TK Gregg Community Center

The Northside neighborhood in Spartanburg, SC is a 400-acre blighted and forgotten area since the Spartan Mill, the long-time foundation of the neighborhood for over a century, closed in 2001. In 2010, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine chose the Northside Neighborhood as the site of its Carolinas’ Campus, prompting the City of Spartanburg to create the Northside Initiative. The Northside Initiative represents an unprecedented collaboration of public, private, civic, educational, and philanthropic institutions in Spartanburg with a broad vision for the Northside neighborhood: a thriving, diverse community home to mixed-income housing, mixed-use commercial development, an innovative new curriculum and public school model with The Franklin School, and access to health and wellness programming at the new, state-of-the-art Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center. 

The original Dr. T.K. Gregg Center was built in the 1930’s and was eventually replaced by the Brotherhood Recreation Center in 1974. In the early 80’s its name was changed to honor Dr. T.K. Gregg and the earlier recreation center he had started. With the promise of a new state of the art facility soon to be under construction, the aging facility was closed in 2012. 

The City of Spartanburg acquired the project site in 2015 and began construction of the 46,810 sq. ft. community facility in late 2018 to include 2 indoor pools, a gym, a running/walking track, exercise/fitness rooms, and community and classroom space. In total, the project cost $18.1 million to construct and The Innovate Fund provided $10 million in financing. Located in an area with Poverty rate of 45.30% and Median Family Income of 45.14%, the project is expected to provide community services to an estimated 3,500 residents annually, with 75% being low-income. 

“Since the closing of the last T.K. Gregg Community Center, it has been a priority of the City of Spartanburg to re-open a state of the art community facility in the Northside neighborhood and New Markets Tax Credits have been a key financing tool to help us get there.”

– Chris Story, City Manager, City of Spartanburg, SC