Historic Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant to be home to Crescent One Community Start-up
Greenville area entrepreneurs will have a new space to call home once the first phase of the Crescent One Community Start-up is completed on July 1.
Crescent One will be home to Flywheel offices, suites, coworking areas, social commons, an outdoor event venue, and a conference center. The project involves renovating Hartness Development's 48,000-square-foot historic Pepsi Cola Bottling Plant on 701 Poinsett Highway.
Hartness Development, Flywheel, Furman University's Hill Institute for Innovation, and Poinsett Partners have joined to create Crescent One Community Start-up on seven acres.
"We also purchased the land that used to house the former Piedmont Shirt Factory at 111 Henry St. on Poinsett Highway," according to Jim Burns, chief operating officer of Hartness Development. "We worked in conjunction with the Greenville County redevelopment team to purchase the land for nearly $1 million.
"This lot will allow us up to 150,000 additional square feet."
Burns said the entire project will cost $18 million. A group of local investors led by Hartness Development provided the funds. Ameris Bank offered senior debt, and SC JEDA also provided financing.
The remainder of the district will open in phases and include a green space area.
"Additional buildings will be built if the need arises," Burns said.
Phase One’s Crescent One building will have its grand opening this summer.
Mavin Construction is doing construction on this project.
The Flagwheel Foundation and Furman University's Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will also be tenants.
"The Flagwheel Foundation will house a 23,000-square-foot space at Crescent One Community Startup facility," Burns said.
The space will include 40 private office suites, co-working areas, ample event space, seminar rooms, indoor and outdoor social common spaces, and a fitness center operated by Fitness with a View.
Greenville is a growing southern city with solid population demographics, said founding partner Peter Marsh. "They have done a great job revamping its downtown area and other markets. We saw this as an opportunity to have a tremendous impact by supporting local entrepreneurs in a portion of the city that has not yet been revitalized."
Burns said the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship building will have offices and meeting spaces, allowing the institute to host networking events and fulfill its mission of being a central part of entrepreneurship.
“Furman’s future requires an innovative Furman, so it’s only natural that we would be an integral part of this exciting Crescent Startup Community,” said Furman University President Elizabeth Davis in a press release.
Crescent One Community Startup: How was it founded?
The Crescent One Community Startup was founded in 2023 through Shawn Hartness and the Hartness Development Partnership with Flywheel, Furman University Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and other Poinsett Development Partners.
"The Hartness Development is a collection of experienced planning, design, construction, real estate, and finance professionals who create legacy projects that stand the test of time and seek better solutions for the challenges of today," according to a press release.
About Flywheel Foundation Innovation Centers: What you need to know
Flywheel was founded in 2014. "The organization designs and operates a multi-state network of co-working innovation centers in collaboration with local institutions, which fosters startups and entrepreneurs through a network of purpose-driven innovation communities in the Southeast, providing affordable infrastructure for communities to flourish," said founding partner Peter Marsh.
The Flywheel Foundation, founded in 2015, is an affiliated non-profit charitable organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to entrepreneurship through ecosystem development, education, research, and investment.
"Once operational, Flywheel will offer membership opportunities paid on month-to-month plans," Marsh said.
Membership plans include private offices, reserved desks, unreserved desk community member plans, day passes, digital mailboxes, and virtual offices.
The cost can vary from $80 to $850 depending on space type, plan, and days used.
The organization will also deploy programming such as retail labs featuring downtown entrepreneurs, installing investment firms, and assembling investment capital that can be invested in early-stage start-ups."
For more information, please visit www.flywheelgreenvillesc.com
About Furman University: The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Furman University established the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship as an entrepreneurial education and support hub.
Through collaboration with organizations such as Flywheel and Hartness Development, the Hill Institute will have offices and meeting spaces at Crescent Startup for students and entrepreneurs to network, learn, and turn their ideas into business ventures.
"These organizations and individuals came together for one common cause: to create a space where Upstate’s entrepreneurial community can live, work, play, and innovate in one central space that provides access to all the resources necessary to launch and grow a business venture successfully," Burns said.
Hard hat tours of Flywheel
Flywheel is providing hard-hat tours for the community and potential members to explore the first phase of the Crescent One development and meet founding partners Hartness Development COO Burns, Hartness Development Associate Fred Dilworth, and Flywheel Coworking Founding Partner Marsh on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
"We are hosting these hard-hat tours to show attendees what is to come; they provide attendees with a firsthand glimpse of the upcoming Crescent One Community Startup facility," Burns said. "We have shut down construction on the day of the tours. By wearing hardhats, attendees can safely explore the construction site and view visuals of the future amenities and spaces to come."
The remaining tour dates are May 22 and June 26; tours will be available between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Interested individuals must register for the Crescent One Community Startup preview tour.
"Attendees will have the opportunity to preview the conference center, coworking areas, offices, suites, social commons, atrium, fitness studio operated by Fitness with a view, and outdoor venue amenities," Olivia Evans, Greenville Community Manager, said.
"We will provide hardhats, and attendees should wear comfortable closed-toe shoes," she said.
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Crescent Startup Community to support Greenville area entrepreneurs
