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Back in the mid- to late-1980s, Greenville's West End District was hardly a shining example of anything going well; the area was perceived to be dangerous, run down, and something from another era. It certainly wasn't seen as a viable part of Greenville's future, rather, it was a great example of how "time can pass you by" and urban decay. Then the City of Greenville developed its award-winning plan to restore the buildings that would become the West End Market, and, all these years later, the Market serves as a beacon of success to all who would dare take on a project such as this. When the City of Greenville first developed its restoration plan for a West End Market, they envisioned simply a Farmers Market. The plan changed and broadened, however, when a local businessman donated several more area buildings to the project. With those buildings, originally two cotton warehouses and a bowling alley, added to the mix, the City realized it had an opportunity to make a huge impact on the West End District, and set about to make the best possible use of this "windfall." The City of Greenville won the National Trust for Historic Preservation's South Carolina Honor Award for Historic Preservation for their effort. They were able to preserve many of the original design characteristics of the buildings by using the original floors and removing tons of brick to reveal the beautiful windows and arched doorways; these features of the Market are some of the very details that give it its tremendous appeal to contemporary shoppers, diners and office workers that frequent the Market today. The result of their efforts is well known, with the 44,000-square-foot, mixed use facility now a popular and familiar part of Greenville's everyday life. Now six years down the road since the first tenants moved to the Market in 1995, the Market is now home to several art galleries, offices, restaurants, and several other small businesses. Of course, while the City had hopes that the Market would be successful, they also had their eye on "the bigger picture" as well. That "bigger picture" included private investment in the area, bringing with it economic stabilization and revitalization for the West End District. They have not been disappointed. Since its early days, the West End Market has been the driving force behind several successful retail, residential and office building projects for the District, building each success, one upon the other. The City of Greenville took a chance, planned it well, and ended up the big winner. Today's successful West End Market and surrounding projects is truly a proud example of how to do historic restoration the right way and make it work for the entire city.
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