Alice Company sells Arial plant for redevelopment into mixed-use property, bringing new housing and jobs to Pickens County
January 26, 2022
Legacy textile mill at the heart of former Arial Mill Village to be converted to lofted apartments along Pickens County’s Doodle Trail
GREENVILLE, SC – Alice Company, the diversified holdings firm in Greenville formerly known as Alice Manufacturing Company, is pleased to announce the sale of its Arial plant in Pickens County to a joint venture led by Farpoint Development for conversion to a mixed-use property.
The plant, which was constructed in 1929 at the foot of Arial Mountain and on the main line of the Pickens railroad, expanded Alice Manufacturing Company’s operations and became the heart of a new mill community called Arial Mill Village. The Arial Mill served Alice Manufacturing for 85 years, 75 years as a textile mill and 10 years as a distribution center. The mill employed thousands of Pickens County residents over the decades, with peak employment of approximately 400 associates.
“We are so happy to know that Arial will be restored, with a new purpose that fits today’s growing needs of Pickens County,” said Alice Company president and CEO Smyth McKissick. “Farpoint Development and their partners have a proven track record in adaptive reuse, and we’re excited to see what they will do with Arial. That, along with their desire to contribute to the growth of Pickens County, makes them an ideal new owner of this property.”
Farpoint Development is a Chicago and Asheville-based developer that specializes in innovative real estate development and is driven by unique opportunities. Their joint venture partners in the property are Annenberg Investments and Baum Revision.
“We are excited at the opportunity to own and redevelop such a unique asset that is so integral to the Arial community,” said Justin Patwin, managing director at Farpoint Development. “We are especially thankful to the McKissick family for being great stewards of this asset for so many years and working with our team to gracefully transition ownership to support the mill’s next chapter asa mixed-use development.”
Farpoint Development is working with Pickens County and South Carolina state officials to ensure the historical integrity of the textile mill’s original structure will be maintained while being adapted to lofted apartments. Plans for the remainder of the Arial campus will be finalized over the coming months.
