Greenville concert venue announces $300 million renovation, expansion, amphitheater plans

A new music amphitheater, upgraded locker rooms, and added concourse space are all part of the $300 million renovation and expansion plans of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena (BSWA).

The venue is exploring funding options for the project, which is expected to be completed in downtown Greenville in the coming years.

As part of a Greenville Area District (GAD) comprehensive master plan announcement on April 17, the two-phase project is estimated to cost around $300 million and would see the 25-year-old building at 650 N. Academy St. expand across 12 acres.

In an attempt to stay competitive with other regional stadiums, the new proposed deal aims to stay up to date with the current needs of touring artists and athletes, along with a welcome and renewed look. It anticipates better connectivity to downtown and an increased financial impact on the area.

“We want the arena to be more than just a place to see events. Our vision is to build a community for entertainment,” said Beth Paul, general manager of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

In 2024, BSWA officials announced a reported $150 million plan to improve current conditions, including renovations to the front and back of the house, land acquisition, and repairs.

On April 17, the Greenville Arena District unveiled details of the plans, along with an additional $120 million 6,500-seat amphitheater, and a parking structure to be built after the arena upgrades are complete.

“The master plan we are presenting is about updating a building and protecting a vital community asset for the next 25 years and beyond,” said Neetu Patel, chairman of the Greenville Area District.

In total, and after completion, Paul anticipates that BSWA will generate around $56 million for the city of Greenville on an annual basis, a six percent increase from their current contributions. The added amphitheater is expected to bring $63 million per year in economic productivity.

“We do not want to get behind, so we need to renovate in order to maintain the level of business we have,” Paul said.

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Bon Secours Wellness Arena plan includes upgrades to locker rooms, concourse, building facade

Bon Secours Wellness Arena will expand its reach westbound toward Church Street by adding a new concourse area, building shell, and entrance way that marks a new era in downtown entertainment.

Visible changes to the arena include introducing a new grand lobby area toward the west end of the building to provide a safer and efficient way to enter. The building would get a new outer architectural shell at its base, creating a brand-new face for the arena that debuted in 1998.

Here are a few more of the proposed physical changes to the arena:

• A grand entryway into the arena with a new building facade design.

• An improved and expanded concourse area (adding 22,000 square feet), featuring more circulation, lighting, and entrance space leading into the building, creating new event areas, and adding more room for retail stores and merchandising.

• Expanded concession stands and terrace areas, more accessible seating, and restroom areas

• New hospitality experiences around the concourse area.

Behind the scenes, Greenville Arena District shareholders will first address nearly 18,000 square feet of back-of-house operations through a renovation process to better accommodate staff, visiting talent, and overall arena operations.

In the recently proposed master plan, arena upgrades that ticketed visitors might not see include:

• Locker room improvements involving new seating, training rooms, and coaches’ offices, with the possibility of adding a sixth (currently five locker rooms).

• Redesigned multi-purpose recreational space for visiting artists, fluidity enhancements for unloading/loading staging equipment.

• Additional storage areas and a freight elevator, movement of the kitchen/catering area to the concourse level, and more.

“It is my belief that in order to remain competitive, we need to improve the area; to make it a world-class destination, a place where artists can come and feel welcome,” Paul said.

Paul visualizes the new concourse as a place to increase business, community, and anticipate performances in the area, transforming the current 15-foot-wide concourse into a much more spacious venue to accommodate visitors.

New amphitheater, green and retail space, plus underground parking at Bon Secours Wellness Arena

In a separate, yet equally important part of the master plan announcement, the Greenville Arena District is proposing a $120 million amphitheater project that would open as part of a second phase of expansion.

The prospective amphitheater is expected to seat around 6,500 guests, a 1,000-space lower-level parking area, and green and retail space along the corridor. Paul sees the BSWA outdoor music venue as an opportunity that complements the future A Music Project by The Peace Center and the upcoming Trueline project.

“This is different,” Paul said. “This is something the market is missing, a boutique-sized amphitheater.”

According to Bill Fox of the Hughes Agency, the function and success of a new amphitheater could pay off within two years, with the $63 million in annual economic productivity the venue is expected to generate.

Who will pay for Bon Secours Wellness Arena upgrades, when will it open?

The idea for this project began around 2023 and was finalized with the completion of the master plan and economic impact studies, which were completed late last year.

The next steps to implementing these upgrades to the building are finalizing a funding plan over the next six to eight months, which will rely on contributions from the city, county, state, and the Greenville Arena District.

Fox mentioned the possibility of asking for Greenville County hospitality tax and state legislature funds. Beth Paul, an accountant by trade, could not provide a status on the amount of money raised for the project thus far, but GAD stakeholders hope to begin improvements by 2026 or early 2027.

“The outcome is a plan that harmonizes innovation with fiscal responsibility,” Paul said. “We will continue to seek input and refine our plans as we move forward.”

As regional upgrades to the BJCC Arena in Alabama (2021), the newly built Enmarket Arena in Georgia (2022), and a $1 billion development into the Lenvo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina have recently been announced, the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, which opened in 1998, hopes to similarly usher in a new era of entertainment in downtown Greenville.

More: Entertainment venues and events to look forward to in 2025 in Greenville, the Upstate

– A.J. Jackson covers business, the food & dining scene and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Bon Secours Wellness Arena renovation includes amphitheater, concourse