Greenville News site developers hope to ‘bring fresh energy’ downtown
A public plaza surrounded by 16 condos, 225 apartments, an upscale seven-story hotel, a dine-in movie theater, two office buildings, retail and restaurant spaces are all part of new plans released for the redevelopment of the current four-acre Greenville News property downtown.
The design grew out of the development team’s desire to “be a part of Main Street” but include all uses – condos, apartments, hotels, retail, restaurants and office space – on the site, said Brody Glenn, president of Centennial American Properties (CAP), which is working with Dallas-based Trammell Crow Corporation to develop the property.
“We wanted a plaza experience for people to enjoy,” he said. “So we designed a core plaza that was the main focus, and then we put buildings around that.”
The site plan offers “connectivity and synergy with the Peace Center and Falls Park,” said David Glenn, CAP founder and CEO. “Our team has worked hard to put together a plan that we feel will enhance and bring fresh energy to downtown Greenville.”
While the developers expect some changes to the site plan as the approval process moves forward, “our plan shows how this development can help take our downtown to the next level,” said Brody Glenn.
Architect Wakefield Beasley and Associates, which recently completed the $600 million Avalon live-work-play development in Alpharetta, Ga., incorporated similar features, such as the valet and concierge and outdoor fireplaces and seating areas, into the Broad and Main project.
Brody Glenn said the development team felt an exposed parking deck “wouldn’t fit,” so they decided to put the three to four parking levels of 750-900 spaces underground.
The office space should appeal to both national and local tenants, and with views looking over the waterfall and Falls Park, Glenn expects high demand. The Greenville News reported this week that Gannett is considering relocating the newspaper operation into available space on the site where the soon-to-be demolished News building now stands.
Glenn expects to attract a good combination of both national and regional chains for all aspects of the project and said the team is in discussions with several brands, though nothing is signed yet. Don’t look for any big-box retailers, though – Glenn said the site isn’t conducive to the amount of service and parking those retailers require.
CAP is in talks with “several hoteliers backed by large major flags,” and is still pursuing a high-end, dine-in movie theater. Retail is expected to be a mix of soft goods, and the on-site fitness center will be a regional or national company that is open to the public, not just tenants, he said.
The demolition of the existing building and how it will be handled – bulldozed or explosives –will be up to the demolition company, Glenn said.
The plans will be reviewed at the Jan. 2 Greenville Design Review Board meeting and construction is expected to begin in 2015 and be completed in 2017.
