It’s all about the community.
From the beginning, the goal for Judson Mill District, a 36-acre development just west of downtown Greenville, was to maintain the soul of the historic mill while also finding a way to positively impact the surrounding community. For the past few years, Ken Reiter, co-developer of Judson Mill District and president of Belmont Sayre, has been working toward that goal.
“The mill was the hub of the community when the textile industry was in its heyday. Milliken (& Co.) was a great caretaker and corporate citizen, but at some point, the property [Judson Mill] doesn’t serve its purpose of creating textiles, and they often lead to abandoned disinvested areas,” Reiter said. “Our hope is being intentional about trying to put together the types of uses that make it welcome for everybody to come.”J.
While the development has taken many strides in the past few years, it’s still growing.
Reiter said the development was split into phases. Phase One was Judson Mill Lofts, completed in 2021. Phase Two was the warehouse, now home to BlocHaven, Feed & Seed, JudHub, and the future home to Play Cafe, which will complete the warehouse’s tenancy.
For Reiter, that was an essential piece of the development.
“It really was about community impact and bringing the impact to the neighborhood,” Reiter said. “If we just had 200 apartments and nothing else going on, it wouldn’t be a successful project.”
Phase Three includes the annex, home of Stumpy’s Hatchet House, Magnetic South Brewery and High Spirits Hospitality. Phase Three is about 70% occupied. Reiter said additional undisclosed tenants are lined up for Phase Three.
Reiter also teased a fourth phase but is still waiting to announce what it will be. More development is still to come for Judson Mill.
