Work begins on $13M music venue in Greenville’s West End

Listen to this article

Work has begun on a live music venue in Greenville’s West End.

Jackhammers, celebrity drop-ins and live music highlighted Thursday’s festivities at the future home of Trueline, 401 Rhett St., a city of Greenville news release stated.

The music venue is the brainchild of Michael Grozier, who also co-founded the legendary House of Blues concert venues, according to the release.

Grozier said Greenville’s welcoming nature convinced him of the venue’s potential.

“I came to Greenville and as everybody knows, you fall in love with Greenville right away,” he said in the release. “The most amazing thing is the kindness in this town, the patience, the love for people.”

In addition to national touring musical acts, the venue will bring $13 million in investment, according to StartupGVL.com.

Related: New mural decorating retail building unveiled in Greenville’s West End

Related: The Slice in downtown Simpsonville opens rooftop space, announces new location

Anticipated to open in April 2025, Trueline will feature two performance spaces, a 1,700-seat main room and a 400-seat “more intimate” space, according to the release. That smaller room, Grozier said, will be named “The Handlebar,” a tribute to the long-time music venue that shaped the city’s live music scene until it closed its doors in 2014.

McMillan Pazdan Smith is the project architect. Local funding efforts were led by Vicinity Capital, a Greenville-based venture capital firm.

Greenville Mayor Knox White said the project is a testament to the city’s commitment to economic and community growth.

“We’re not a bunch of naysayers who look for reasons not to do something,” he said. “We look for reasons to do it.”