Construction of a 72-unit apartment complex along Dickinson Avenue will begin in several weeks, following the demolition of a former science museum.
Brightleaf Townes, to be located at 729 Dickinson Ave., is the third downtown project undertaken by Taft Family Ventures, which also built student housing complexes The Boundary at West End and the Proximity.
This time, the project is market-rate housing targeting populations that Greenville wants to see grow, said Thomas Taft Jr., a principal with Taft Family Ventures.
“Young professionals, working creatives are a big cohort of who we are looking for as well as folks looking to downsize — potentially empty nesters that want to be in a walkable, amenitized community,” Taft said. “We hope this is a huge catalyst for growth along Dickinson Avenue.”
Brightleaf residents will have access to a full-size gym and clubhouse in the basement of the Cupola Building, which is now the home of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Greenville. A coffee bar and a co-working space also are planned for that location.
“It’s always been our vision down here to activate this part of town in a 24/7-type cycle,” Taft said. “You can’t just have restaurants. You can’t just have hotels. You can’t have just retail. You have to have a mix of uses to support the ultimate desired outcome, a destination district in Greenville.”
The Brightleaf name comes from the type of tobacco that was housed, cured and sold out of numerous warehouses that once populated Dickinson Avenue and surrounding streets.
“We thought it would be nice for people to understand the history of the neighborhood,” Taft said.
The design also includes arches that echo the former Ficklen Tobacco Warehouse that is adjacent to the apartment complex property.
The apartment complex will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 600 to 1,470 square feet. The units will be divided among three three-story brownstone-style buildings. The rent will range from $1,300 to slightly more than $2,000 a month. Select units will include garages and spiral staircases leading to the second floor.
The remaining tenants will use surface parking that will include about 20 spaces for the public.
The $15 million construction project is expected to last 15 months and is expected to begin leasing in the third quarter of 2027.
“This will not be our last project on Dickinson Avenue,” Taft said. “There is a lot of opportunity between us and the 10th Street Connector.”
The complex buildings will emulate the step-down parapet style found on the nearby Farmers & Makers Market building, Aji and the Taft Family Venture offices.
Construction comes less than six months after Dickinson Avenue fully reopened following a multi-year rehabilitation project that closed sections of the road for extended periods.
Taft said while some sidewalks in the area will be temporarily closed because of the construction, no road closures are contemplated.
The design and construction teams did their best to minimize negative effects to the neighborhood, he said. His staff members are the most affected because their traditional parking lot has been lost.
JC Hazelton Builders is the contractor. Architectural design is provided by Reese-Vanderbilt, based in Atlanta, with civil engineering by ARK Consulting Group of Greenville. Financing is provided by Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital LLC.
Article courtesy of The Daily Reflector
