Page 19 - 2022 Clemson Guide

UptownNEXT

POISED T O REIMA GINE UptownNEXT, which is part of the City of
Clemon’s strategic plan called ClemsonNEXT, is
CLEMSON DIS TRIC T bringing together members of the community
to produce a development framework to lay
the foundation for the area’s physical
The UptownNEXT project is a publicly driven process transformation. The idea is to rethink the
Congested. Crowded. designed to shape the future of the area in the heart of district as an extension of downtown
Clemson so that it is more
Clemson – which includes Abernathy Park and waterfront
Boring. Generic. Disjointed. property on Lake Hartwell – and make it a more desirable walkable and capitalizes
place to live, work, and play. on the assets already
These are just five of the 326 answers given in response there, like Abernathy
to a Clemson community survey question that asked, “In As it is today, survey respondents described the Park and Lake
one word, how would you describe what the Uptown area district as a generic collection of various businesses Hartwell.
is like today?” accompanied by asphalt parking lots and multi-lane
roads that make it congested and unpleasant for
Few of the answers spoke favorably of the area just north pedestrians. Abernathy Park, which features
of downtown Clemson where Tiger Boulevard and College a boardwalk along Lake Hartwell, is down further to details like
Avenue intersect, but at least one answer captured the an asset hidden by the concrete and the types of development to
essence of why the survey was created – underutilized. buildings along Tiger Boulevard encourage, how to make more
and College Avenue that pedestrian-friendly spaces, and where
City officials are hoping to change those perceptions and to have no cohesive spaces for community gatherings can
make better use of the place they say has tons of potential. design standards, be incorporated.
they said.
“The downtown area and Abernathy Park have the potential UptownNEXT is in its early stages, but
to become a vibrant downtown destination that will further officials are optimistic about what it
enhance our reputation of being a beautiful lakefront Development Strategies means for the city’s future as it continues
community,” said Clemson Mayor Robert Halfacre at a of St. Louis, a community to grow rapidly.
recent Clemson Student Senate meeting. development and urban design
consultant, is leading the process through “The vision for uptown is to create a vibrant
a series of community workshops, surveys, centerpiece for the City of Clemson, one
and other data gathering methods to create that reinforces a main street, storefront
a vision for Uptown moving forward. This environment along College Avenue,
is more than just a set of pretty pictures enhances lake access and views, provides
depicting someone’s ideas, officials said. meaningful public space and civic anchors,
This process strives to find the best and a mix of student and non-student
possible compromise between community housing,” said Halfacre to Clemson’s
needs and practical realities by placing Student Senate. “Community input is
a heightened importance on public critical to having any successful project.
engagement. The consultants are asking, Serving and responding to the public is the
among other things, what people’s current cornerstone of what we do and is essential
experiences with Uptown are and what they to implementing the next steps to address
want it to be in the future, and then drilling public needs and concerns.”
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