Greenville official announces Falls Park Conference District with hotel, conference center and housing

Henry Coburn, speaking for Greenville City, announced a proposed six-acre Falls Park Conference District that the city says will be anchored by a conference center, a flagship luxury hotel, multifamily housing, office space and integrated parking.

Coburn said the project will be developed in partnership with Aro Hotels and United Community and described Aro’s planned role in redeveloping the Bowwater building and adjacent parking garage into a flagship luxury hotel. “We found the right place and we found the right developer and the right team,” he said, calling the announcement “a momentous occasion for Greenville.”

The announcement said Aro plans both to reposition the existing Bowwater building and to build a new hotel tower on the conference district site. Coburn noted Aro’s prior investment in the Hyde Regency—saying the company invested about $22 million—and framed the new project as a next phase for the company and the city: “When I sit here on the podium and I look at Knox, I find that in 2026, this is 2.0 for Greenville,” he said.

City officials described the overall site as roughly six acres. Project features identified in the announcement include a conference center; luxury hotel space anchored by Aro Hotels; approximately 250 residential units in a multi‑story building to be developed by Hines; Class A office space tied to United Community (described as the largest bank headquartered in South Carolina); and integrated parking. Coburn said the district “will include a minimally visible 1,400 space parking garage and a halfacre of manicured green space to expand Falls Park lined with shops and retail.”

Coburn framed the plan in environmental and placemaking terms, saying the site is “right now... completely impervious surface” and that the project is an opportunity to reclaim impermeable ground and ‘‘bring more green back into Greenville.’’ He said the city expects the design process to include public engagement and that construction could begin in 2027.

The announcement was delivered as a city presentation of partners and initial project elements; no formal approvals, funding breakdowns or land-use votes were listed in the remarks. Coburn closed the presentation by identifying himself as representing Greenville City. The city said it will engage the community as design work proceeds and did not provide a final construction permit or funding schedule at the time of the announcement.