Developers and businesses alike continue to eye the Village of West Greenville as the location for their next venture.
Located just more than a mile from the heart of downtown, it once served as the commercial center for the surrounding textile mill communities. After a period of economic decline in the late 20th century in the wake of the mills closing, the area began to take a second life in the 2000s with the arrival of artists, small businesses and, later, developers.
Today, locals and visitors alike can explore the variety of art galleries, shops, local businesses, and food and beverage options located in the village.
Several development projects planned over the next few years would expand the village’s commercial and residential offerings, yet another new era for the historic corridor.
Village of West Greenville developments in progress
A major project on the horizon in the village is Woven on Pendleton Street, on the west side of the commercial district between Saco and Traction streets. The mixed-use development will include commercial space for retail, restaurants and art galleries along with 214 residential units — 20% of which will be affordable housing. A pocket park and a parking garage with between 36 and 50 spaces available to the public will also be created.
Brian Schick, a development partner with Woodfield Development, said new construction drawings will be completed by the end of May. The project is expected to be under construction by the end of the summer or early fall depending on the city’s permitting process. It is expected to take a little over two years to complete.
Located next to Woven is another residential development called The Kitson. The project includes 24 townhomes and four individual cottages built on 1.4 acres at the corner of Pendleton and Kitson streets.
Site preparations for The Kitson are expected to wrap up by June, with construction on the townhomes beginning soon after. Drew Parker, founder of the Parker Group, said it will be a phased project with a rolling finish through 2025.
“My hope is that The Kitson will complement an already amazing community and through increased home ownership, will also add stability,” Parker said.
Soho West Village, a planned residential development on the corner of Perry and North Textile avenues, will add new single-family residences to the area. Four homes are planned, each 3,000 square feet and designed in the style of New York brownstones.
The project is being developed by Highlander Development Group. Mary Beth Johnson, Highlander’s co-founder, said construction of the first home is slated to be completed by the end of 2024. The three remaining homes are expected to be done by the beginning of 2025.
A multifamily development is proposed to be constructed at 1146 Pendleton St., the commercial lot located next to United House of Prayer. The project includes a new two-story building that will house 76 residential units. Plans are tentatively scheduled to be reviewed by the city’s Design Review Board on May 16.
Ongoing renovations
New businesses continue to set up shop in the Village of West Greenville, and some longtime tenants are upgrading their space to expand their services and capacity. (Community Journals, which publishes the Upstate Business Journal, is among the businesses located in the village.)
For example, the building that house Villa West Designs and Naked Pasta will soon undergo a significant expansion. Sarah O’Dell, owner of Villa West Designs, owns both properties at 1286 and 1288 Pendleton St.
To add more space for both businesses, two stories will be added along with additional square footage at the rear of the building. The third floor will be used as an apartment, and residential parking will be created under the building. Additional parking for the business owners and clientele will be added behind the building.
O’Dell said they have been working on the plans for the project for three years and are ready to go. Construction is expected to take a around year to complete.
Renovations are also planned for the buildings located at 1233 and 1237 Pendleton St. The property is owned by Circa 70 which is part of Luxe Brands Collective.
Tom Dillard, president of Luxe Brands Collective, said the buildings that previously housed LashBar and Red@28th will be combined to create two separate spaces for a restaurant and a retail business.
The building will undergo interior and facade renovations. A covered outdoor patio will be created for the restaurant. Parking-lot upgrades will also be completed with landscape buffers added against the building.
The project is currently in the final design stage and then will go through the city’s permitting process. Dillard said a retail business is expected to move in within the next four months and a restaurant tenant in the next four- to six-month range.
Mill Village Ministries is completing an approximatly $6 million redevelopment of its central hub in West Greenville. The nonprofit’s site at 1186 Pendleton St. will be used to house its various social enterprises.
The 10,000-square-foot warehouse building was renovated to house a training center, boardroom, meeting spaces, break room and office spaces. Exterior renovations to the hub included adding a pedestrian plaza, loading dock, stormwater detention and landscaping.
Streetscape improvements, such as adding on-street parking, pedestrian streetlights, bike lanes and more, will also be completed in partnership with the city of Greenville. The city continues to work towards bringing more parking and accessibility to the rest of the village.
Dan Weidenbenner, Mill Village Ministries’ executive director, said the building’s interior work is 90% complete and exterior renovations will begin soon. The project is expected to the complete by late 2024.
“Our plan is to build a future 7,000-square-foot mixed-use building that will likely include retail and office space,” Weidenbenner said. “That won’t be developed until, you know, we think a couple years down the road.”
Spoonbill Gallery and Joseph Bradley Studio are two new additions to the village. Both are owned by national-award-winning artist Joseph Bradley, who purchased the two pieces of land at 1292 Pendleton St. in 2018.
A fire damaged the unfinished structure in 2022, which delayed completion until 2023. The studio and gallery are now open to the public. Bradley said it’s a dream come true to have an established space in the Village.
“I’ve been working so hard for five years on this building and so to be finished and to be able to work in here and be part of the community, I’m so excited,” Bradley said.
