Taylors Fire & Sewer District Breaks Ground on New Fire Headquarters

On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 the Taylors Fire and Sewer District held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new fire department headquarters. The ceremony took place at 463 W. Main St. in Taylors, where the new fire department will be built. Fire Chief Bobby Baker, Commissioner Chairman Jeff Hannah, Chris Bowen with Hogan Construction, and Mike Pry with DP3 Architects all gave remarks during the ceremony.

Established in 1958 as a Special Purpose District, Taylors Fire serves a large area that includes a variety of industrial, business, church, school, and residential development. Creating a new headquarters for this growing area of Greenville County will address the facility design needs for the fire department and serve as a beacon of safety and security to the community.

Located at the intersection of a major highway and main street leading to downtown, this new building will serve as a gateway to Taylors, SC. Architectural forms and materials will be reminiscent of the Historic Southern Bleachery Mill, originally constructed in 1924, and the Enoree River train trestle which carried the first Southern Railway tracks from Charlotte to Greenville constructed in 1873. Both have strong ties to the history of this community and are still in use today.

The new 23,050-square-foot fire headquarters will contain administrative offices, a community meeting/training room, three drive-thru apparatus bays and 1 back-in bay, along with firefighter living and work areas. The new campus also includes a new 4,450-square-foot fleet maintenance building servicing apparatus for the entire department.

DP3 Architects is privileged to design facilities that serve local first responders and communities. We look forward to working with the team at Hogan Construction on the Taylors Fire & Rescue Headquarters through the remainder of the design process and through to construction.

Click HERE to learn more about the new Taylors Fire Headquarters.

The City of Rock Hill Announces McGirt Auditorium Renovations

On September 12, 2023, the City of Rock Hill held a ceremony to announce renovation plans for McGirt Auditorium at Emmett Scott Recreation Center.  Mayor John Gettys and City Councilmembers Derrick Lindsay and Perry Sutton spoke about the facility’s history, and its impact on the community. City officials and community members demolished a pre-made brick wall in front of the auditorium in honor of the renovations to come.

Prior to being a recreation center, the facility was the first public school for African Americans in Rock Hill.  In 1960, the Emmett Scott School opened McGirt Auditorium which was used for homecomings, pageants, student assemblies and performances.  The Emmett Scott School was closed when South Carolina schools were desegregated in 1970 and became a recreation center. The center and auditorium have been a place for neighborhood connection ever since. The renovated auditorium will provide a new, modern space for events and conferences, cultural performances, reunions, competitions, and more.

The renovation will consist of updating the existing lobby, restrooms, stage area, stage lights, the sound system, curtains, and dressing rooms. Additional work will include renovation of the existing courtyard with new exterior canopies and landscaping.

DP3 Architects is privileged to design facilities that serve local communities. We look forward to working with The City of Rock Hill on the McGirt Auditorium renovation through the remainder of the design process and throughout construction.

DP3 Architects Proudly Sponsors the 2023 9/11 Stair Climb

DP3 Architects was honored to sponsor the 2023 Greenville City Fire Department 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Fluor Field on Saturday, September 9^th. Upstate Firefighters, first responders, and their supporters gathered to participate in this annual event.

The event, organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is held to honor the New York Fire Department firefighters and first responders who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Participants climbed a total of 110 flights of stairs, symbolizing the 110 stories of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. This physical challenge serves as a powerful reminder of the bravery and sacrifice displayed by first responders on that day.

Donations to the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb help to fund NFFF programs that support fire service survivors and assist the surviving families and co-workers of the 343 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

As a firm dedicated to its core values of People | Places | Purpose, DP3 Architects was proud to stand alongside many of our Fire Station clients to memorialize the 22^nd anniversary of 9/11.