Greenville buys property next to Fluor Field for $10M – what’s planned

Listen to this article

Greenville’s West End is getting another facelift.

The Greenville City Council has approved the purchase of $9.7 million for nearly three acres of land on Augusta Street adjacent to Fluor Field — a stepping stone set to align with future development plans for the city’s GVL2040 goals, according to a city of Greenville LinkedIn post.

The property, currently home to the Greenville Transit Authority maintenance facility, will be used to create public parking in the West End, and is a step forward for the city’s overall downtown master plan and the West End Small Area Plan, the post said. The West End Small Area Plan was adopted in November 2021 to show the plans of the West End evolving as a series of distinct precincts, each with its own unique character.

As development continues to occur throughout the West End on undeveloped and under-developed sites, the plan was created to define a common vision around neighborhood character, sense of place, and supportive infrastructure, both social and physical, to develop the appropriate tools to ensure effective implementation, according to the post.

Related content: Plans for entertainment hub unveiled for downtown Greenville Gateway District

Related content: Greenville to sell downtown Main Street municipal building — what's next

Related content: National grocery chain to anchor $1B downtown Greenville development

The West End Small Area Plan outlines recommendations for creating coherent block patterns with requirements for street frontages, appropriate building types within specific areas identified as “character precincts,” and improving mobility and pedestrian connectivity.

The GVL2040 priorities, according to the plan, are:

• Open space and the environment: Identify opportunities to create neighborhood parks, trails, and improved bike and pedestrian connections to surrounding parks and adjacent neighborhoods.
• Affordable housing opportunities: Integrate new development and infrastructure into the inherited neighborhood patterns to produce cohesive places with shared addresses.
• Transportation and mobility: Focus on neighborhood access and circulation patterns to keep streets safe, link neighborhoods together, and enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses.

Beth Brotherton, Greenville’s director of communications and engagement, said it’s too early in the process to name specific plans for this property, and the purchase is only a resolution at this time. Owning the land allows the city to ensure future development is scaled to match the surrounding area, that is walkable and pedestrian friendly, has sidewalks and green space, and of course parking, she added.

The Greenville Transit Authority is using the maintenance facility and will continue to use it until its new building in the county is complete, said Brotherton.