Three weeks after announcing that Greenville's professional soccer teams will finally have a home stadium at BridgeWay Station in Mauldin, developers have asked Greenville's County Council to assist with the project by chipping in $14 million.
Joe Erwin, chairman of the Greenville Triumph and Liberty, joined Heath Dillard of VisitGreenvilleSC and Mauldin Mayor Terry Merritt to make a case to Greenville County Council's finance committee in favor of the funding. Stadium developers requested the $14 million from Greenville's hospitality tax (H tax), which is a 2% tax on prepared food and beverages in unincorporated areas of the county. For the 2023 fiscal year, Greenville County netted $12,200,076 from the hospitality tax fund.
"Last time we were here, two years ago, we got shot down. We were trying to get $20 million," Erwin said. "We're coming back, we're asking for less, we're putting in more. We think it's a win-win for the people of Greenville County."
So far, they've received $45 million in private capital, Erwin said.
Two years ago, owners of the club attempted to build a stadium at BridgeWay Station, but the majority of the finance committee voted against the investment at the time. The estimated cost for the stadium was $39 million.
This time around, the stadium will cost a minimum of $60 million, but developers would prefer to spend $80 million, Erwin said. That's because putting more in upfront will be better for long-term revenue, developers said.
What are those upgrades that will make the stadium pricier?
One example is infrastructure for concerts, Erwin said. For about $4.25 million, developers could add permanent stage canopy and rigging, along with show power, plumbing, and mechanical and electrical components that would make it easier to perform at the stadium. Erwin also cited enclosed suites, which are mandated by certain conferences to accommodate corporate support and auxiliary locker rooms.
Adding these elements would make the building more profitable, said Heath Dillard, president and CEO of VisitGreenvilleSC. He and the other presenting developers repeatedly claimed they wanted to make the building "sweat."
"The note I have here says 'We need to make the building sweat,' and for those in the event businesses, soccer only comprises 20 to 25 dates of the year. There's 365 days that we want to operate this building, and it needs certain amenities in order to do that," Dillard said.
Erwin also said they'd like to spend $2 million on a stadium club, again for corporate accommodations. He'd also like to see a heavy-duty grass protection system for the field, which he hopes will be either real grass or a 95% hybrid. The system Erwin and developers are looking at is 5-7% synthetic turf. The roots of the natural grass wrap around the synthetic turf, Erwin said, which makes for stronger grass that athletes can play on all 12 months of the year.
"What we finish up with is a publicly owned, multipurpose stadium, but one in which you've got a private partner in a public-private partnership that is putting in about 70% of the overall funding, and it's managed by local people," Erwin said.
If the county agrees to the funding request and the developers spend the minimum $60 million on the stadium, the county will fund about 23% of the project. If developers spend $80 million, the county would fund about 17.5%.
Most of the funding will come from Greenville Pro Soccer, along with $10 million from the State of South Carolina and $4 million from the City of Mauldin, also from their accommodations and hospitality tax funds.
Mauldin Mayor Terry Merritt said that as Mauldin continues to experience rapid growth - the city is expected to grow to 35,000 residents by 2030 - this type of investment will put the city on the map.
"I believe this project will be an absolute game changer for the city of Mauldin and the entire Upstate region, and I believe this impact will extend throughout South Carolina and beyond," Merritt said.
Erwin added that he thinks the stadium will generate $300 million within the first 10 years of being open.
The committee used the presentation Monday night for information purposes rather than to vote on the next steps. The last time developers attempted the stadium, the finance committee voted against the development.