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GREENVILLE — The District 356 entertainment area in Greenville’s West End is now open next to Fluor Field.
The red-brick, pedestrian-friendly throughway sits between the baseball stadium, the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and the .408 Jackson luxury apartment complex. It connects Augusta Street to Vardry and South Markley streets. Inspired by Fenway Park’s Jersey Alley in Boston, the new amenity takes its name from the career batting average of Greenville native Shoeless Joe Jackson.
At an Aug. 10 opening ceremony, Greenville Drive owner Craig Brown said more amenities would soon be open at the ballpark, including the coming Bellwether restaurant on South Main Street in the storefront that previously housed Liberty Taproom. The new eatery, which will be on the opposite side of the stadium from the new event area, will be run by the creators of Greenville’s Urban Wren and offer a casual dining atmosphere. That is set to open in the coming months.
Construction of District 356 was partly funded by $2.5 million approved by City Council in early 2021, which followed a $15 million public investment in the renovation of the city-owned ballpark.
District 356, an entertainment area adjoining Flour Field, is now open in Greenville’s West End. Conor Hughes/Staff
While the plaza will offer a “carnival-like atmosphere” during the baseball season, as it did before the Drive’s Aug. 10 game against the Hudson Valley Renegades, Brown said it would remain active year-round.
“Right now, I’m standing at ground zero for fun for families, fun for all ages,” he said at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “District 356 will be jumping 365 days a year.”
In addition to transforming what was once Field Street into a pedestrian plaza, the Drive is also making improvements at the ballfield, such as new accommodations for coaches and umpires , better field lighting, upgraded clubhouse amenities and an additional hitting tunnel. Those changes fall in line with the requirements of the MLB, which took over the minor league system last year. Brown said construction on an expansion of the 500 Club, the team’s open air hospitality space, will begin next month.
During the ceremony, City Councilwoman Lillian Brock Flemming said the opening was a momentous occasion for the city.
“This is the beginning of a lot of things for our community,” she said. “Please come and enjoy this, because it’s for the community.”
Follow Conor Hughes on Twitter at @ConorJHughes.
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