Here’s a recap of the city of Greenville’s Design Review Board and Historic Review Board meetings held April 16.
Approved with conditions: The Banter Hotel
The Design Review Board granted conditional approval to the exterior renovation designs for the former Cafe and Then Some building at 101 College St. Greenville-based Aileron Management plans to transform the historic building into a new boutique hotel currently named The Banter Hotel.
The 17-room hotel would feature a ground-floor restaurant, rooftop bar, outdoor plaza and basement-level speakeasy. Planned modifications to the two-story building include a rooftop addition, elevator penthouse, a stairwell tower and other exterior elements.
“Our design goal for the redevelopment of the property has been the preservation of the existing historic features, being very intentional that the new features are complementary to, but distinct from, the historic design,” said Jason Boehm, founder and CEO of Aileron Management.
As a condition for approval, the developer will be required to submit an alternative material to replace the previously proposed StoCast brick for the building. The board also requested that the developer revise the scale of the building’s front door and modify the stairway tower’s windows. Specifications of the proposed outdoor lighting, decorative wall trellis and plaza enclosure for the building will also need to be submitted by the developer.
Two additional applications regarding the building at the corner of College Street and North Laurens Street were approved by the Historic Review Board on April 16.
The first application was to designate the historic structure, constructed in 1922, as a local landmark. The building originally served as the Eugene F. Bates Motor Company showroom and service facility in downtown Greenville. Many of the building’s original architectural details have been preserved, including the exterior brickwork and metal entrance awning.
The Historic Review Board also approved a preliminary special tax assessment certification for the rehabilitation of the historic building. The certification would freeze the building’s property taxes at its pre-rehabilitated value of $3.05 million for 10 years. The board will need to verify that the project’s rehabilitation was completed as approved for the building to receive the final special tax assessment certification.
The rehabilitation expenses for the property are estimated at $4 million, with the total project cost at $10.2 million. According to the certification application, renovations to the building are expected to begin in June 2026 and be completed in July 2027.
Approved with conditions: Pendleton Square
Charlotte-based Red Cedar Homes plans to build a new townhome community called Pendleton Square near the Village of West Greenville. The Design Review Board granted conditional approval to two applications for the proposed development along Pendleton Street.
The first application presented designs for 16 townhomes on the south side of the corridor at 1167 Pendleton St. The three-story townhomes fronting Pendleton Street would be spread across four buildings.
Designs for 16 additional townhomes within four two-story buildings were outlined in the second application approved by the board. The townhomes would be created on four parcels of land on the north side of the corridor at 1176 Pendleton St.
For both applications, the board requested that the applicant incorporate more colors and design elements to add variety to the townhomes’ facades along Pendleton Street. Additional design conditions were given for the two application approvals regarding tree canopies, roof overhangs, pedestrian access and outdoor amenity space.
The developer hopes to break ground in July or August after completing the permitting process for the project.
Deferred: 127 S. Main St. building
Design plans for a new mixed-use building at 127 S. Main St. in downtown Greenville were deferred to the Design Review Board’s June meeting. The proposed five-story structure would consist of ground-floor office space, five residential condos and 10-car basement parking.
The board was favorable of the building’s height and scale, but raised concerns about the structure’s materials and exterior design. The application was deferred to allow the development team to refine the architectural details of the building.
Crescent Greenville LLC is the owner of the 0.13-acre property at the corner of South Main Street and Court Street. The development team consists of Caldwell Contractors, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture and SeamonWhiteside.
Approved: 310 Perry Ave. demolition
The Design Review Board approved a demolition application for an existing two-story home at 310 Perry Ave. in the West End neighborhood. According to the application, the home was constructed more than 80 years ago and has sat vacant for more than 20 years. It is currently listed on Greenville’s Historic Inventory List.
Palmetto Sunshine Homes LLC has owned the 0.17-acre property since 2014. According to the application, the demolition would allow the property owner to build a new custom single-family home on the site.
