Ground is broken on the new United Community Bank headquarters at 200 E. Camperdown Way.
A crowd of local leaders and statewide lawmakers came together Tuesday, March 29 over 4.2 acres of tilled earth, where construction is now underway on the 118,000-square-foot, $70 million headquarters.
Located beside the future Grand Bohemian Hotel, adjacent to the Camperdown development and just a stone’s throw away from Falls Park, the seven-story building will mark the largest bank headquarters in the state of South Carolina.
The project, which includes a 3,500-square-foot retail branch, 314 workstations, two outdoor terraces and 350 parking spaces, is expected to bring 227 new jobs to Greenville.
Photos: United Community Bank Groundbreaking Reception
United Community Bank — at a glance
- 2,583 total employees
- 646 total South Carolina employees
- 171 total banking offices
- 35 South Carolina banking offices
- Operates across five states
- $20.9 billion in assets
- Publicly traded on Nasdaq (UCBI)
The bank has been headquartered in Greenville since 2021, but bank chairman and CEO Lynn Harton said the plans for the new headquarters date back to 2017.
“Back then, we met here in Greenville with leaders from local state government and local businesses, and it was actually that meeting that began the process which led us to where we are today,” Harton said.
Designed with employees in mind
Harton said that though the bank’s planned flagship building overlooking the Reedy River on East Camperdown will be something Greenville can be proud of, his first thought has and continues to be the investment the bank is making in its employees.
“It is a great piece of property overlooking the river there and is certainly visible,” he said. “We’re excited about that. I don’t think about the building making a statement, necessarily to the community, but what I wanted was a place where people wanted to come to work. We’re a very connected company. My belief is people like to work with people they like … I wanted the building to be a place that signifies that. My first audience that I thought about was employees.”
Harton said the company has already run out of space at its various downtown locations, including ONE City Plaza and the Palmetto building.
“By the time we move into the building, I expect us to be moving in from four different locations,” he said.
And when they do finally occupy the new site, employees will find a more open and modern design.
Plans show light, airy spaces where employees can gather, Harton says, and of course, the 117,000 square-foot-building, itself, is designed according to WELL health safety standards.
“We wanted a place where everybody comes in and kinda breathes a sigh ‘Wow, this is light-filled, I’m right here at the river, I’ve got this great coffee bar … I’ve got a lot of great people around me,’” he says. “I just want it to be their home.”
Unexpected award
The groundbreaking ceremony came with a surprise, as Gov. Henry McMaster awarded Harton with the Order of the Palmetto.
The award, the state’s highest civilian honor, is given to South Carolina residents who exhibit a lifetime of achievement and whose contributions are of statewide or national significance.
Rick Spruill contributed to this story.
