The former Allen Bennett Memorial campus has been cleared and put on the market for a minimum of $2 million.
Jim Fair
This is the front of the former Allen Bennett Hospital before it was razed.
Request for proposals for the acquisition and development of the approximately 9.74 acres located on Wade Hampton Boulevard was approved by City Council Tuesday night.
The city’s intent is to sell the property to a developer who can design and develop the property for a use that is compatible with the surrounding commercial area and neighborhood, according to Reno Deaton, Executive Director of Greer Development Corp.
“The land has been stripped and the City of Greer has done a great job putting it into a marketable position,” Deaton said. “Now we go out into the world and see who might have ideas on how to use it and develop it based upon the objectives and goals and perspectives.”
The site is zoned C-3 for highway commercial.
“There are some things what we want happen on the site and the expressed preference is for retail, hospitality and office,” Deaton said.
The city’s goals Deaton mentioned are:
• Return the site to the City tax rolls through acquisition by a real-property tax-paying person or entity.
• Non-profit organizations bids will not be accepted.
• Redevelop the site in a manner that complements the City of Greer, Wade Hampton corridor and neighborhoods adjacent to the site.
• Create new jobs for the community.
Deaton said the marketing campaign, “Will make sure we reach out as far and wide as possible.
“We will certainly look at things like International Council of Shopping Centers so we market it beyond the immediate market area,” Deaton said.
Each proposal will be evaluated on a 100-point system based on developers creating successful projects of a similar scope, strength of developer to finance, market, manage and package the projects to enhance future development of surrounding areas and residential neighborhoods, the readiness and ability to proceed on the project with prescribed deadlines, purchase price and creation of new jobs for the community.
The property has had a troubled past since the Greenville Hospital System gifted the Allen Bennett campus to the City of Greer in September 2010. Three months later Cardinal Real Estate Group, a Maryland-based company, purchased the property from the City of Greer for $1.4 million.
Cardinal announced plans at the impromptu December press conference to invest $14.2 million in the facility for a government call center and senior living center with both projects creating a total of 150 new jobs. Cardinal defaulted on the $1.4 million owned to the City of Greer and the next four years were spent with the city regaining ownership of the property, prospective offers being inadequate and the property eventually being razed and underground storage tanks removed to prepare for commercial and retail use.