Going back to the way we once were
Jelks/Little designing a new, small town from the ground up
05/13/2007
Jelks/Little designing a new, small town from the ground up Published: Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 2:00 am By Nicole D. Jordan Upstate Homes Writer At a crossroads in southern Greenville County, a new development with the appearance of a small town is taking shape. Located at West Georgia Road and Fork Shoals Road in Simpsonville, Griffin Park, developed by Jelks/ Little LLC, encompasses 295 acres of residential land and 26 acres of commercial land. "It's a small town," Joe Jelks said. "We are literally in the beginning stages of developing a community that will have over a thousand homes, with acres and acres of parks and a town center with its own main street." Griffin Park is being developed with many types of homebuyers in mind. "Our target audience includes young singles, young couples, empty-nesters, retirees and families," said Bryan Little, Jelks' partner. To meet the needs of a diverse market, Griffin Park will have 150 townhomes, some of which will begin construction in June, in addition to more than 900 single-family homes. "Much of the inspiration for the homes now under construction came from the Upstate as well as the Lowcountry," Jelks said. Most of the homes will be either brick or HardiPlank. There will be a mix of garages and landscaped parking pads, with many homes being accessed by an alley. "The interiors of many of the homes in Griffin Park will have features similar to those you would find in some of the most expensive homes in Greenville," Jelks said. Many interiors will have granite countertops, hardwood flooring, state-of-the-art appliances and 10-foot ceilings on the first floor, Jelks said. Little added that the homes will be pulled closer to the front of the lots to create a small-town feel. Plus there will be five-foot sidewalks on most streets. Currently, each member of the Griffin Park Approved Builder Group is building two homes. These initial 12 homes are on target to be completed for an October grand opening. "We have encouraged the builders to build a mix of homes to meet the needs of each of our five target markets," said Nick Bowman, with Jelks/Little LLC. These first 12 homes will range in price from the mid-$200,000s to the mid-$600,000s. Jelks said that homes will vary from one story to three stories. He also said that he could see homes ranging from 600 square feet all the way up to 5,000 square feet. There are no minimum square footage requirements. Buyers have three years to begin building, and plans must be submitted to the Griffin Park Architectural Review Committee for approval. "We want people to build compatible homes," Jelks said. "As long as they're architecturally compatible, you don't notice one is small or one is big. You just notice it's beautiful." Griffin Park will also include several parks, playgrounds, a junior Olympic pool and a community building complete with a café ˇnd a common postal facility. "Griffin Park is all about gathering places," Jelks said. The main street will offer residents access to such businesses as a grocery store, banks, doctor's offices and restaurants. "Businesses you would see located in a small town," Jelks said. For the recreation minded, in addition to parks, the community includes 4,000 feet along the Reedy River, which Jelks said is the "crown jewel of Griffin Park" and will be accessible by trails. "We believe we have one of the prettiest stretches of the Reedy in Greenville," he said. "We see our park system meaning as much to the residents of Griffin Park as Cleveland Park did to Greenville years ago." The community offers access to Interstate 385, the Southern Connector and U.S. Highway 25. "Our goal is to create a community where when you get home from work, you park your car and begin enjoying life," Jelks said. The Griffin Park team has carefully planned every detail and aspect of this community. "We want to give the residents of Griffin Park a fantastic quality of life," Little said. "As a Greenville native, it's nice to see that we've come full circle back to the quaint, smalltown atmosphere we once had," said Sheila Smalley, sales representative for Griffin Park.
These materials are intended to provide general information about certain proposed plans of Griffin Park. These materials, and all photos, renderings, plans, prices, land uses, improvements and amenities depicted or described herein, are conceptual in nature and subject to change or cancellation (in whole or in part) without notice. These materials do not constitute an offer or solicitation of any kind, nor are they intended to be an offer to sell or lease property. Void where prohibited by law. No Governmental agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.