Nearing completion: Take a look inside the new Greenville County government offices

Tim Carlin, Greenville News
·3 min read

Natural light pours into the building's first-floor lobby, dancing off the interior walls and ceiling that have been painted a crisp, bright white. The vast space houses a few seating areas and a grand staircase leading up to the second floor.

Throughout the two-building structure, people wearing construction hats and iridescent orange and yellow vests work to add finishing touches to the space that will soon become Greenville County's new government offices.

A move into the new, 250,000 square-foot space is on track to take place this spring, said County Spokesperson Bob Mihalic.

But ahead of that move, The Greenville News toured the county's new offices, located at the corner of Church St. and University Ridge. Here's a look inside.

A construction crew member walks up the stairs in the lobby of the new Greenville County government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
A construction crew member walks up the stairs in the lobby of the new Greenville County government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

First steps toward larger redevelopment in old County Square location

The new county offices will serve as the first phase of the larger County Square redevelopment project led by RocaPoint Partners and valued at $1 billion — the largest in Greenville County history. 

Once the current County Square building is vacated and demolished later this year, work will begin to transform the property into a new, multi-use hub.

The Greenville County Council chambers are seen in the new government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
The Greenville County Council chambers are seen in the new government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Flexible Greenville County Council chambers design

County Council chambers will be located on the first floor of the north building, closer to the new parking structure.

The chambers were designed to be used as a flex space that can be divided into smaller meeting spaces when not in use for Council meetings, Mihalic said.

A probate courtroom is seen on the terrace level on the north side of the new Greenville County government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
A probate courtroom is seen on the terrace level on the north side of the new Greenville County government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Separated buildings with a connected core

While the top four floors of the new offices are separated into two buildings, the bottom floor is connected. Called the terrace level, It will house new, larger courtrooms and the county's veterans affairs offices.

The south building, located closer to University Ridge, will house the county's more interactive and forward-facing departments. The tax collectors office, passport office and the county's planning and zoning offices will all be in the south building.

The land development and subdivision administration office is seen on the third floor of the south end of the new Greenville County government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
The land development and subdivision administration office is seen on the third floor of the south end of the new Greenville County government building on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

All offices and departments related to planning, development, zoning and subdivisions will be located on the south building's third floor. The floor was designed with a centralized, public-facing waiting area featuring kiosk-style help desks for each department.

Where will each Greenville County department be located?

The joint terrace level will feature the following departments:

  • Magistrate Court/West Greenville Summary Court

  • Probate Court

  • Veterans Affairs

The terrace level will also feature a small branch of the Greenville Federal Credit Union.

The south building will include the following departments on each level.

First floor:

  • Reception/Main Entrance

  • Tax Collector

  • Real Property Services

Second floor:

  • Register of Deeds

  • Passport Office

  • Auditors Office

Third floor:

  • Planning & Zoning

  • Building Permits & Codes

  • Land Development & Subdivision Administration

  • Engineering & Maintenance

Fourth floor:

  • Greenville County Redevelopment Authority

  • Human Relations

  • Soil & Water

  • USDA

The north building will include the following departments on each floor.

First floor:

  • Council Chambers

  • Council Committee Meeting Room

  • Clerk to Council

  • Voter Registration & Collections

Second floor:

  • Finance & Procurement

  • Human Resources

  • Wellness Clinic

  • Treasurer’s Office

  • Legislative Delegation

Third floor:

  • Information Systems

  • Geographic Information Systems

Fourth floor:

  • County Administration

  • County Attorney

  • Executive Conference

  • Greenville Area Development Corporation

The architecture of the new Greenville County government building is meant to reflect the growth of the county, the windows represent transparency in government and is meant to set the tone for future growth, seen on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
The architecture of the new Greenville County government building is meant to reflect the growth of the county, the windows represent transparency in government and is meant to set the tone for future growth, seen on the corner of Church Street and University Ridge on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Designed with Greenville County's values, future in mind

The new offices, designed by Foster and Partners, are meant to reflect the county's values of openness and transparency, County Administrator Joe Kernell previously told The Greenville News.

The building was also designed with the county's anticipated growth in mind, Mihalic said, leaving some extra room throughout the space for departments to expand as needed.

− Tim Carlin covers county government, growth and development for The Greenville News. Follow him on Twitter @timcarlin_, and get in touch with him at TCarlin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Inside look at the new Greenville County government office buildings