Our Vision

We support thoughtful planning, and our project vision aligns closely with the Greenville County Long-Range Comprehensive Plan. Our Planned Development (PD) zoning ensures the site’s reinvention is intentional, community-serving, and long-term in focus while preserving history and responding to modern needs.

Unlike new greenfield subdivisions, we’re revitalizing an already-developed 50-acre industrial campus that once had 1,000 employees working on site generating traffic during both rush hours. Many of our tenants are local makers and businesses, not high-traffic generators. The current zoning allows for heavy industrial that could bring more tractor trailer truck traffic into this corridor. We believe our master plan will alleviate and disperse traffic from 3 different arterial points of ingress and egress. A formal Traffic Impact Study has already been submitted to Greenville County Planning. It recommends coordinating with SCDOT and the railroad regarding possible road improvements, including a potential right-turn lane off Rutherford into the development site plan.

We understand the frustration with trains blocking crossings on Stallings and Rutherford Roads, but these delays are tied to two separate freight lines neither of which are controlled by our project. The Norfolk Southern mainline, which crosses Pine Knoll Drive, Waddell Road, Donnan Road and Artillery Road, is a major corridor serving the Inland Port and national freight traffic. It stops to serve customers and exchange cars along the southern side of Rutherford Rd. The CSX line, which runs adjacent to our property, is on the northern side of Rutherford Road, and services a few local customers along Rutherford Road but is not a high-traffic corridor because their customers are not in the immediate area of our subject property, but will likely serve 1116 Tanner Road. Heddle Hill has a rail spur on our property that is currently dormant and which we plan to abandon as we move away from heavy industrial uses in the future. While we can’t influence railroad operations, our project avoids any rail customer activity and avoids adding traffic pressure to crossings by using existing curb cuts, internal site circulation, and an approved traffic study. We’re also open to working with the community to help advocate for response solutions. Rail activity is a huge part of our area’s commerce and trade transportation, and most business & community leaders are grateful that we have this sort of economic backbone.

Since December 2021, we’ve undertaken extensive improvements across the 11-building, 430,000 SF property which include exterior painting, roof replacement, storm water & drainage, electrical, site security, and more. These upgrades are paired with façade work and interior rehabs that now support over 40 businesses. We’ve also committed to additional architectural rehab that honors the industrial aesthetic of the original Steel Heddle buildings.

We have ~40 current tenants that span industrial artisans, light manufacturing, retail, nonprofit services, general warehousing, and creative uses. Our average lease term is 3 years. Rental rates range from $5–$20/SF/YR NNN depending on size, use & condition. Our newly renovated space achieves a premium due to limited supply of modern commercial space available in this submarket. Our continued reinvestment into the property continues to enable a healthy ecosystem and village like community. Our future vision is to continue diversifying our tenant uses to add more synergistic and community enhancing amenities. Heddle Hill is a more affordable leasing option in comparison to the broader upstate commercial real estate market.

The intended future uses include coffee, food & beverage, entertainment & small-scale retail, and artisan-driven offerings. These are not only part of our vision, but are explicitly permitted uses that we can only entertain if our PD rezoning is put in place. Our Statement of Intent includes restaurants, taverns, farmers markets, florist shops, and food retailers as allowable uses.

Heddle Hill is a collective and therefore we do not have any specific anchor tenants in mind but we will be searching for entertainment & health wellness type uses that bring more offerings to the neighborhood. Additionally, the mix of maker spaces, light flex industrial, and community-serving businesses provide synergy in a live, work & play environment. Over time, we envision small-scale entertainment (pickleball, climbing wall, bicycle race course, food offerings, and public gathering spaces) adding vibrancy to the campus. Currently, our largest tenants by square footage are Amsive, Corbin Turf, Plus-Plus, Kidwise Outdoor Products, Bob Jones University and 17 Performance Co. Baseball.

The current S-1 and I-1 zoning was implemented 50 years ago & designed for outdated industrial operations that no longer are in demand in this area. The current zoning does not permit for most of the community-focused uses this neighborhood desires & deserves to include food and beverage, housing and artisan workshops. The PD zoning is custom-built to allow adaptive reuse, walkable design, and a balance of residential, employment, and green space.

In the statement of intent, replacing all references of “Light Industrial” to “Industrial Services”, although an oversight on our part, this change will have a large impact on the future of the site reducing the possible intensity of uses allowed by the PD. We’ve responded to prior concerns about buffering by committing to:

a. Reinforcing the ~10 acres of green space
b. Natural and architectural buffers between commercial and residential areas
c. Screening dumpsters and equipment from site lines and viewsheds. These commitments are written into our PD zoning application and will be incorporated in our zoning code.

We are not proposing a typical greenfield subdivision. This is an adaptive re use of a site that previously had buildings in these locations and are now asphalt and concrete parking areas. Our maximum residential envelope across the entire 50-acre site is 12 units per acre which is the same density as a single family residential community in the U.S. We believe this area is underserved with affordable rental product and we are evaluating the feasibility to build:

a. ~100 Townhome units
b. ~300 Apartment Units
c. Additional housing would only be phased in as the commercial and public spaces become fully realized.
d. Building 2 is over 80,000SF and is a 1980s vintage metal warehouse, our least architecturally significant building is also earmarked in a Phase II for an additional 200 apartment units or 100 Townhomes.

We believe this 50acre site is the perfect location in this submarket for an infill mixed use community. The campus is very large and can easily absorb the density as it already has 3 existing points of connectivity with surrounding neighborhoods and arteries. It’s positioned up a hill and away view of surrounding areas. It will alleviate a rental housing shortage and help to combat the housing crisis in Greenville, SC. Without a live work play residential component, the rest of our vision will not come to fruition as we need the critical mass of residents to support the commercial uses in a destination village type neighborhood where amenities are within walking distance.

We intend to honor Camp Sevier. The PD includes:

a. A call for a qualified historical group to lead its development and long-term care.
b. We are providing the canvas. We now need the right partner to paint the tribute.
c. Interpretive elements or memorial within 13 acres of trails, green space, and passive recreation

The project is designed to include:

a. ~10 acres of preserved green space and walking trails
b. Landscape buffers between commercial and residential areas as well as natural buffers to remain between Delmar Avenue
c. We have a 200’ buffer from the property line that will restrict any new building heights to a max of 45’.
d. Screening for equipment, dumpsters, and loading zones
e. Internal & external sidewalks and pedestrian connections to Sevier Middle School

i. Integration with existing sidewalks and nearby bus access (Greenlink Route 505)

Yes. All buildings whether new or renovated are designed to reflect the existing character of the Steel Heddle site and nearby neighborhoods. This includes:

a. Townhomes: 2–3 stories, 1,500–1,800 square feet, with brick, metal, and residential siding to complement
nearby homes
b. Apartments: A mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units in podium-style buildings with parking
underneath, hidden from the street
c. Commercial and flex spaces: Adaptive reuse of original structures, maintaining steel, masonry, and
industrial design elements

Architectural features like rooflines, window spacing, and building proportions will be continued across the campus. The goal is continuity while preserving what’s already there and designing new spaces that feel like a natural extension of the site.

As part of the GC Rezoning application, Skip Limbaker, AICP, Principal Planner at Greenville County Schools (and formerly of the County Planning Department), has confirmed that GCS has capacity at both Sevier elementary and middle school levels. They are desirous of more students. While Wade Hampton High School is tighter, he advised the district has a long-term plan in place to address future enrollment. Skip wrote a letter confirming that there are no anticipated objections from the school district or school board based on our PD Rezoning proposal or proposed unit count.

The project is led by a team with decades of experience in real estate, architecture, adaptive reuse, and industrial asset strategy. The group has worked on projects across the Carolinas, Georgia, and internationally — from historic preservation to large-scale redevelopment.

a. The team includes a licensed architect, experienced real estate professionals, and an on site property manager who has been with Heddle Hill since 2014

b. Two members of the team live within a few miles of the property, providing hands-on accountability and deep local knowledge

We expect our project once completed will generate $650k to $1.2m per year in property tax revenue as well as over 150+ jobs. This doesn’t take into consideration other tax revenue from income or sales receipts.

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