15 Jun Upstate Headlines: Stone advocates for BI-LO’s commitment to local produce
A collection of the top Upstate headlines for the week of June 13, 2016
Stone advocates for BI-LO’s commitment to local produce
A native of Australia, who currently lives in London and owns a restaurant in Beverly Hills, spent Monday in Campobello and Simpsonville. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone wasn’t lost though. He visited the Upstate to meet fans while also advocating for the use of local produce. BI-LO’s parent company, Southeastern Grocers, has announced a new local sourcing policy with a commitment to sell produce from local farms and orchards in the Southeast whenever possible.
‘Green Monster’ seats planned for Fluor Field, other renovations
The Greenville Drive’s ownership has at least $10 million worth of renovation plans in the works for Fluor Field that would remake both entrances, add a new upper-deck lounge and perhaps most notably — seating for the first time atop the left-field “Green Monster.” The city is proposing to spend $5 million of tax money to help with the renovations at the West End ballpark. The city’s portion, if approved by City Council members over the course of the next couple years, will come from a combination of taxes it imposes on hotel stays and from fees related to permits required for establishment to sell alcohol on Sundays.
New Rick Erwin restaurant among Drayton Mills anchor tenants
Greenville restaurateur Rick Erwin will open a new restaurant concept this fall at Drayton Mills in Spartanburg. Other commercial tenants coming to the mill are Spartanburg-based Zen Studios, a yoga, massage and fitness studio; Melotte Enterprises’ corporate headquarters and its coffee roasting business and coffee shop, Mozza Roasters; and the regional offices of Agracel, an Illinois-based industrial developer. Angela Halstead with Coldwell Banker Commercial Caine, who represents Melotte Entreprises, said the company’s offices and coffee roasting concept will open in September or October. Melotte Enterprises runs Bella Latte in Spartanburg. The company’s portfolio includes several local Little Caesars and Wayback Burgers. “It started out it was just going to be another Bella Latte and next thing you know, we are doing this wonderful expansion of office and roasting,” Halstead said.
Ready for takeoff
Lockheed Martin’s T-50A jet trainer completed its initial flight test in Sacheon, South Korea, on June 2, signaling the aerospace company’s readiness to compete in the U.S. Air Force Advanced Pilot Training competition. The Air Force announced last year that it wants 350 new jets to replace its Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainers, which, according to Northrop Grumman, were produced from 1961 to 1972. The Air Force uses the T-38 aircraft for undergraduate pilot training. The competition is valued up to $11 billion.
Aldi planning new store on Spartanburg’s west side
Fans of discount chain Aldi who live on Spartanburg’s west side will soon have a store nearby. Aldi plans to open its third Spartanburg-area store on Blackstock Road near the Dorman Centre by the end of this year. It will join the existing Aldi store on East Main Street and one on Highway 9 in Boiling Springs that opened last fall. Ben Hines, a principal of Spencer/Hines Properties, said Aldi signed a $2.2 million lease commitment for the 23,500-square-foot Office Max building at 150 E. Blackstock Road when that store’s lease expires Sept. 30.
