City wants downtown living to be affordable.

• Date: 01 November 2019

The city of Greenville master plan for downtown is focused on key initiatives that can advance the economic and physical success of the district in the next five to 10 years.

The plan calls for a focus on public and private investment "that will attract a talented workforce to downtown." In addition, the city wants to grow the employment base and "create attractive opportunities for young businesses in the context of high-performing regional urban centers within a two-hour travel time. "This is in order to support and sustain a growing jobs sector with competitive wage and salary benefits," the report said.

The master plan also highlights the need "to creatively address the economic gentrification and dislocation of long-time residents and families forced to move out of downtown as taxes and redevelopment pressures grow." Affordable housing, transportation and workforce training become important components to a holistic approach to retention and improvement, the report said.

"During the master plan process, affordability was a concern for different downtown...