NEWS

What's up with the demolition of The Greenville News site?

Eric Connor
econnor@greenvillenews.com

The expansive changes coming to The Greenville News site have been more construction than destruction over the past year as the media organization's new building rises from the ground — but that dynamic is changing and will continue with the most-prominent demolition to date starting today.

The Main Street storefront that had been Liz Daly Designs for many years has been demolished as part of the Camperdown development on Tuesday.

The old building known most recently as the former home of Liz Daly Designs has been torn down in preparation for the next phase of the Camperdown project, which will dramatically transform the corner of Main and Broad and downtown overall.

The companion building next door will be torn down this week — but it will be at least three months before demolition begins in earnest on the main News office building.

That most-prominent destruction won't occur any earlier than Feb. 6, which is when news operations are expected to be completely moved into the new offices at the corner of East Broad and Falls streets, says Stan Lawson, project manager for Trehel Corp., which is handling construction of the new office building.

The Main Street storefront that had been Liz Daly Designs for many years has been demolished as part of the Camperdown development on Tuesday.

The move will free up contractors to demolish the main office building, he said.

On the back end of the property, near the Bowater garage, demolition is under way around the News' former production facility.

The demolition will make way for the Camperdown project, which will include The News' office, a 150-room hotel, 240-unit apartment complex and a 12-story office and condo building overlooking the Reedy River.

In the center will be a plaza open to the public.

The hotel will be built where the main News office building has stood since it was built in 1969 as a prime example of the Brutalist architectural style of the time.

Just before Christmas 2015, The News' parent company, Gannett Co., closed the $13.25 million sale of the 4-acre property, one of the most-prime pieces of real estate in downtown Greenville.

The two older buildings weren't owned by The News and were sold later in the development process by private owners who had held out selling.

Demolition begins on two old buildings near The Greenville News site, which will become Camperdown.

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