3.3b SWOT Analysis By Topic STRENGTHS

Built form follows the function

With wide sidewalks, street lighting, and decorative improvements funded by the city in 2012, the commercial corridor along Pendleton Street is undeniably inviting to foot traffic. Pendleton Street is also anchored by historic buildings and storefronts that are well-scaled for pedestrians. Connections between the commercial and residential areas will only further highlight the strengths in the Village’s pre-existing form. It will be important to build in the context of the existing urban pattern to continue to promote a walkable neighborhood. Strong presence of creatives

Creativity is the most continuous theme throughout the Village’s history, driving the industrial mill days, and still influencing growth and change in the Village today. For example, artists motivated a new wave of the Village’s vitality in the 2000s, after repurposing local abandoned buildings for studio space. This stimulated more creative activities in the area, leading to the eventual opening of Greenville’s Center for Creative Arts in Brandon Mill.

Entrepreneurs are also provided with new opportunities in the Village. Start-up and established businesses in the Village represent diverse backgrounds, with over 50% of tenants in the Village’s commercial area being minority-owned and operated. Creativity is at the forefront of the Village’s unique retail, gallery, and restaurant businesses, which have invented themselves into destination locations to attract more visitors. Furthermore, Mill Village Ministries runs an event called Village Launch: Third Thursdays, which showcases minority and women-owned startups in the Poe West parking lot on the third Thursday of each month. In essence, this is a manifested display of local entrepreneurial and non-profit creativity. With an existing base that knows how to adapt and bring innovation to the area, the outlook of business leadership in the Village continues to improve.

Energized and Eclectic Stakeholders

As previously mentioned, there exists a diverse range of business owners and commercial renters in the area. This sense of energy and arts comes from investment by local forces that hope to see the Village grow. Business incubators, educational institutions, historic resources, vibrant restaurants, distinctive start-ups, and community spaces are all evidence of the energized and unique stakeholders in the Village. The Village organizations are offering job training and financial aid for new businesses. Not only does the Village represent creativity and innovation, but it invests in the creativity-based microeconomy. Ryan Johnston’s Saltbox, a business incubator with below market rents for start-ups, is a prime example of an energized stakeholder. More affordable than downtown

The Village of West Greenville’s commercial core was reawakened by artists, in part because of its affordability. The commercial rent in the Village is still half that of downtown Greenville, allowing first-time business owners to take a chance in the area. Though it does come with the trade-off of vastly reduced foot traffic, this affordability has been part of the success of businesses in the Village. Residents also have taken advantage of the Village’s affordability. With Greenville’s exponential development growth, there has been a pressure on housing availability and housing cost in the area. The rising prices and the limited house availability on the market impact the costs significantly. The Village’s housing costs are currently more affordable than other neighborhoods in the City of Greenville, which is what many local residents want to keep as a status quo. This is important to provide a reasonable amount of affordability as new development continues to surround the Village’s core. Additionally, lower income levels of the residents are not conducive to local retail purchases, further complicating Village’s reality.