The Bridge They Almost Tore Down

In 1998, the city council of Greenville, South Carolina voted to demolish the Reedy River Falls bridge downtown. The area was an eyesore — abandoned warehouses, crumbling concrete, a waterfall nobody visited because the neighborhood felt forgotten. The bridge was scheduled for demolition. But a small group of residents pushed back. They saw something the planners missed. Today, Falls Park on the Reedy is the crown jewel of one of America's most celebrated downtown revivals.…