$1.1B restaurant, retail and entertainment venue coming to this SC city. See how it’ll look

Lyn Riddle
·3 min read

Once home to Furman University and Bell Tower shopping mall, 37 acres immediately south of downtown Greenville sat underused for decades.

The property was home to a low-slung, spread-out Greenville County government building beside acres and acres of parking lot.

Now, it’s the site of a $1.1 billion development to include space for offices, retail, entertainment, multi-family residences, walkways and green space, a hotel and, of course, a new six-story building for county government.

Recently, the developer, RocaPoint Partners, announced plans for businesses intending to locate in the entertainment district, including those offering duckpin bowling, pinball arcades, golf simulators, putting greens and a Mexican restaurant.

Whole Foods will locate in the $1.1 billion project in downtown Greenville.
Whole Foods will locate in the $1.1 billion project in downtown Greenville.

Earlier, Whole Foods and Perch Kitchen and Tap, a Chicago wood-fired restaurant and brewery, announced they would locate there. Palmetto Brewery of Charleston will operate the brewery.

The developer has said they intend to bring new-to-market businesses to the site.

“It is a billion dollar investment in downtown, dramatically expanding the office and retail geographic footprint,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White.

White said new-to-market businesses will include retail and office space and the hotel.

Lima Capital, a Greenville-based real estate lender, will locate in the development.

The newly announced entertainment district businesses are:

Agava Bandito will locate in a $1.1 billion development in Greenville.
Agava Bandito will locate in a $1.1 billion development in Greenville.

  • Pins Mechanical with duckpin bowling (smaller pins and balls than regular bowling, 40 pinball machines, and craft beer and cocktails, is the anchor with 24,366 square feet.

Fairway Social will feature golf simulators and putting greens.
Fairway Social will feature golf simulators and putting greens.

  • Fairway Social will have 9,100 square feet for golf simulators, putting greens, arcade games, a bar, and a restaurant. Fairway only has locations in Georgia.

  • Agave Bandido Mexican restaurant described by RocaPoint as “ultra sleek and trendy setting.” It has one restaurant in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

The $65 million county building was designed by Foster + Partners of London, which has worked on projects worldwide, from Istanbul to Beverly Hills. There is also an adjacent $24 million parking building.

The office of Greenville County government was completed after two years as part of a $1.1 billion project to transform part of downtown Greenville.
The office of Greenville County government was completed after two years as part of a $1.1 billion project to transform part of downtown Greenville.

Phil Mays, a principal with RocaPoint, said, “We are pleased with the progress made on Greenville County Square thus far, and especially with the partnerships we have at the government level.”

Foster + Partners called the county building the cornerstone of the community.

“Evoking the natural beauty of Falls Park, the project features a large public area with a fountain, landscaping and the relocation of the Veterans Memorial wall,” the firm said on its website. “The building opens up to the landscape, creating a unique atrium space between the two office blocks that will be flooded with natural daylight.”

Foster and Partners also designed Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

County Square is the first major redevelopment of downtown property since RiverPlace located on the south end of Main Street in the early 2000s.

That project planned by Hughes Investments was located on 10 acres of mostly vacant land along the Reedy River. At the time, it was the single largest development in Greenville’s history, with nine buildings covering 720,000 square feet.

It has streetfront retail, multi-family residential, mid-rise office, a hotel, and below grade parking. RiverPlace features Fountain Square with a waterfall and water jets shooting up from the ground reminiscent of running through a sprinkler.

Construction of the various phases took more than a decade.

Likewise, the County Square project will take a decade or so.