Spartanburg council approves Lat Purser townhome development and authorizes temporary city office lease

Spartanburg Mayor Jerome Rice and the City Council on Monday approved a development agreement with Charlotte-based Lat Purser and Associates for a townhome project near the intersection of Country Club Road and South Pine Street and separately authorized a temporary lease of office space at 295 East Main Street.

The development agreement, presented by city staff member Chris Story, calls for a predominantly market-rate townhome community with a requirement that 10% of units be reserved for households at or below 80% of area median income. Story told council the project represents roughly a $19,000,000 investment and would deliver at least 80 units, and that the developer will work with the city on sidewalk, crosswalk and trail connections at the site.

The lease authorization covers a temporary relocation of many city staff while a new city building is completed as part of a larger downtown public-private project. Deputy City Manager (unnamed in the meeting) described the East Main Street site as “an exciting new spot” and said the proposed lease cost template is roughly $12,000 per month while the city negotiates final terms.

Why it matters: the development agreement is intended to add housing supply, including a small workforce set-aside, and to fund public improvements at a southeastern gateway to the city. The temporary lease will keep city operations together while Project Core advances and private development timelines accelerate downtown construction.

Council questions and developer details: council members asked about the unit mix for workforce units and whether transmission lines crossing the property would be buried. Jack Levinson of Lat Purser told the council that the units under discussion are “3 bedroom, 2 and a half baths” and acknowledged some final tweaks to unit mix and the agreement would be required before execution. Staff said the large transmission towers on the site are transmission lines that cannot be undergrounded, but the development’s internal utilities will be modern and underground.

Votes at a glance: - Development agreement with Lat Purser and Associates (project near Country Club Road and South Pine Street): council adopted the resolution as presented; staff described the project as a roughly $19,000,000 investment and at least 80 units with 10% workforce units at ≤80% AMI. Council recorded the motion and second on the record; the chair announced the motion carried with the ayes prevailing. - Lease authorization for 295 East Main Street (temporary city office space): council authorized the city manager to execute a lease for interim office space while the downtown project proceeds. The deputy city manager said the city expects some maintenance savings by self-performing services; moving and upfront costs will be paid from the general fund. A council member announced a recusal on the item due to common ownership ties; the remaining council members voted to adopt the resolution.

What the council did not decide: final lease start dates and some contractual dates will be adjusted before signature; staff said they will fine-tune the schedule and cost items before executing either agreement.

Next steps: staff will finalize minor edits to the development agreement with the developer before execution; the city manager will continue negotiations on the East Main lease and return finalized documents as required by the city’s execution process.