The Drayton community has been a center of economic investment and residential growth over the past decade.
From redevelopment of the historic textile plant – now reopened as the luxury Drayton Mills Lofts and Marketplace – to Drayton Mills Elementary School, opened in 2018, to the construction of new townhomes and apartments along the Drayton Mills Trail. The area has become a hub of activity on Spartanburg’s east side.
The development of the area took another step on May 27, when the Spartanburg County Council approved tax incentives to support the construction of 100 townhomes near the intersection of Skylyn Drive and Drayton Road.
A new development will add 100 townhomes on the east side of Spartanburg. City Council gave approval to a tax abatement plan in support of the project.
Developer John Montgomery said he hopes to begin construction on the $22 million project by the end of 2025, with the upscale units ready for lease by 2027.
Montgomery led the Drayton Mills apartments and retail development, and he’s excited about the ongoing interest in the area.
“It’s really a mix: people moving to town for new jobs, young college graduates starting jobs, VCOM (Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine) students, Wofford students,” he said. “And we see some empty-nesters who want to move into a place like this and not worry about maintenance or keeping up a yard.”
Christopher George, communications manager for the City of Spartanburg, said the development will fill a “good niche” in the local housing market.
“It’s a different sort of housing,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of townhome developments in the city. It’s kind of the missing middle – an option for people who want something between an apartment and a larger single-family home.”
Brandi Dice, owner of the Art Lounge, also welcomed the news of the development. Her business is located beside the property Montgomery has acquired.
“I’m thankful for the growth,” she said.
Dice said she’s seen economic growth – and more traffic – in the four years since she relocated her shop from East Main Street to Skylyn Drive.
A vacant lot near the intersection of Skylyn Drive and Drayton Road will be developed into a townhome community. Developer John Montgomery hopes to begin construction by the end of 2025.
Drayton Road connects the east side of Spartanburg to a busy section of North Pine Street, and Skylyn Drive is home to Drayton Mills Elementary, the Spartanburg Day School, the Spartanburg Medical Center – Mary Black Campus, and numerous businesses and new housing developments.
“I used to be able to drive to the Hardee’s near Hillcrest in about two minutes,” she said. “Now, cars are backed up. The visibility is good for us.”
The tax incentive approved by the city council gives the Montgomery Development Group an 85% break in the first year, decreasing annually to a 4.25% discount in the final year of the agreement.
Among the 100 townhomes, 12 will be made available for workforce housing, a rental arrangement in which tenants at or below 80% of the area median income will have rents limited to no greater than 30% of their income.
More: Drayton Mills: A place to live, work and play
Montgomery said he hopes the townhome development won’t be the last project he takes on in the former textile mill community.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done so far, and I think we’re going to continue to see the redevelopment of the Drayton area.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg developer excited about growth in Drayton Road area