Phase 3 of ONE coming this Summer:
Downtown set to get another major development
Developers and city officials say they hope to share news soon of a major new development at the corner of Washington and Richardson streets that would include a new city parking garage with shops, residences and offices along the sides and other unspecified development on top.
They talked in general terms to GreenvilleOnline.com about the proposed new development without disclosing all the details.
The evolving plans are the latest sign of robust development activity in downtown Greenville.
The public/private project, if it materializes, would rise beside two sites where major development and redevelopment are already occurring.
Those are the twin-tower One development under construction in the middle of Main Street and the Bank of America Plaza office tower, where a multi-million-dollar renovation is scheduled to begin soon.
Those two developments – as well as the third one planned at Washington and Richardson – would be integrated with the public plaza at the intersection of Main and Coffee streets where the city of Greenville is spending $4 million on a major makeover.
Currently on the site at Washington and Richardson streets are a parking lot and a parking garage attached to the Bank of America Plaza.
Greenville Mayor Knox White said the city is thinking about demolishing the existing parking garage and building a new one in its place.
“We haven’t had a vote on it yet, but we’ve been working the numbers, and it looks like it will work,” White said.
Building the garage would open the door for private development on the site, he said.
That private development, as envisioned now, would include shops, housing and offices, said Robert Hughes, a project manager for Hughes Development Corp., which would be master developer for the development.
Hughes said the plans call for a mix of shops, residences and offices along Laurens Street, which runs between Washington and North streets and is set to become a pedestrian walkway under the plaza renovation.
The proposed development also would include ground-level retail space along Washington Street and another unspecified development on top of the proposed parking garage, Hughes said.
Hughes and White said they weren’t at liberty to disclose more information about the development planned on top of the parking garage.
Both said they hope the entire project will be announced this summer.
Hughes Development, privately owned by the Hughes family and based in Greenville, is the developer of One and many other downtown properties.
Earlier this year, it acquired Bank of America Plaza and plans a multi-million-dollar renovation of the 16-story office tower.
Hughes said the renovation work will include removing concrete and installing lots of glass on lower floors facing the plaza to let in natural light and create a softer, more-inviting look.
He said the renovation also will include the addition of a patio area overlooking the plaza on the 16th floor.
“There will be a light band around the entire building,” Hughes said.
“We hope to create a nice mix, with innovative, creative space, but also traditional office space.”
Hughes said the work will start this summer if it is approved by the city’s Design Review Board.
City Manager John Castille said the city is waiting for more details about the private development plans before determining how many spaces the parking garage would have and how much it might cost.
He said financing has yet to be determined.
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