Developer James Bakker discusses plans for Montgomery Building

It's been a long, complicated, and sometimes tedious road to walk to get the project underway, but one of downtown Spartanburg's most beloved historic buildings, the Montgomery Building, is now on its way back to being what it was for much of the 20th century, one of the most important activity centers in our urban core. Greenville-based developer James Bakker, lead developer with BF Spartanburg, has plans to create 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor, 9,000 square feet of office space on the second floor, and 72 residential units on floors three through 10. In the process, the building's exterior will be restored to its original appearance, a splendor almost no one alive today in Spartanburg would remember seeing. Today on a special episode of the City Podcast, we're talking with James Bakker about his plans for the building and where he sees this crucially important project fitting into downtown Spartanburg's future.