The building at 206 South Main Street that has served as City Hall for the past five decades will be sold for redevelopment.
City Council gave City Manager John McDonough approval to complete a Purchase Sale Agreement (PSA) with M. Peters Group for $12.5 million. Council also authorized McDonough to move forward with the purchase of two floors at 55 Camperdown Way. When finalized, the deal would move City Council Chambers and multiple City departments to the building on the edge of the Reedy River in Falls Park.
“The City of Greenville has made a multi-year commitment to upgrade facilities so we can provide better service to our citizens,” said Mayor Knox White. “We have rebuilt fire stations at Augusta Road and Verdae Boulevard, constructed a state-of-the-art Public Works facility on Fairforest Way and are remodeling a building at the corner of Halton and Mall Connect Road to serve as a new police station, municipal court, fire administration and one-stop service center for business licenses and building permits. Now, it’s time to modernize City Hall.”
The building at 206 South Main would get a new façade and significant interior renovations. The City reserves the right to retain ownership of the first five floors of the building, in the event a deal cannot be finalized for 55 Camperdown Way.
The City and NAI Earlie Furman issued request for proposals for 206 South Main in July 2022 and received four responses. NAI Earle Furman reviewed the top ranked submissions and recommended the proposal submitted by M. Peters Group. The cost to retain the first five floors of the current City Hall building and perform extensive renovation would cost just under $16 million, by comparison, purchase and renovation at 55 Camperdown would cost $14.3 million. Projected revenue generated by staying at 206 South Main is just over $100,000 per year over twenty years, compared with $168,000 per year at Camperdown.
McDonough told council members the advantages of a move to 55 Camperdown Way are a shorter construction period, one year there versus three years to stay on Main; having City employees on two floors rather than split among five for more efficient communication and collaboration; room for growth; and a more open floor plan.
In both buildings City Council chambers would be moved to the first floor to allow citizens easier access to public meetings and a larger waiting area. City Departments remaining in a downtown location would be the Mayor’s Office, City Manager’s Office, City Attorney, Economic Development, Communications & Engagement and Parks, Recreation and & Tourism. All other City Departments would move to Halton Road in 2024.
Written by the City of Greenville.