SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – In less than two years, a minor league affiliate of the Texas Rangers MLB team, currently known as the Down East Wood Ducks right now, is expected to make their debut in downtown Spartanburg.

Renderings from a presentation put together by the City of Spartanburg, the Johnson Group, and OneSpartanburg Inc. were released by an anonymous source involved in the process on Wednesday.

Titled Project CORE, the $250 million project to transform downtown is more than just a baseball stadium. It will bring over 275 residential units, as well as office and event space.

With it being by far the largest private development in the city’s history, residents and business owners are eager to learn more about the construction process.

“It has the potential to be the most amazing thing that’s happened to Spartanburg,” said Eric Lemon, owner of Ali Boba. “2 years of construction, hungry construction workers, then after that it’s going to be the core plaza, residential and commercial properties available, it’s going to be amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

Nearby businesses like Ali Boba said years ago, Spartanburg was not an ideal location to run a small business. Now, they said, it’s changes like these that make the city a perfect spot for business owners.

“If you look up the book of business, it’s like, where is the best place to put a small business, they’ll tell you where the highest foot traffic is so that’s what we’re hoping to expect, lots of foot traffic from all over the place,” said Lemon.

Others agree, saying the transformation will be especially amazing to watch for those who have been in the area for years.

“When we moved here 25 years ago and came downtown, my mom actually cried because there was nothing to do,” said Santiago Mariani, a local realtor. “So seeing this come to life, it is just beyond thrilling. It would’ve been inconceivable back then but here’s where we are right now.”

After taking a look at the renderings, it’s clear how much construction and planning is needed. It’s why the timeline has yet to be confirmed. Spartanburg County Council voted to commit $1 million each year moving forward in tourism revenue funds.

“It’s not just exciting because of the baseball aspect, which is certainly thrilling, but the fact that we’ll be able to have concerts and all these new restaurants and retail and residential, it’s simply amazing,” said Mariani. 

The city will likely start to see construction on site by October. The baseball team is expected to begin playing in Spartanburg in the spring of 2025.

We reached out to the city of Spartanburg, and they declined to make a comment on these new renderings.