Here’s a recap of the city of Greenville’s Design Review Board Aug. 21 meeting.
Approved with conditions: 426 North Main development
The board unanimously approved site plan and massing adjustments to the major mixed-use development planned at the corner of North Main and Academy streets.
The project, referred to as 426 North Main, will consist of three buildings with a parking deck on the former Greenville Municipal Court property and American Legion site. Both properties are zoned MXS-D, Downtown Shopfront District, which accommodates the city’s most intense mixed-use developments.
The project’s site plan was previously approved at the Design Review Board’s June meeting. However, the board made two requests to the project’s developers, Green Property LLC and Bijou Properties, regarding the project’s massing and site access. Greenville-based Johnston Design Group serves as the project’s architect.
The developer was asked to adjust the massing of the 15-story building proposed on the southern end of the property along Main Street. This request was made due to the building’s proximity to the five-story residential building at 400 N. Main St.
The elevation of the south building was decreased to 13 stories. The developer also added stepbacks to the south building’s facade facing the adjacent five-story residential building and North Main Street. To offset these changes, the elevation of the north building at the corner of Academy Street was increased to 17 stories.
The board also requested the developer study the project’s ingress and egress on North Main Street. The developer added street paving, bollards and planted bump-outs as traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures at the entrance.
The rear access drive planned adjacent to the Springwood Cemetery was also removed by the developer. Instead, a landscaped buffer with trees will be added as a barrier between the development’s property and the cemetery.
Massing for the project’s third building was not reviewed by the board during the meeting. Architectural details and materials for the project will be submitted to the board at a later date.
Approved with conditions: East McBee office building
Design plans for a new office building at the corner of East McBee Avenue and Mordecai Street were conditionally approved by the board. The project would sit across the street from McBee Station and adjacent to the Church Street bridge access ramp.
Greenville-based Broadstreet Partners plans to build the four-story building on the approximately 0.4-acre site. The building would include shell office space with an outdoor amenity on the top floor. The property would also include on-site parking.
Craig Stipes with Broadstreet Partners said the commercial real estate firm landed on creating office space because it is a needed use in downtown Greenville. Broadstreet Partners would be a potential office user in the building along with three other tenants.
As conditions for approval, the board requested the developer further review the materiality and greater architectural details of the building. The developer was also asked to assess the project’s landscaping, glass transparency and exterior wall blocking the parking lot on Mordecai Street.
Additional items
- The board approved two applications to demolish existing houses at 9 and 11 Watson Ave. A duplex and a single-family home would be built on the properties. The applications were previously deferred by the board in May.
- An application to demolish the existing building at 225 S. Academy St. was approved by the board. Second Presbyterian Church plans to construct a 70-space surface parking lot on the site. The board approved designs for the new parking lot with the condition that the developer create an enhanced landscape plan for the project.
