The City of Mauldin has received a Municipal Achievement Award for Bridgeway Station. The city won the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Economic Development Award.
Although Mauldin has grown substantially in recent years, it lacked a traditional downtown. The city wanted to cultivate a definable sense of space and community that could attract businesses and residents. It partnered with Hughes Investments to develop the pedestrian-focused, mixed-used Bridgeway Station, an attention-grabbing project offering new apartments, offices, shops and restaurants, all with a purposely cultivated Italianate design sensibility. Its namesake pedestrian bridge secured SC Department of Transportation approval to cross Interstate 385 and eventually connect to the popular Swamp Rabbit Trail network.
The city established a new form-based zoning district to overcome the project’s regulatory obstacles, much of it focused on walkability. The effort leveraged a Multi-County Industrial Park for infrastructure funding, supported by Greenville County and the Greenville County School District. Hughes Investments secured more than $100 million in private investment, which provided critical infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks and wastewater utilities, as well as parks and public art. Mauldin also used a revenue bond for the roughly $5 million pedestrian bridge.
Now home to many businesses and a massive schedule of events, BridgeWay Station serves residential, commercial and recreational purposes. Future plans include a 10,000-seat stadium for the Greenville Triumph soccer team, as well as events and concerts.
“The success of Bridgeway Station in the City of Mauldin emphasizes how strong public-private partnerships can bring new opportunities and foster innovation in cities and towns,” said Todd Glover, executive director for the Municipal Association.
The Municipal Association of SC initiated the Achievement Awards in 1987 to recognize and encourage innovations and excellence in local government.
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