Accente Group Inc., a Clemson‑based hotel management and real‑estate development firm, presented a major mixed‑use redevelopment plan for three parcels in Greenville’s historic West End. The sites, located between Augusta Street and South Main Street and adjacent to Fluor Field, currently house the former Greenville Transit Authority maintenance facility and a city‑owned parking lot.
Project scope and timeline
According to Raj Patel, president and CEO of Accente Group, the development will be built in three phases over the next five to seven years. The 3.5‑acre site is zoned Downtown Shopfront District (MXS‑D), the city’s most intensive mixed‑use district, allowing for a combination of residential, hospitality, retail and open‑space uses.
The plan calls for five buildings, some rising as high as ten stories. In total, the project would provide:
- 365–385 residential units
- 350–385 hotel rooms with on‑site restaurants and rooftop terraces
- 25,000–30,000 square feet of retail and active‑use space
- 750–790 parking spaces
- Open space comprising roughly 20% of the site
Stephen Overcash, founding principal of Charlotte‑based ODA Architecture, explained that three of the buildings will line the western edge of the property, offering rooftop terraces with views of Fluor Field. The remaining two buildings and a parking garage will frame the Gather GVL space on Augusta Street.
New street to enhance walkability
A key feature of the proposal is a new cut‑through street, tentatively named Lantern Way. The roadway would connect Augusta Street near the South Carolina Children’s Theatre to South Main Street, featuring pavers, landscaping and historic‑style gas lanterns reminiscent of Savannah, Georgia. The design aims to improve pedestrian flow and reinforce the West End’s walkable character.
City involvement and next steps
The development was previewed at a Greenville city project meeting on August 25. Accente Group plans to submit the master site plan to the Design Review Board for approval this fall. While the developer has already acquired two parcels—106 and 154 Augusta Street—for $8.1 million through RNKS Augusta St LLC, the third parcel at 911 South Main Street, a 45‑space surface lot owned by the city, is still being negotiated.
Patel noted that Accente Group has been scouting downtown Greenville properties for 15 years. The firm previously owned the former Greenville Memorial Auditorium site on North Church Street, where a boutique hotel plan was halted by the COVID‑19 pandemic. He described the current site as “a right, nice property where you would be able to integrate three different lots and create a cohesive, integrated project, which can bring pedestrian friendliness and the West End character.”
Environmental cleanup
In 2025, Accente Group signed a voluntary cleanup contract with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services to assess and remediate any environmental concerns on the former transit authority property. Patel said the cleanup is expected to be minor and limited to a small portion of the site.
If approved, the project would add significant housing and hospitality capacity to downtown Greenville, create construction jobs, and provide additional parking for residents and visitors. The mixed‑use approach aligns with the city’s vision for a vibrant, walkable downtown that supports families, local businesses and community life.
Original reporting: Greenville Journal — read the source article.
