Mill Village Ministries, a local nonprofit, plans to combine its social enterprises into a new hub located in West Greenville.
A groundbreaking for the project took place on Oct. 3. The organization’s approximately 14,000-square-foot building at 1186 Pendleton St. will be renovated to hold:
- Mill Village Farms: A nonprofit farm and produce distribution center offering healthy produce, youth employment and food system education.
- Village Wrench: A full-service bike shop that offers bike repairs and a youth employment program.
- Village Launch: An enterprise providing personal and business financial training to emerging and under-resourced entrepreneurs.
- Village Engage: An enterprise for JustFaith programs working to advance equity and justice.
Renovations of the building will begin in October and should last six to nine months. The redevelopment project is expected to cost more than $4.5 million.
Dan Weidenbenner, the nonprofit’s executive director, said it was always a certainty that Mill Village Ministries new hub would be based in West Greenville where the organization started.
“The fact that we can consolidate all of the work of Mill Village Ministries under one roof is huge for our community, our staff and for the folks that we serve,” Weidenbenner said. “It’s certainly a dream finally coming to fruition.”
To incorporate the different services, the hub’s design features a food pickup location, a community-run bicycle shop, and spaces for entrepreneurial classes and youth leadership development programs. The facility will also include an event plaza with public artwork for special events, and minority- and women-owned pop-up markets.
Improvements along Pendleton Street will also be completed through a public-private partnership with the city of Greenville. On Sept. 25, Greenville City Council gave initial approval for $381,128 in funding to enhance safety and visual appeal along the street.
For more information on the project, visit millcommunity.org.
Future impact
By 2030, Mill Village Ministries‘ hub plans to:
- Repair 15,000 bikes
- Train 2,200 teens
- Deliver 230,000 produce boxes
- Launch 1,700 entrepreneurs
