Greenville’s dream of becoming a must-play destination for live music may soon turn into reality with a proposed new music venue on Rhett Street near Fluor Field in the city’s West End.
After development setbacks brought on by the pandemic, plans are moving forward for Trueline, a 1,700-seat, two-story venue proposed for 401 Rhett St. in what was formerly the D & B Glass building just off South Main Street and scarcely two blocks from Fluor Field.
Trueline founder Michael Grozier says the aim of the new venue is to complement and amplify Greenville’s existing music scene to make it one of the Southeast’s premier musical destinations.
“We’re trying to build a venue that represents Greenville,” Grozier says. “It has to be magical.”
Grozier is a music industry veteran who co-founded the House of Blues and served as the executive vice president for clubs and theaters for Live Nation. Joining him in the Trueline project are John Pedro, a specialist in hospitality development, and Marty Elliott, a Greenville booking coordinator and venue management specialist.
Grozier says Greenville is already a thriving market primed for growth with venues like the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and the Peace Center, which itself is in the midst of a $36 million expansion to add two new venues.
“Greenville is a must-see city, and if we build a must-play venue, we’re going to take the market up three notches,” he says.
Trueline is expected to cost about $10 million for the 34,000 square feet of space spread over two levels. Grozier says construction is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2024.
Funding for the project is being coordinated through Greenville-based Vicinity Capital, whose web listing for the project offers details about Trueline and the vision behind it.
Plans for the new venue include:
- 1,700 capacity main hall
- 400 capacity intimate performance room
- High-end lounge/VIP area
- State-of-the-art sound, light and interactive technology
- Rooftop terrace
- Outdoor patio
According to the listing, the venue will target scheduling an array of events including festivals, block parties, multi-day events and “underplays” — a term used for legendary artists who play at select smaller venues.
The plan calls for Trueline to secure 130 national touring acts across a range of musical genres and sell at least 180,000 tickets in its first year of operations.
The city of Greenville Planning and Development staff did not respond to requests for information for this article at the time of publication.
