Greenville Master Plan Includes New Amphitheater, Entertainment District

Greenville, South Carolina, Is Diggin’ A Deeper Well

Greenville Arena District (GAD) unveiled a master plan for Bon Secours Wellness Arena and its 12-acre campus in Greenville, South Carolina, that includes the expansion and modernization of “The Well” and the addition of a 6,500-seat outdoor amphitheater and entertainment district. 

“We try to go above and beyond, to have a welcoming place to do business, a welcoming place to visit and welcoming place to perform,” said Beth Paul, general manager of Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2015. “These new design elements will only enhance that. We’ll always keep that culture but now the design of our building will align more appropriately with the culture that we have built here.”

The Greenville Arena District was created to oversee the Greenville Memorial Auditorium, which opened in 1958, and currently owns and operates the 25-year-old Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The 15,500-cap sports and entertainment venue is a popular concert destination hosting approximately 130 ticketed events annually.  

Developed by the architecture firms LS3P, LMN and Gensler, the proposed arena renovations would cost between $150 million to $170 million, with the exterior redevelopment costing an additional $120 million. 

The master plan includes significant upgrades to back-of-house expanding the loading docks from two to four bays, waste management, additional storage and enhancing dressing rooms and flex-space by 18,000 square feet.

“On our priorities for the project were the basic operational functions that we needed to improve,” offered Paul. “Certainly, areas like star dressing rooms, locker rooms, multi-purpose areas back-of-house will serve a vast variety of our clients.”

The plan adds 22,000 square feet to the concourse level and includes more accessible seating, expanded restrooms, improved circulation and additional food and beverage resources for Levy Restaurants, the venue’s hospitality partner. The arena will also have new premium seating, redesigned entrances for better congestion management and a new western entrance and lobby, which can be used for community events. The Well currently hosts 75 to 100 community and non-profit events each year. 

“The expectations of the fans have changed dramatically over the past 25 years and we want to make sure that we are keeping up with those trends – or even better, being ahead of them,” said Paul.

The exterior will get a facelift with a new facade and the surrounding asphalt parking will be transformed into a mixed-use entertainment district with restaurants, retail, public spaces and the new amphitheater, which sits on top of a parking podium with spaces for 1,000 vehicles. The project is projected to create 545 permanent jobs, generating $15 million in compensation and an estimated $63 million in economic impact annually. 

“I think it’s going to be a game changer in terms of the number of concerts that we’re able to host,” said Paul. “It adds such a wonderful community asset. There may be touring shows, but I can also see performances by our local Greenville Symphony Orchestra and young musicians.”

Since opening in 1998, the venue has generated a cumulative gross economic impact of more than $2 billion, welcomed more than 12 million guests, created 500+ full-time jobs and contributed more than $70 million to the Greenville metro area each year.

To ensure the master plan reflected the city’s collective needs, the planning process included extensive community engagement with focus groups, shadowing sessions with members of the disability community, surveys of thousands of guests and premium seat holders and meetings with neighborhood representatives, sponsors, city and county officials and business leaders. 

Six core principles emerged for the master plan: enhancing connectivity to downtown, creating a welcoming environment, strengthening community partnerships, improving the guest experience, ensuring safety and wellness, and practicing financial stewardship while honoring the site’s history.

“Community engagement and collaboration with our neighbors and stakeholders have been priorities from the beginning,” said Paul. “The outcome is a plan that harmonizes innovation with fiscal responsibility and enthusiasm with practicality. This is not the conclusion of our community engagement process, but a significant milestone within it. We will continue to seek input and refine our plans as we move forward.”

The live industry also influenced the plan including addressing the evolving needs of tour production, adapting to shifting audience expectations and responding to increased competition from venues in the region. 

The next phase of the master planning process will involve further development of the designs, refinement of cost estimates, exploration of funding strategies including bonds, and ongoing engagement with stakeholders. GAD aims to finalize the plan by the end of the year and begin the most critical arena improvements in 2026 or early 2027. Arena renovations could take up to 30 months and would be scheduled to minimize the impact on the calendar. A schedule for exterior construction has not been finalized.