Come to the meeting on Thursday, March 26th at 5:30 in the evening . This meeting will be held at the new Berea Elementary, located at 100 Berea Drive, and will give members of the Berea community the opportunity to meet with representatives from Sembler, the prospective developer of the old Berea School property. Come hear the developer’s plans, share your thoughts, and get answers to your questions.
This Community Meeting has been arranged for us by the School District.
This image is a preliminary site plan like the one that was presented at the re-zoning hearing.
Meet the Developers
Thursday
March 26th at 5:30
100 Berea Drive
New Berea Elementary School
i am not sure if I can be there, but as a lifelong resident of Berea and a member of th Farr family I would love to keep the school. I feel there is so much we could do with it. I have had local artist say they would love to have a place to display art, a nice eatery, maybe office space,small retail. We need a craft store, also a cloth shop. Look how Brick Street cafe started renting out space. Berea was always a nice family oriented community. Let’s try to keep it they way. We have enough empty buildings that should be filled before we build more.
We could have a fresh market on the playground, we could have festivals. Help…..
I am writing in reference to the former Berea Elementary & High School located 104 Farrs Bridge Road & Sulphur Springs Road (District 19). This former Berea elementary high school building is the ‘last historic landmark’ in the heart of the Berea community. Part of this Historic School was built with WPA money during the 1930’s depression era.
Look how Greenville City and the surrounding housing areas of their Historic District has been preserved. Look at the West End of Downtown Greenville, West Greenville, Falls Parks. Look at Mills Mills, Monaghan Mill and now Brandon Mill is up for refurbishing to lofts. Berea Elementary is the Last of Berea History and our only main street area.
Tindal Park is on the local news this week. The community is in an uproar that the School District is trying to sell this property, that they, the taxpayers bought. They believe that the School District should give them back the park for the community use. That if the School District did sell, there fear is what would be there and most likely ‘not suitable for their community, children, etc.’ They have a right to fear and so does the community of Berea on rezoning.
Monday, March 16, 2015 the County Council held an informal hearing concerning the future of this historic Berea Elementary School. Berea showed up, and some residence spoke up and stood up against the rezoning. Statistically it as something like 30 to 1 against the rezoning of the Old Berea Elementary School.
The Tax payers bought this school property originally for a community school.
After a new Berea Elementary School was built on Berea Drive, Greenville Technical College refurbished and utilized the former Berea Elementary School until they could build their Northwest Campus. Since Greenville Technical College left this facility has been vacant.
Many residences in this area, former alumni of the old Berea High School and Berea Elementary School would like to see this school remain as part of this community as a Community Center, Town Hall, combined Summary Courts, branch County Offices or a Public Park for the children and tax payers of the Berea Community.
This school is the Cornerstone, the core, the Heart of the Berea Community. It’s history. It’s architectural of hard backbone work at it’s best. Not black asphalt and an Neon Lite sign for an Auto Part Store. Berea has plenty of those type Low End Businesses.
This property is up for rezoning from Office District to Commercial-1 with a buyer interested in purchasing with possibly an Advanced Auto Store taking up the Main School’s Historic Entrance area, and sub divide the remaining land partial as the economy warrants in the area.
Look around when you think of sub-divide at the empty box buildings surrounding this property area.
There are already an abundance of empty boxes blanketing that area of Berea that could be used for another auto store. I think 10 on my last count. If Advanced Auto gets this corner they will have to close there other store in Berea. This, in turn, will put a stress on the other Auto Parts stores, creating more closed businesses and empty boxes.
This is a travesty for the Berea Community. There are already several Auto Part stores in eye sight of this corner (Auto Zone & O’Reilly with Tires Incorporated directly across the street) from the old Berea school. Advance Auto is already currently located in the Berea Community off White Horse Road at 253. If this rezoning and sale goes thru, Berea will suffer another domino effect of empty boxes.
It is my understanding that other County Communities have been serviced with Parks, Historical Sites, Museums, etc. from tax-payers money, but not Berea. It is time for Berea to see a return on their investment for all the taxes they pay.
My letter seeks recognition from Greenville County and other interesting parties state wide to step up to preserve the last Historic landmark in the core of the Berea Community that served as their main street.
Help Save the Berea Community!
The Old Berea Elementary is an icon of the Heart of The Berea Area . It brings memories of days when respect and helping neighbors Strive for what is right were traits sought by citizens of the surrounding area. Days of old and such standards of life spark our memories to long to hold on to the beloved building as a cultural tradition of life as we knew it.