Urban design firm explores options for I-385 corridor

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Miami-based urban design group Plusurbia has made public what a reimagined Interstate 385 in Greenville, also known as the Greenville Gateway, could look like in those final miles before reaching downtown.

E. North Street, the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center, Lavinia Street, East Park Avenue and the Pettigru Historic District are a few areas under consideration for the redesign.

A Feb. 22 presentation by Plusurbia stemed from community input gathered over four days of open studio hours and public planning sessions attended by residents, elected officials, business leaders and designers. Alongside input during the session, DOM360, a digital market agency, collected 400 survey repsonses on the plans. New concepts discussed during the session include pedestrian-friendly pathways, greenspaces, restaurants, entertainment facilities, sports and mixed-use development.

The designers from Plusurbia will continue to collect input from stakeholders with an online survey on at GatewayGreenville.com. The site is not yet live. Over the next two months, the group will work closely with the city and county to ensure Plusurbia’s recommendations dovetail with the governments’ current work, according to a news release.

Plusurbia aims to provide recommendations to the city of Greenville by May with the goal of creating a report of stakeholders’ visions and desires for the area that can help guide decision making for the project’s future.

The 15-year-old firm specializes in urban design, building design, historic preservation and mobility solutions and has worked in China and the Middle East, as well as North, South and Central America.