Spartanburg Community College

One Upstate city is helping take blighted properties and turning them into beautiful ones.

The City of Spartanburg is seeing more schools and companies buying up abandoned buildings and using them to train the work force and possibly land you a job.

Spartanburg Community College is renovating the historic Evans Building on Kennedy Street in downtown Spartanburg.

The former high school was built in the 1920's. Now it will be used to educate those who can't always walk or bus to the main campus.

"We can help upgrade people's education and skills in a transition of getting off work and going home," said Spartanburg Community College President Henry Giles.

SCC isn't the only one moving into downtown, hoping to invest in you.

One company is spending $2.7 million to turn the 100-year-old Oakman Glass building into lofts on Magnolia Street.

Medical college V-COM is restructuring the historic Dupre House for its students.

The City of Spartanburg tells 7 On Your Side these projects will create a buzz and get more businesses to consider building in downtown.

At the same time the new additions can benefit you, if you are willing to use them.

"It will raise the economic welfare of those individuals", said City of Spartanburg Economic Development Director Patty Bock. "So they'll be making more money. It will increase and improve the socioeconomic status of citizens in our community."

Spartanburg Community College says it will start using the Evans Building for Fall 2013 classes.

V-COM hopes to have its building ready by the end of the year.

The lofts on Magnolia Street should open for Winter 2013.