The installation of the small plaza in January 2021 completed the Lakeview Link to the Green Line of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail capping a successful public private partnership between Greenville County and 501c3 Bike Walk Greenville. This community connection replete with a sculpture of a young girl on a strider bike now safely connects Lakeview Middle School and this area of Sans Souci to the Swamp Rabbit network.
After Greenville Rec Director of Greenways Ty Houck obtained the final right of way easements for this trail, Bike Walk Greenville joined the project 3 ½ years ago to raise private funds to make this project a reality. Through the generosity of eight benefactors at $10,000, nine sponsors at $1,000 and 110 individual donors, Bike Walk Greenville raised over $110,000 used to purchase the materials necessary to complete this 4/10th of a mile spur connection.
During construction, BWG Executive Director Frank Mansbach approached the County with the idea of public art at the trail entrance that culminated in the completion of a bronze sculpture by Charles Pate Jr on a base constructed by Ryan Calloway resting on a granite base from Kyle Gillespie, all local craftsmen.
Ty Houck said: “This public private partnership is a testament to the collaborative culture of Greenville County. Community based organizations like Bike Walk Greenville are essential to our community’s vibrancy. The students at Lakeview Middle School now have a safe route to the Green Line, and over 500,000 trail users a year are admiring the public art with the inscription, “We all need safe places to walk and ride a bike.”
The Greenville Journal published this story in the February 5, 2021 issue
