The future of the former “Baby Bi-Lo” site in downtown Greenville has remained a mystery for more than a decade.
Since the Bi-Lo grocery store closed in 2013, the shopping center at 505 N. Main St. has sat mostly vacant within the North Main neighborhood. Former redevelopment plans for the site never came to fruition, leaving many residents waiting to see what happens to the property.
Acre Management, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, unveiled plans for a new residential development for the site during the city of Greenville’s project preview meeting on Nov. 19. The development, called Park and Main Townhomes, would consist of 46 townhome units.
Thirteen two-story townhomes would be built on the north side of the property to front West Park Avenue. The remaining townhome units would be three stories high. Each unit includes a two-car garage, with 15 additional guest parking spaces in the lot.
“It’ll be a pretty unique townhome project in Greenville because a lot of the homes will have internal courtyards and its own separate green space,” said Konrad Nyblon with BLOM Design Studio.
Park and Main Townhomes conceptual massing plan
BLOM Design Studio worked with the developer to create a conceptual massing plan for the project. The development’s massing plans are tentatively scheduled for review by the city of Greenville’s Design Review Board on Jan. 16, 2025.
“We’re going for the massing and subdivision approval at this point so we can spend some time to sort of put together concepts for the vertical construction that will kind of complement what’s around,” Nyblon said.
Residents who attended the project preview meeting had mixed feelings about the project. Samantha Cronin, a resident on Park Avenue, said the neighborhood doesn’t need another “cookie cutter” townhome development. Instead, she would like to see commercial space remain on the property for a grocery store and popup shops.
Michelle and John Byrne said the “Baby Bi-Lo” site has been an eyesore since they moved to the North Main neighborhood seven years ago. They think the current plans to build townhomes on the property sound good because it will be to scale with the rest of the neighborhood.
“We want it done, but we want it done correctly,” John Byrne said.
Earlier this year, Acre Management aimed to rezone the property to a higher zoning intensity to explore additional development options. The site is currently zoned MX-2 and MX-3, allowing two- or three-story mixed-use buildings.
The rezoning request was discussed during a presentation at the June project preview meeting. Many residents expressed concerns about the proposed zoning change. The rezoning request was ultimately withdrawn following the meeting.
Bret Hewett, Acre’s director of acquisition, said in an email to the Upstate Business Journal that their contract with the seller of the property expired on Oct. 31. He said Acre Management is currently working with the seller to reinstate and extend the term, a process that is hoped to be completed by the end of November.
“For now, we have no clear path to move this project forward,” Hewett said in the email.
