER PLAN
date: 2003
location: COLUMBIA, SC
client: THE COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
contact: JULIA PRATER, DEPUTY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING HOPE VI

In 2003, the Columbia Housing Authority retained Urban Collage to produce a market-based development plan along the lines of the HOPE VI model for the 19-acre Hendley Homes public housing site. The plan emphasized public involvement and architectural compatibility to rally the adjoining neighborhoods around a new vision for the area. The plan and public involvement process sought to position the project not only as public housing redevelopment but also as a traditional neighborhood plan, a unique combination that drew on Urban Collage’s diverse skill set.

Urban Collage built on the consensual vision of four participatory workshops, the continuing involvement of key stakeholders and the Columbia Housing Authority to develop a plan that significantly reworks existing infrastructure to result in a new series of public open spaces. No unit of the diverse mix of housing is more than one block away from a neighborhood park; and the greenway that unites them is anchored on either end by revitalizing commercial and cultural nodes. The plan subsequently became the basis for a successful HUD 2004 HOPE VI application. Since then, Urban Collage has gone on to create sets of design guidelines for both the mixed-use and senior living components of the plan, as well as consulting on the detailed design of the infrastructure.

Implementation Highlights:

• Project awarded $10.5 million dollars as part of a successful 2004 HOPE VI Grant Application
• $4 million dollar infrastructure improvements package funded by the City; streets and public spaces complete
• Design guidelines completed for solicitation of development partners
• Final Phase of development, with the senior complex slated for occupancy late 2009 and a future mixed-use building awaiting final design

project: NICHOLTOWN MASTER PLAN
date: 2003
location: GREENVILLE, SC
client: CITY OF GREENVILLE & THE GREENVILLE HOUSING AUTHORITY
contact: GINNY STROUD

The City of Greenville, SC in collaboration with the Greenville Housing Authority, focused on a long-range master plan for the revitalization of the Nicholtown neighborhood and the Jesse Jackson Townhomes. The team of Urban Collage, Inc., URS Corp., Robert Charles Lesser & Co. LLC. and J. Peters & Associates were selected to work with the City, GHA, and community stakeholders to develop a strategic action plan which identified opportunities, projects and partnership consistent with the community’s vision. This redevelopment project will be “the largest revitalization project in city history” according to the Greenville News.

Building on the consensual vision, the Urban Collage Team developed a plan for Jesse Jackson Townhomes that would ultimately serve as a catalyst for redevelopment in the Nicholtown community. In addition, the plan reaches into the Nicholtown neighborhood to propose preservation and restoration of existing single-family homes, infill single-family and multi-family residential and infrastructure improvements, including a greenway trail connecting to the Reedy River, and streetscapes.

Implementation Highlights:

• GHA awarded a $20 million 2004 HOPE VI Grant for Jesse Jackson Townhomes
• Successful tax credit application for senior housing development
• Greenville City Council committed $4 million in property and infrastructure improvements
• Development of Comprehensive Design Guidelines

project: ANDERSON SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUR
date: 2004
location: PENDELTON, SC
client: ANDERSON SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUR

Urban Collage, Inc. developed a 10-Year Facilities Master Plan through an interactive process, including seven public meetings, with Anderson 4 administrators, Board of Education members, faculty, staff, students, and the general public. Basing the facilities program on the instruction needs of the system, the planning process began with a series of goal-setting exercises and the development of planning assumptions to guide development of the Master Facilities Plan. To accommodate the targeted enrollment of 3,200 to 3,400 students in seven to ten years, three facility alternatives were developed and presented. The three alternatives outlined potential strategies for providing needed facilities based upon the instructional guidelines and the facilities challenges that were created at the beginning of the process.  In addition, the alternatives were based upon three key elements: maintaining and planning for smaller class sizes; providing equity across the district; and being efficient with capitol expenditures and taxpayer dollars.

The preferred alternative selected by the District and the public called for construction of a new elementary facility for 450 students; construction of a classroom addition at the high school; and construction of a classroom addition at one of the existing elementary schools.

Implementation Highlights:

• The plan’s recommendations were approved by the Board of Trustees at their June 17, 2004 meeting.

• As a key recommendation of the Master Plan, Mt. Lebanon Elementary School was constructed (see photo in upper right above) and opened to K-6th grade students in August 2007.

• The District instituted its first ever Elementary School attendance areas as a result of a follow up community input effort facilitated by Urban Collage, Inc.

project: BATTERY PARK MASTER PLAN
date: 2008 – 2009
location: ANDERSON, SC
client: REALTICORP, LLC
contact: REGGIE D. BELL, ASSET MANAGER

The Master Plan prepared by Urban Collage for the Exit 19 Site explored a variety of unique design concepts for this challenging greenfield development in upstate South Carolina. Situated within a rapidly growing corridor just a few miles from Clemson University, the 120+ acre Master Plan seeks to create a new multi-use district that is at once walkable and urban, yet takes full advantage of numerous natural features by preserving waterways, views and several nature areas.

The centerpiece of the design is a new walkable “main street” that carefully blends small storefronts and offices with larger box retailers and parking along a linear town green. The layout balances the typical economics of “Power Centers” while setting a new template for sustainable, highway-oriented development.