GREENVILLE — The renderings hint at a combination of stone and brick, but also something far less tangible — a confluence of the modern and timeless. Because while the type of multi-story, luxury townhomes like those envisioned for the corner of Pearl Avenue and Biltmore Drive may be new to Greenville, they’ve long been a coveted residential standard in larger cities like New York. And indeed, it’s the brownstones of Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood that serve as design inspiration for Biltmore Walk, a 44-unit luxury townhome complex planned for a vacant lot south of downtown Greenville.
It’s one of two such projects being undertaken by developer Kyle Keene, also behind The McDaniel, a 30-unit complex off McBee Avenue whose limestone exteriors evoke the townhomes of Paris. Together, the two projects bring a type of sophisticated urban townhome design not typically seen in cities the size of Greenville. Plans for Biltmore Walk, for instance, call for three- and four-story units with brick and limestone exteriors, lush landscaping, fountains, walkways and green spaces.
Tom Marchant “A lot of what you see downtown, and have been seeing for the past maybe 10 years or so, has been a little bit more on the contemporary side — a vertical box with the complete top floor open as a rooftop,” said Tom Marchant of Marchant Bateman and Company, a Blackstream Christie’s affiliate, who is listing Biltmore Walk units along with partner Kendall Bateman. “And we wanted to do something different that really did kind of blend with a little bit more of a traditional flair.” Marchant and Bateman, whose Blackstream Christie’s team was formed about 18 months ago, brokered the Biltmore Walk project.
They bought the land near Sirrine Stadium, closing on it in January, and then presented the prospective development to Keene, whose McDaniel enterprise was already in the works. “When we saw the caliber of that project, we thought, well, this piece of property would be perfect for something like that. So he was an obvious go-to for us,” Marchant said.
“And they were beyond excited about the opportunity, because the location was just perfect for them.” Keene, a Greenville native and The Citadel graduate, spent 15 years as a developer in New York before returning in his 2020 to his hometown — which saw a huge influx of cash-rich transplants during the pandemic. Big-city design influences followed Keene back to Greenville, evident in the renderings of both The McDaniel and Biltmore Walk.
“The clientele in this market is really demanding something like that,” Marchant said. MHK Architecture of Greenville is the architectural partner on Biltmore Walk, while Ineo Builders of Greenville will handle construction. Horizontal development is projected to begin in October, Marchant said, with the first quarter of 2026 being the target date for the completion of the first units.
Many of the units will be four levels with two-car garages and private rooftop terraces, and each unit will have its own elevator. Prices for Biltmore Walk units will start at $1.6 million.
The first two listings hit the market on July 31 — a two-bedroom unit priced at $1.675 million, and a three-bedroom unit for $2.4 million.
“The location alone is incredible,” Marchant said. “It's tucked into a very well-established location, right on the edge of Alta Vista, close to downtown, and near everything that this new County Square project is going to bring. Location, as you know in real estate, is everything, and then just the actual structure itself is going to be amazing.
"We also wanted to have a lot of green space, and we’ve found that has really hit a button with buyers. Part of the Gramercy Park feel is this beautiful interior park a lot of the units will look onto.” Marchant said he expects that roughly half of Biltmore Walk buyers will come from within Greenville, and half will come from outside.
And while the size of the individual units can certainly accommodate families, buyers are more likely to be the age group that’s already fueling the condo and townhome market in downtown Greenville — empty-nesters ready to trade the suburban home for a more walkable lifestyle. “Just due to the nature of the beast, it’s probably going to appeal more to maybe somebody in my life stage — the empty-nester who wants an easier lifestyle with no yard to maintain, but still wants that amazing connectivity to downtown and the parks and walkability,” Marchant said. “Many of those are going to be local Greenville people who have been here many years, and are ready to move on from the big house but don't necessarily want to leave the neighborhood.
It's their neighborhood, they love it, and it's where they call home. "And this is a really amazing opportunity for them to resize into something with the convenience of an elevator, to be able to age in place, and have a new property rather than maintain an old home.” Greenville is a changing place, one that continues to attract new residents eager to experience its buzzy restaurant scene, wealth of outdoor recreational activities, and enviable quality of life.
If initial feedback is any indication, a sophisticated urban residential development like Biltmore Walk is aptly changing along with it. “We have been overwhelmed with the response so far,” Marchant said. “From the day we made our website live, it's been unbelievable the number of people who have requested more information about the project.
"Of course, not all of those people are going to end up being buyers. But there is a lot of demand for it.”.
