13 Jan Upstate Headlines: Renovation coming soon for former Handlebar space
A collection of the top Upstate headlines for the week of January 11, 2016
Renovation coming soon for former Handlebar space
Sitting vacant now for almost a year, the former Handlebar music venue on Stone Avenue is about to get a makeover. After plans for a boutique bowling alley and entertainment venue from Charleston-based The Alley were put on hold, developer Ron Rallis found a new tenant with new plans for the property. Howard Dozier and his business partner, Paul Talley, who also own The Comedy Zone, Kilpatrick’s Public House and Pour Lounge in downtown Greenville, have signed a lease on the former Handlebar property.
BMW volume surpasses 400,000
With annual volume exceeding 400,000 vehicles, the BMW plant near Greer now makes more cars per year than any other factory in the German automaker’s global network. And there’s more to come. BMW said Monday that volume at the plant would grow to 450,000 vehicles by the end of 2016. BMW said the plant made 400,904 X models last year, a 15 percent increase over 2014. It said the expansion would include a 527,000-square-foot body shop, 200,000 more square feet of assembly space for the X5 and X6, 105,000 square feet of warehouse space and two indoor test tracks.
Uber reducing Greenville prices 35 percent for slow season
Ride-hailing app Uber is reducing the prices for uberX rides by 35 percent because of reduced post-holiday demand, according to a company spokesman. The company tends to experience a “post-holiday slowdown” starting in January, which can lead to lower earnings for drivers, spokesman Bill Gibbons said in an email. In order to increase demand for rides, Uber is introducing the price decrease beginning noon on Jan. 9.
Best of 2015: Downtown Spartanburg sees significant business boom
Spartanburg’s downtown has witnessed unprecedented growth in 2015 as plans for development have come to fruition, and new construction projects have started. Several of the downtown projects this year boast firsts — the first AC Hotel in South Carolina, the first co-op grocery in South Carolina, the first rooftop bar in Spartanburg and the first brewery-cidery in the Upstate. With the city welcoming a variety of new merchants as well as business expansions and upgrades, 2015 has helped propel Spartanburg forward with a more active and vibrant downtown.
Atlanta’s Tin Lizzy’s Cantina to open in Greenville
Atlanta-based Tin Lizzy’s Cantina is expanding to Greenville with a new 5,000-square-foot restaurant planned to open in April at Magnolia Park on Woodruff Road. The taqueria and cantina plans to bring its chilled margaritas and famous “FlexMex” cuisine” to Greenville. It will be the restaurant’s second South Carolina location following the launch of its Columbia restaurant in October 2015. The popular eatery has 10 restaurants in Georgia.
