Feed & Seed, Community Tap and Carolina Triathlon among future tenants for warehouses near GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail

April A. Morris contributed to this story

At the end of Welborn Street on Greenville’s west side sit two empty warehouses that have seen better days. That’s about to change, though, when renovations begin and a bustling new 40,000-square-foot marketplace called The Commons emerges.

The market concept is similar to others across the country such as the Oxbow Public Market in Napa, Calif. It’s the first of its kind for Greenville, though, said Drew Parker with the Parker Group, one of the owners of the property. “We’re trying to create a destination,” he said.

A restaurant, small craftsmen and food purveyors are all part of the planned tenants. The property is near the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail and the new proposed city park.

One new tenant will be Feed & Seed, a nonprofit group established to create a food distribution system for regional farmers, which will occupy 12,000 square feet. The Feed & Seed space will serve to create a wholesale environment for regional farmers, said director Mike McGirr. Feed & Seed will purchase from the farmers and then distribute to local purveyors.

The Feed & Seed space will feature outdoor demonstration gardens, retail space for the public, a commercial kitchen, butchery and food processing. Because of its location, the facility will also help provide accessible, fresh produce and job opportunities for nearby neighborhoods. In addition, Feed & Seed will offer a venue for Clemson University and Furman University to educate farmers, students and the public, said McGirr.

Another major tenant for The Commons will be Community Tap Trailside, which will open its second location in 3,000 square feet.

Ed Buffington, one of the owners of Community Tap, said he and his business partner had been approached by “numerous parties” in the past to open another location but the timing and the Welborn Street location “really felt right.”

“Being asked to join the Welborn Street project, along with what Feed & Seed is doing there, is a huge compliment,” said Buffington. “We’ve had tremendous community support with our current spot and feel the new location will be a destination off the trail.”

The Community Tap Trailside will be modeled heavily on the existing Community Tap on Wade Hampton Boulevard and will have a mix of retail sales and a bar component. As the surrounding neighborhood grows, neighbors will need support and a place to purchase beer and wine, Buffington said.

Three additional tenants will be relocating their offices to The Commons: The Parker Group, which will occupy 2,000 square feet, Ridgeline Construction, occupying 4,500 square feet, and Outdoor Sports Marketing, with 3,000 square feet.

Another large tenant, Carolina Triathlon, will occupy 8,100 square feet. Several other tenants will be announced soon, Parker said. Boyd Cycling, while not a tenant of the market, is located in an adjacent building.

Two city-owned buildings near the property are expected to be torn down to create green space for gardens and public use, and a connector to the Swamp Rabbit Trail is planned.

Façade improvements will be made to the building, but the owners want it to maintain a “rustic feel.” Construction is expected to begin early 2016 with plans to open by August 2016.

Due South Coffee Roasters has also announced it will be a tenant at The Commons.

For more information, visit upstatecommons.com

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Read more about the Feed & Seed project in this week’s Greenville Journal >>