UBJ SQUARE FEET
‘Un-Apartment’ Community Planned for Greer SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com An “un-apartment” apartment community may soon be taking shape on 45 acres along Abner Creek Road in Greer if approved by Greer City Council. Ohio-based developer Redwood Acquisition has submitted plans for a new apartment community that will have approximately 173 two-bedroom, two-bath single-story apartment homes, each with their own attached two-car garage. This would be Redwood’s first foray into South Carolina. The company currently has 45 similar apartment
communities in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. “We are very excited about being in Greenville,” said Scott Gillespie, senior vice president of Redwood Acquisition LLC. “Greenville is a fantastic, growing market both in terms of jobs and our customers, who are primarily baby boomers and empty-nesters. There’s a whole group of people who don’t necessarily want to own a home with all of the maintenance that goes along with it.” Unlike traditional apartments, Redwood’s unique communities appeal to young professionals, baby GREENVILLESPARTANBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
June 27, 2014
boomers and empty nesters who tend to stay an average of 4.6 years with an average occupancy rate in each community of 98 percent, said Gillespie. Amenities at Abner Creek would include sidewalks, walking paths and two ponds, along with on-site maintenance and management staff. Rents are expected to range from $1,200 to $1,500 per month and units will be 1,100 to 1,800 square feet. Greer Planning Commission held a public meeting June 16 to discuss rezoning the property from Planned Development/Residential to a Design Review District. A DRD would
require the developer to come back before the planning commission if any changes are made to the design. At the meeting, several nearby residents voiced their concerns, mainly about additional traffic on Abner Creek Road. The planning commission voted unanimously June 16 to recommend approving the zoning request. Greer City Council gave the zoning change first reading approval on Tuesday. A second and final reading is scheduled for July 8. If approved, construction is expected to begin this fall with completion in approximately 12 months.