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Urban Spartanburg

@urbanspartanburg.bsky.social
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News and thoughts about development in this small Southern city

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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 1h
What could have been. /1
"Development of the Morgan Square plan was guided by a select steering committee of local leaders, downtown stakeholders, and area residents, representing the culmination of nine months of sustained public outreach and engagement.
The Morgan Square Pavilion is designed to be a functional and iconic structure at the front door of the Square along North Church Street and Main Street in Downtown Spartanburg. The location and design of the Pavilion create a focal point and open views of the Square from the east, an improvement from the existing conditions today that block views of the Square from Church Street. The Pavilion will be constructed of three individual freestanding buildings and a monumental freeform canopy above. The three buildings will include a visitors’ information kiosk with a city-employed information guide, a public toilet facility with 2 fixtures for men and women, and a city storage building. The structures support the Square’s daily events and programming by enhancing accessibility to public comfort facilities.
The construction of the Morgan Square Pavilion is estimated to begin in the Spring of 2025."
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 13h
The city is THROWING OUT the amazing work of the Morgan Square redesign done after years of work with public input + Atlanta architects/landscape firm MKSK, replacing it with more Johnson theme-park mush developed in secret. One man's bad taste designing the entirety of downtown? It must be stopped.
Westsider28 / Urban Planet:
"A new Morgan Square design was presented to City Council this evening. It keeps W Main and Dunbar closed to cars while adding water features not in the previous plan. However it doesn't seem to have a stage/restroom structure anymore and it abandons the historic triangular design of the square for a rectangular one.

A big issue I have with this plan is that it was seemingly crafted entirely in secret, throwing out months of public engagement that resulted in the previous design. I also don't like the shape. The City tore down the clock tower so the original streetwall of the Square could be restored, only to now ignore that historic shape on the upper portion of the Square? It also seems overly formal, especially compared to the more modern previous design. And all the new elements are symmetrical, but not aligned with the Daniel Morgan Statue! It looks so awkward.

After looking at the website (www.cityofspartanburg.org/358/Morgan-Square-Enhancement-Plan) I see the City plans to lease a space on the Square to house staff and public restrooms. The justifications for the shape and trying to somehow claim it fits historically is laughable. And they claim better sightlines to the statue, but that's also a stretch, as all the elements are misaligned.

The cost estimate is $18.2M which would be financed by a hospitality bond. Council will vote on whether to approve the plan at their next meeting (Oct 26) and construction could begin early '27. I don't like the radio silence for years followed by this extremely rapid implementation schedule. I think we need to pump the brakes and let the public have more say again, with this dramatic of a change. The fact that this is the same landscape architect as the Grain District Plaza next to Fifth Third Park and that the Square in this design is more aligned with One Morgan Square than the historic W Main streetwall or the Daniel Morgan Statue gives me big Johnson Development designed/wants this vibes"
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JFA @jabbott28.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
www.postandcourier.com/spartanburg/... @hubcitybookshop.bsky.social is worth a visit!
postandcourier.com
Despite construction in downtown Spartanburg, this bookstore is seeing higher sales. It isn't alone.
While other businesses in downtown Spartanburg have said the loss of parking amid construction has hurt their sales, Hub City Bookshop is seeing the opposite. Here’s why.
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Holy City Sinner @holycitysinner.com · 11/10/2026
LGBTQ groups issue open letter condemning political discourse around transgender people abcnews4.com/newsletter-d...
abcnews4.com
LGBTQ groups issue open letter condemning political discourse around transgender people
Transgender rights have again become a focal point in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race after President Donald Trump used an anti-transgender slur while critici
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Madness.
charlotteobserver.com
Trump administration investigating Wells Fargo over minority homeownership efforts
The Wall Street Journal was first to report.
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 06/10/2026
Big opportunity for our city! I intend to be at the session tomorrow.
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Urbanize Atlanta @urbanizeatl.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
College Square is permanent, opened-up gathering space linking business district with university atlanta.urbanize.city/post/athens-c…
atlanta.urbanize.city
Near UGA, section of downtown Athens reborn as pedestrian plaza
College Square is permanent, opened-up gathering space linking business district with university
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Really, really important events to share your input into the new city code tomorrow (Wednesday) and the next day (Thursday).
Our zoning code hasn’t kept pace with our city

Spartanburg, South Carolina, is growing and changing, but portions of the current zoning ordinance are still rooted in standards written more than 35 years ago and amended piecemeal since. The result is a code that’s difficult to use, hard to administer, and often out of step with how people actually live, work, and get around today.

A modernized code gives the City a tool that can keep up: one that supports housing affordability, reflects the priorities of Plan Spartanburg, and treats every neighborhood fairly.

Code Spartanburg’s guiding principles — Character & Authenticity, Enhanced Connections, Dignity & Belonging, and Improved Health & Wellness — will directly shape the new code.
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Michael @mdstamper.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
“Africa” by Loïs Mailou Jones (American) – Oil on canvas board / 1935 – The Johnson Collection (Spartanburg, South Carolina) #WomenInArt #WomenArtists #LoisMailouJones #BlackArt #AfricanAmericanArt #TheJohnsonCollection #artText #LoïsMailouJones #WomensArt #WomanArtist #africa #HarlemRenaissance
American artist Loïs Mailou Jones painted “Africa” in 1935, five years after joining the faculty of Howard University, where she would teach for nearly half a century. Colleagues there encouraged the Boston-born artist to challenge racist stereotypes and explore African heritage, and this painting reflects that developing engagement. 

Three monumental Black figures fill the composition, pressed close to the picture plane against a glowing yellow-orange background and broad tropical leaves. The central woman dominates the upper half of the painting, her long, symmetrical face framed by dark hair and accented with green, almond-shaped eyes. She wears dangling gold earrings, a necklace of pale tusks or teeth, and patterned fabric draped across one shoulder. Below her, two additional figures overlap across the foreground. At left, a figure tilts inward beneath stacked gold neck rings and an elaborate spiral earring. At right, another face reclines horizontally, partially obscuring the boldly striped garment at center. Deep browns, greens, golds, cream, blue, and red repeat across skin, jewelry, foliage, and textiles, creating a tightly orchestrated pattern. 

The elongated faces, simplified features, still expressions, and compressed space give the figures a sculptural presence that evokes African masks, an aesthetic vocabulary Jones would return to throughout her career. At the same time, the work displays her exceptional command of decorative pattern and color, skills rooted partly in her early training as a textile designer. 

The Johnson Collection describes the painting’s jewel-like palette, patterned cloth, jewelry, and mask-inspired faces as central to Jones’s response to calls for Black artists to engage more directly with African cultural traditions.
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Matt Fennell @mattfennell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Was back in Spartanburg this week with a coworker from Portugal and as we were walking to dinner he said “it really is very nice here! a wonderful city,” and then he furrowed his brow and pointed at the Denny’s building and said “except for that horrible thing.”
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 03/10/2026
Coming soon: Dagwood Social, a new concept from Hub City Hospitality.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Spartanburg South Carolina Flock Cameras Vandalized.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Curvy convention center coming to Greenville.
Greenville conference center near Falls Park, South Carolina.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Hampton Heights Porchfest was an astounding success this past Sunday. (Dub Fire Reggae Band from North Carolina can be seen here on the right starting its set.)
Local architect from McMillan Pazdan Smith takes in Hampton Heights Porchfest in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Sunday September 27th, 2026. Photo credit: westsider28
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 28/09/2026
Tickets go on sale Wednesday for an exhibition baseball game between South Carolina and Duke at Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg. | www.wspa.com/news/local-news/duke-a… 
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Remarkable infill project coming to Hampton Heights.
Planned for a heavily wooded lot in Spartanburg's Hampton Heights Historic District, South Carolina architect Michael Henthorn designed this upcoming one-and-a-half-story residence in a traditional Craftsman style.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
thehill.com
Graham, Andrews neck and neck in South Carolina Senate race: Poll
Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) and her Democratic opponent, Annie Andrews, are locked in a dead heat in the race for South Carolina’s Senate seat, according to a new poll released Saturday even…
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
One way to lessen the burden of growth on infrastructure is to create walkable and bikeable cities.
wistv.com
South Carolina infrastructure improves to C-Minus, but engineers warn challenges remain
South Carolina’s infrastructure earned a C-minus in the latest statewide report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
For those interested.
There's a hint of fall in the air this week — that means it's almost time for our Annual Meeting!
We hope you'll join us for this annual celebration of conservation and connection with UF's staff, board, and supporters.
Upstate Forever Annual Meeting
Sunday, October 4 from 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Elf Leaf Farm, 141 N. Campbell Road,
Landrum, 29536
RSVP now: https://www.upstateforever.
org/events 79/annual-meeting
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Southern Alliance for Clean Energy @cleanenergy.org · 25/09/2026
The 460-megawatt power plant at the Valara data center in Spartanburg County, SC should NOT be exempted from oversight. We've asked the Public Service Commission to reconsider its decision. Read the full statement ➡️ ow.ly/vqZV50ZRx6c 🔌💡
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America Walks @americawalks.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
🌟👟🚲 NEW BLOG: Spartanburg, South Carolina's community is showing up to build a safer, more walkable East Main Street! 2025 #WalkingCollege fellow + founder of The Walking Spartan Liv Hawkins takes us through the process + how the community showed up to demand more ➡️ buff.ly/GsGoYt5
Visualizations depicting East Main Street as it currently exists, SCDOT's proposed changes, and Liv's proposed updatesA photo of bicyclists and a roller blader on their way to the SCDOT meeting about the proposed changes to East Main StreetPhoto of the packed bike rack outside the building where SCDOT hosted the meeting about the proposed changes to East Main StreetSpartanburg community members showed up in full force to exchange ideas and provide input on SCDOT's proposed changes to East Main Street
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Data center propaganda billboard in downtown Spartanburg, at the site of a gravestone maker ☠️
Controversial NorthMark data center on S. Pine St. in Spartanburg South Carolina is paying for propaganda outdoor advertising campaign to sway public opinion in its favor.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
wyff4.com
Spartanburg County joins other SC counties in data center moratoriums
Spartanburg County has paused most new data center projects as leaders and residents debate growth, power use and regulation.
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 23/09/2026
Code Spartanburg begins the public engagement process to update the city's zoning. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. engage.zencity.io/spartanburg-...
engage.zencity.io
Code Spartanburg
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Food truck options at Spartanburg's upcoming Porchfest include YumBaiSC, the Salted Fry and Boyos Burgers from from Greenville, as well as Aspen Street Sweets.
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 22/09/2026
Thank you Avery Beaton of @postandcourier.bsky.social for talking to me! www.postandcourier.com/spartanburg/...
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The new menu at The Kennedy.
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South Carolina Daily Intel @southcarolinaintel.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
NorthMark Compute and Cloud now says its $3 billion Valera Data Center in Spartanburg County will use an average of 1.2 million gallons of water per day, with peaks of 1.6 million. That is more than double the 459,000 gallons a day the company originally projected.
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Steve Rose @mermansteve.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
www.selc.org/news/they-st...
selc.org
They started building a $2.8 billion data center and no one really knew about it
Residents and environmental groups are sounding the alarm on a data center in Spartanburg County— a quaint, midsized city nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Upstate South Carolina...
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 21/09/2026
this is a bit of an obsession of mine especially here in charlottesville. the cost of commercial real estate is prohibitive if you want to experiment and the city seems categorically opposed to small lots and small units that could allow people to start businesses without a huge capital investment
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Simone Jameson @simonejnews.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It’s a hot button topic we’ve been talking about since the beginning. 🔔 Now, a specially-called meeting is planned in Spartanburg County for Monday afternoon regarding ongoing data center development. A preview below. 👇🏾 #datacenter #datacentercontroversy #SpartanburgSC #SpartanburgCounty #fyp
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Holy City Sinner @holycitysinner.com · 19/09/2026
South Carolina gas prices up 51 cents in one week; diesel costs reach all-time high www.counton2.com/news/south-c...
counton2.com
South Carolina gas prices up 51 cents in one week; diesel costs reach all-time high
AAA states diesel prices in South Carolina are at a record high of $6.15 a gallon, nearly $2.69 more than a year ago.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Video report on the workforce housing coming to that grassy corner.
yahoo.com
Workforce housing development set for Downtown Spartanburg
Workforce housing development set for Downtown Spartanburg
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 19/09/2026
Downtown Spartanburg could see changes to several roads and intersections as city leaders revisit a transportation plan aimed at improving traffic flow and making the area easier to navigate for pedestrians and cyclists.
wspa.com
Beyond new buildings: How downtown Spartanburg could change
Downtown Spartanburg could see changes to several roads and intersections as city leaders revisit a transportation plan aimed at improving traffic flow and making the area easier to navigate for pe…
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 18/09/2026
I do not know why WSPA has misidentified this as 29 and Pine Street. This image is on Pine Street and I am not biking there.
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 18/09/2026
A development agreement to build a 48-unit affordable apartment building in Spartanburg was approved Monday. ➡️ www.wspa.com/news/local-news/develo… 
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 18/09/2026
Eighteen tiny homes are nearing completion in Spartanburg’s Northside neighborhood, with the first residents expected to move in November.
wspa.com
New Spartanburg tiny-home village aims to bridge housing gap
Eighteen tiny homes are nearing completion in Spartanburg’s Northside neighborhood, with the first residents expected to move in November.
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 17/09/2026
Okay I finished it. walkingspartan.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
walkingspartan.substack.com
A Conversation on Flock Cameras, Traffic Enforcement, and Safer Streets
What’s wrong with ALPRs and how to better pursue safety
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 17/09/2026
Spartanburg's data center debate has garnered attention nationwide, and recently caught the eyes of a political grassroots organization who's on an AI Data Center Revolt Tour.
wspa.com
AI Data Center Revolt Tour stops in Spartanburg
In the past year, Spartanburg’s data center debate has garnered attention nationwide, and recently caught the eyes of a political grassroots organization who’s on an AI Data Center Revo…
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 17/09/2026
Spartanburg residents may notice that East Main Street (US 29) has a smooth new surface and several new safety features. www.wspa.com/news/prominent-spartan… 
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A macho culture of performative selfishness might start on the roads, through racing, rolling coal, ever bigger SUVs ... But it doesn't end there. If we want to live in a decent country which values human life, we need to change this culture. My column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Driving that’s too fast, too dangerous and utterly lawless: why do we tolerate this petro-masculinity? | George Monbiot
In towns and in the countryside, I see 4x4s and pick up trucks driven without care or consicence. It’s a Magafication of transport, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Citizen Portal News South Carolina @citizenptnewssc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Spartanburg City Council just approved a six-month extension for its microtransit pilot to gather crucial data and evaluate potential expansion! Click to read more! #SpartanburgCitySpartanburgCounty #SC #DataCollection #CitizenPortal #PublicTransit #UrbanMobility #SpartanburgMicrotransit
citizenportal.ai
Council approves six‑month extension of Spartanburg microtransit pilot to gather more data
Council voted to extend the city's microtransit pilot for 6 months to collect more ridership and cost data. Staff said the pilot runs three vehicles (two active, one spare), current average wait time is about 14 minutes, rides are free for the first four then $2, and the extension costs approximately $200,000 funded by grants.
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livvy @walkingspartan.substack.com · 15/09/2026
The City of Spartanburg broke two barriers in 1982. James Talley became the first African American to win an at-large election. He would later become the first Black mayor. Ellen Hines Smith was elected as the first woman councilmember. The body today is majority women and POC.
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Momentum with an interesting project maximizing density and infill next to the Library parking garage.
goupstate.com
Affordable housing plan for downtown Spartanburg finally advances
Long-awaited project combines city support, tax credits and ARPA funds to create 48 affordable apartments near Spartanburg parking garage.
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Meg Reid 🦦 @megireid.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A national reporter (other than them.us) should dig into what's happening with the arts commissioners here in SC banning arts projects that "promote ideology" in order to ban LGBTQ orgs and works. Based on the EO that is already working its way through the courts. (Yes, the ACLU here is on it).
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 14/09/2026
The Sports Business Journal (SBJ) named Greenville-Spartanburg the No. 1 Minor League sports market in the country for 2026 over Portland, MA, and Charleston, S.C. www.wspa.com/sports/greenville-spar… 
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Remarkable graffiti art show in downtown Spartanburg coming soon, featuring the work of New York and Philadelphia taggers/writers/artists. September 23rd 6pm, 232 Union Street
Hot Eye Photography: “Studio 232 Gallery is ready and we have our first show! Wednesday Sept 23 from 6-9pm please come see an amazing collection of Joseph McMillin's. Featuring artists from NYC and Philadelphia. These artist and are known as “Writers" or graffiti artists. Please follow at @studio232gallery or go to www.hoteyephoto.com to read about this collection”
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Urban Spartanburg @urbanspartanburg.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Saluda Grade Trail progress.
greenvillejournal.com
Saluda Grade Trail plans taking shape for first 5 miles in SC
Designs for the first five miles of the Saluda Grade Trail are about 60% complete and were unveiled to the public at an open house meeting.
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Vanessa Lech @votevanessalech.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETING — DATA CENTERS Spartanburg County Administration Building — Council Chambers 366 N. Church Street Spartanburg, SC 29303 #SpartanburgSC #SpartanburgCity #SpartanburgCounty #SpartanburgCountyCouncil #SpartanburgSouthCarolina
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WSPA 7NEWS @wspa.com · 10/09/2026
Construction of the new Spartanburg Joint Government Center reached a new height Wednesday as the building was topped out. www.wspa.com/news/local-news/sparta… 
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