Judson Mill wins AIA Greenville 2025 Honor Award

AIA Greenville selected Judson Mill for the prestigious 2025 Honor Award in Adaptive Reuse/Historic Preservation in recognition of professional excellence in design and construction.

The project brought a new vision and use for the disused 800,000-square-foot mill. The jury said the 10-year project, comprised of four phases and 30 individual renovations, demonstrated both vision and technical expertise, according to a news release.

The project aligns with the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, being carefully scaled, contextually aware, and transformative in its impact, the release said.

Judson Mill earlier received the Max Heller Neighborhood Improvement Award from the Greenville Chamber and the AIA South Carolina Merit Award.

The Honor Award, the highest recognition an AIA chapter can bestow on a project, recognizes Judson Mill’s role in revitalizing a historically distressed neighborhood in Greenville County through a comprehensive redevelopment that has invested more than $160 million into the community.

Once the largest textile mill in Greenville County, Judson Mill’s rebirth into a mixed-use destination was spearheaded by Belmont Sayre with Taft Family Ventures.

“It’s been a tremendous journey,” Project Manager Anthony Tiberia, principal at McMillan Pazdan Smith, the architect of record for the project, said in the release.  “I’m thankful to everyone who touched this project, and grateful that we got to be a part of something this impactful to our local community.”

Construction was completed by Triangle Construction Co., PR 3, and Caldwell Construction during various phases. SeamonWhiteside (civil), Britt Peters and Associates (structural) and Crenshaw Consulting Engineers (MEP) were involved for the project’s duration.

“We couldn’t be more honored,” Ken Reiter, co-developer of Judson Mill District and president of Belmont Sayre, said in the release. “This award represents years of dedication, creative problem-solving, and true partnership. To see Judson Mill recognized at this level is incredibly meaningful, and I’m grateful to Taft Family Ventures and our partners who contributed to bringing new life to such an important piece of our community’s history.”

Judson Mill District is now home to office, restaurant, retail, entertainment and residential spaces. In 2019, Taft Family Ventures, a real estate investment and development firm based in Greenville, N.C., joined with Belmont Sayre, a privately held real estate investment and development company based in Chapel Hill, N.C., to transform the historic mill that closed in 2015.