JAY KING // July 3, 2024
For some, luxury living equates to over-the-top ostentation.
But for Greenville-based Keene Development Group, luxury starts with attention to detail and designing to the highest standards of quality and aesthetics.
Founder and principal Kyle Keene said the goal is to ensure every project the company undertakes is top of class in terms of quality, both in design and execution.
The company’s inaugural project in Greenville — 20 luxury townhomes known as The McDaniel — is representative of the type of project Keene aims to create in his hometown as Greenville continues to grow and refine its urban landscape. A second development is expected to begin construction in the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood this year.
Building for the ages
Keene said The McDaniel is inspired in part by the iconic townhomes of New York’s Upper East Side where he lived for several years as he was getting his start in real estate development.
In particular, Keene said the limestone facades of many of those homes conveyed the sense of quality and durability that The McDaniel seeks to replicate.
“There’s something about the limestone — it could be a brand-new building or the building could be 100 years old; it makes people stop and look,” Keene said.
He added that eye-catching distinctiveness that separates an ordinary building from one that comes to be regarded as a landmark is what The McDaniel is meant to become.
Keene said that although the pool of buyers for this type of luxury home is relatively small, the robust interest in The McDaniel proves there is demand both from homegrown buyers and from the steady influx of new residents from all over the country.
“We’ve really filled a gap with that,” he said. “It’s a thin market pool, but we’re really the only ones participating in it right now.”
Keene’s second project aspires to the same aesthetic and quality standards but also draws inspiration from its location in the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood.
Biltmore Walk will bring 44 luxury townhomes to the corner of Pearl Avenue and Biltmore Drive in one of Greenville’s historic special-emphasis neighborhoods.
While the units’ exteriors will incorporate limestone for the same timeless look as that of The McDaniel, Biltmore Walk will also use brick in keeping with the Federal/Georgian designs of many structures in the surrounding neighborhood, Keene said.
A groundbreaking event for the Haynie-Sirrine project is scheduled for July with construction expected to begin in August or September.
Keene Development Group values location
Greenville is changing rapidly, and the rapid influx of new residents is driving development of all types, but Keene said the city’s new development code and considered approach to infill development are driving the city’s evolution into a vibrant, more cosmopolitan urban center.
This has created opportunities for projects such as The McDaniel and Biltmore Walk to take advantage of being relatively proximate to the bustling city center while also feeling like a refuge from it, he said.
With a name inspired by its location at the corner of East McBee and McDaniel avenues, The McDaniel borders a trio of Greenville’s most popular amenities — Cleveland Park, the Greenville Zoo and the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail.
The location is not an accident, but Keene said he was surprised by the universal interest of prospective buyers in the property’s access to the trail.
“It’s a major amenity that we really didn’t plan for,” he said.
Biltmore Walk will be adjacent to Sirrine Stadium and within walking distance of the sprawling $1 billion University Ridge mixed use development rising on the site of the old county administrative offices.
Greenville has expended considerable effort to produce a more walkable community through strategic planning and its new development code, and Keene said this smart approach to urban development is one of the key factors driving the area’s growth.
He added the city has grown significantly in the past decade and yet has been able to retain its charm and welcoming culture.
“Not many places have been able to do that,” he said.
Keene Development Group project fast facts
Phase one of The McDaniel involving 20 townhomes broke ground in November 2023, with construction expected to last about 20 months.
Biltmore Walk in the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood, involving 44 townhomes, is expected to break ground in July with construction following in August or September.
Units in both projects will offer a variety of floor plans with high-end finishes, amenities and appliances.
Article Courtesy of Upstate Business Journal
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