New development ideas have been proposed for the former “Baby BI-LO” site in downtown Greenville’s North Main neighborhood.
The shopping center at 505 N. Main St., which backs up to North Academy Street, has sat mostly vacant since the grocery store closed in 2013. Several plans for the three-acre property have been brought forward in the last decade but were ultimately abandoned.
Now, Acre Management, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, hopes to bring new life to the property. Two conceptual ideas for the site were unveiled during a presentation at the city’s project preview meeting on June 25.
The first concept would create a mixed-use development on the property. The project would consist of two buildings, one four stories and the other five stories, with approximately 300 residential units and space for commercial tenants. The second idea consists of building 60 townhomes on the site.
Rezoning proposal
Before development can move forward, Acre Management wants to rezone the property. The site is currently zoned MX-2 and MX-3. Under the mixed-use zoning, either a two-story building or a three-story building can be developed on the property.
However, these structures could potentially rise to four stories or five stories if the developer uses the affordable housing incentive included in the development code. The incentive allows developers to obtain height and density bonuses for projects with at least 15% affordable units.
Bret Hewett, Acre’s director of acquisitions, said the current zoning does not allow for a viable project to be built on the site and rezoning would allow for more development options.
The proposed new zoning for the site is MX-5 which would allow a five-story building. Hewett explained the intent is for the site to be a transitional area between the city’s central business district and the North Main neighborhood.
During the meeting, some residents expressed concerns about the development potentially rising to seven stories if affordable housing incentives were to be used. Hewett assured them that would not be the case because it wouldn’t be a financially viable project.
“We’re not proposing to do something that’s seven stories today, ” Hewett said. “I think we could do something that’s four stories in the front and five stories in the back. That’s a viable project.”
The rezoning request is tentatively scheduled to go before the city’s Planning Commission for a public hearing on Aug. 1.
Site Information
Address: 505 N. Main St.
Location: The property is bordered by North Academy Street, North Main Street, West Park Avenue and Townes Street.
Acerage: 2.997 acres
Current Zoning: MX-2 and MX-3
Baby Bi-Lo site Development hurdles
Bret Hewett, director of acquisitions for Acre Management, explained that besides the zoning, there are other existing challenges for developing the former “Baby Bi-Lo” site.
A sanitary and stormwater main easement runs through the center of the property, creating a barrier for developers. Building is not allowed on top of the easement. Hewett said any developer would have to put a building on the north and south side of the easement.
A second challenge is the dirt under the shopping center. Hewett said the dirt was brought in when the existing structure was built and would need to be replaced if a larger development will be built on top of the site.
