Butterfly Creek Park Grand Opening to be held Saturday, May 5

It's the culmination of a process that started back in 2012 when discussions about water quality and neighborhood redevelopment on our city's Northside led to an idea: why not resurrect an old waterway underneath the Northside neighborhood and create a park that could serve as a focal point for a reinvigorated Northside? Fast-forward through a few years of collaborative neighborhood planning, design, and enough navigating the tricky waters of federal and state government agencies to earn some of our city staff members expert-level bureaucrat merit badges and finally, the day is near. Butterfly Creek is here, ready to be enjoyed and celebrated by our residents at a grand opening ceremony to be held Saturday, May 5 at 11:30 a.m (498 Howard St.). The eight-acre park features 2,000 feet of newly daylit creek and green space, a 120-foot pedestrian bridge, as well as a quarter-mile walking path and picnic shelters. Beyond just the basics of a new parks project, the story of how this new signature amenity for Spartanburg's Northside came to be is a fascinating one, and today on the podcast, we're here to lay it all out for you. Joining us for the conversation are Community Services Director, Mitch Kennedy and Jay Squires, Streets and Stormwater Manager.