Planning a brewery in a former cigar warehouse on the West End of Greenville > GSA Business

The City of Greenville’s Design Review Board has approved a plan to move the Atlanta-based brewery to the West End.

New Realm Brewing Co. will take over the Old Cigar Warehouse on S. Main Street with an outdoor dining pavilion and covered events area. According to the city, new construction will take place on a vacant lot at the intersection of S. Main and Wardlaw streets, and the Old Cigar Warehouse will undergo minor renovations to the exterior and interior of the warehouse to accommodate a brewery/restaurant and beer garden.

The plan will preserve the existing historic features of the former Cigar Warehouse, including a mural visible from South Main Street. Board approval, however, was conditional, with his 4-0 vote.

Greenville-based McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the architect of the project, will have to make further adjustments to the plan, including fireplaces, fire pit locations, and the choice of different building materials. The city said it will move forward with the project as soon as the details are finalized and that it has received a certificate of suitability to proceed with the building permit.

SC Biz News has attempted to contact New Realm Brewing Co. several times via email, but has not responded to questions regarding the project.

The city has focused on revitalizing the downtown area, said Shannon Lovelin, Greenville’s assistant city manager.

“This brewery helps contribute to that revitalization,” she said. “Rejuvenated spaces enable more vibrant communities and lead to healthier communities financially. It revitalizes and helps the businesses around it.”

Lavrin said the brewery fits in with other adaptive reuse spaces around Greenville. Because they aren’t trying to “scrape and replace”, that is, tear everything down and start over. New He’s Realm Brewing has four other He’s locations in Charleston, Atlanta, Savannah, and Virginia Beach, each unique to their community.

“Looking around, one of the things Greenville is doing well, especially in the downtown area, is reusing existing buildings rather than just scraping and replacing,” says Lavrin. Anything within the downtown central business district must be approved by the design review board. “The design review board is trying to preserve as much of the building’s history as possible.”

With higher construction costs and supply chain issues slowing the delivery of materials, the city continues to see more and more adaptive reuse concepts, not just in downtown areas such as Lawrence Road, but throughout the city.

“We all want to live in a place that has its own identity,” said Lovelin. “Adaptive his reuse contributes greatly to this.”

Adaptive reuse is one of the ways Greenville is able to grow so quickly. Because Greenville has a small urban footprint, it’s difficult to expand its urban reach, she said.

New Realm, the original developer on the project, wanted a high-traffic area, Lavrin said.

“They are thrilled to be here and their choice speaks volumes to why people are drawn to our city because of the great quality of life here.” she added. “We have a special and unique city, and many companies are here.”

The city recently unveiled renderings of planned renovations of the historic Army and Navy stores on S Main Street. However, the city is unable to provide further information about the project at this time. A certificate of suitability for this project was he approved in December, but a building permit has not yet been submitted.

The building was constructed in 1877 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places until 1991. The store occupied the space for over 70 years until it moved to Lawrence Road in 2021.

Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack on Laurens Road is another example of adaptive reuse, but Lavrin says the best example is The Commons on Wellborn Steet, a former warehouse.

“Each building tells a story of how the city has evolved and how we came to be here as a community,” says Lavrin.

The Waiche Pavilion on the Reedy River downtown also has a bit of history.

Once a historic paint factory, it is now a rustic wedding venue and a staple photo spot. The pavilion is named after Greenville philanthropic leader Tommy Wichi and was included in the purchase when his Center for Peace purchased the property more than 30 years before him. of the textile industry. This regeneration contributed to what is now Falls Park.

The city has also seen converting old cotton mills into industrial-style mezzanine apartments. For example, The Loft at Woodside Mill was a factory that dates back to the early 1900s. Woodside Mill has been restored and converted into loft style apartments with modern updates. Construction of the project was completed at the end of last year.

“People are really starting to understand the uniqueness of different reuses,” says Lavrin. “Adaptive reuse allows the character of Greenville to shine through.”