The future of Greenville City Hall’s location was up for discussion at the city council work session on March 13.
After working with commercial real estate agency NAI Earle Furman, the city plans to sell the City Hall building at 206 S. Main St. to M. Peters Group for redevelopment.
The city and NAI Earle Furman previously released a request for proposal (RFP) in July 2022 for a public-private partnership to redevelop City Hall. M. Peters Group was recommended to lead the significant exterior and interior renovations of the current City Hall building along with the construction of six additional floors for condos.
Renderings of the renovated building show the first five floors would be designated for City Hall if it were to stay at its current location.
With the planned sale of City Hall’s building on South Main Street, Greenville’s city council authorized City Manager John McDonough to move forward with the relocation of City Hall to the Bowater Building at 55 E. Camperdown Way.
Relocation of City Hall to Bowater Building
The city hopes to acquire and renovate the first two floors of the Bowater Building to become the new location of City Hall.
Keith Jones, an agent at NAI Earle Furman, said the building at 55 Camperdown would provide City Hall with a much larger floor plate of 20,000 square feet, with the current City Hall only at 10,000 square feet.
The total cost of the acquisition and renovations of the building is $14,277,131, which is cheaper than the $15,970,174 it would cost to stay on South Main Street.
A list of advantages in favor of the relocation of City Hall to Camperdown Way was discussed during the work session
- The council chambers are planned to be located on the first floor, which would offer easier citizen access.
- There would be a shorter construction period with estimated completion in June 2024.
- City employees would be located on only two floors which promotes communication and collaboration.
- The building offers a more open floor plan and more room for growth.
- The building’s location is along the Reedy River in Falls Park.
“The fiscal case is there to move, but it also works to the benefit of the community in preserving – what I consider – a real jewel,” said Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe.
If the deal to purchase space at 55 Camperdown Way falls through, the City still reserves the right to retain ownership of the first five floors of the original building.
The expected completion of the South Main Street City Hall would be June 2026, two years longer than the Camperdown Way option.
Next steps
To move forward on the redevelopment of the current City Hall, the RFP will be awarded to M. Peters Group and the city will begin negotiations on the terms of the Purchase Sale Agreement.
The city will also continue negotiations on the terms of PSA for the purchase of the two floors of the Bowater Building and draft an RFP for the design and renovation of the building.
