(Photo rendering of proposed new Bon Secours Wellness Arena entrance courtesy of Greenville Arena District Board, LS3P, LMN, and Gensler.)

Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena has hosted more than 3,000 events and brought in 12 million guests since it opened in 1998.

While there have been some cosmetic changes over the decades, the arena still looks much as it did on opening day nearly 27 years ago.

That may be changing, as the Greenville Arena District (GAD) unveiled a plan for a major renovation that would completely change the look of the arena, while adding a 6,500-seat amphitheater to the downtown footprint.

The new master plan, developed by the architecture firms LS3P, LMN, and Gensler, and  $150 million to $170 million estimated for arena construction, was presented at a Greenville Arena District meeting on Thursday, April 17.

Among the proposed changes to the 12-acre site:

* A newly designed exterior that would face west, where the current VIP entrance is located on Church Street, changing from the present entrance at the corner of North Academy and East North streets.

* An expanded concourse, with enlarged restrooms and additional concession offerings. The larger concourse would provide additional entrances and new premium seat offerings.

* A 6,500-seat amphitheater that would also feature green spaces and mixed-use restaurant and retail spaces. Having an amphitheater in downtown Greenville could add around 30 events to the entertainment calendar each year, said Beth Paul, the arena’s general manager.

The amphitheater is projected to generate an estimated $63 million each year in economic impact, further solidifying the arena’s role as a key driver of Greenville’s economy.

“Our charge to the design team was to give us a road map for the plan to best position the arena for future success and relevance,” Paul said.

If approved, the project would take between two and 2½ years to complete, with minimal disruptions to the events calendar, Paul said.

“Our goal is to remain open throughout the entire construction project, with no long-term or significant shutdowns,” she said.

The renovations would not add to the current 15,500-seat capacity of the venue, Paul said.

During the design process for the proposal, arena officials met with stakeholders and families from the Little Texas community, which was located where the arena now sits, to get input, said Greenville Arena District Board Chair Neetu Patel.

"This is our opportunity to build on the legacy of those who came before us-from the families of Little Texas to the visionaries who constructed Memorial Auditorium and the business and community leaders who created this arena 25 years ago," Patel said.

Patel added, "The master plan we are presenting today is about updating a building and protecting a vital community asset for the next 25 years and beyond."

The next phase of the master planning process will involve further development of the designs, refinement of cost estimates, exploration of funding strategies, and ongoing engagement with stakeholders.

GAD officials aim to finalize the plan by the end of the year, intending to begin the most critical arena improvements in 2026 or early 2027.

 

TD Charitable Foundation, the giving arm of TD Bank, announced $7.2 million awarded to 36 nonprofits across the bank's Maine to Florida footprint and in Michigan through the 19th annual Housing for Everyone grant program.

Each $200,000 grant will support solutions for low- to moderate-income (LMI) homeowners struggling to maintain homeownership.

Officials say many households in LMI communities face significant challenges that threaten their ability to sustain homeownership, including rising property taxes, increasing home repair costs, and risk of foreclosure.

To help address these issues, TD selected grant recipients focused on programs such as those that provide post-purchase homeownership support, foreclosure counseling, financial assistance funds (when accompanied by post-purchase counseling), essential repairs, energy efficiency improvements, legal assistance, and/or property tax relief programs.

"Amid rising housing costs, these organizations play a vital role in supporting homeowners in communities across TD's footprint to afford critical repairs, avoid foreclosure, correct tangled titles, and so much more," said Paige Carlson-Heim, director of the TD Charitable Foundation.

Carlson-Heim added, “By supporting these nonprofits, we hope to help mitigate the threat of home loss while ensuring homeowners have the resources and resilience they need to sustain long-term homeownership."

In Greenville, South Carolina, the Greenville Housing Fund was awarded $200,000.

According to TD Bank, the grant will support GHF's Homeownership Preservation Program (HOPP), which is designed to enable long-time homeowners in Greenville's majority-minority special emphasis neighborhoods, many of which are swiftly gentrifying, to remain owner-occupants, through provision of critical repairs and upgrades. 

HOPP 2.0 is an expansion of this successful program, adding elements of wraparound support to address financial, legal, and community challenges facing these mostly very low-income elderly female homeowners.

Since its inception in 2005, Housing for Everyone has provided more than $63 million to help more than 620 affordable housing initiatives in the U.S. communities TD serves from Maine to Florida and in the Detroit metro area.

 

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) will hold its annual shareholders meeting online on Thursday, May 1, at 1 p.m. ET.

Duke Energy President and CEO Harry Sideris will provide an overview of the company's 2024 performance and energy modernization progress to meet growing demand and continue delivering value for stakeholders.  

Shareholders will be able to participate in the meeting, vote on company and shareholder proposals, and submit questions.

Company officials said questions will be answered either during the meeting or afterward through a web posting.

Information about how shareholders can access the meeting online or by phone is available in Duke Energy's proxy statement. 

Google Chrome is the recommended browser for online access.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of America's largest energy holding companies.

The company's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity.

Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that proper tax withholding now is key to avoiding surprises when they file their tax return next year.

IRS officials say making any needed adjustments earlier in the year means taxpayers won’t have to make a big change later in the year to catch up. 

The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator is a free online tool that helps workers, independent contractors and retirees determine if they are having the right amount of federal income tax withheld from their paychecks.

IRS officials say using it can prevent taxpayers from having an unexpectedly large tax bill or a substantial refund when they file in 2026. 

Taxes are pay-as-you-go, which means that taxpayers need to pay their tax as they receive their income. They do this through withholding. 

For employees, “withholding” refers to the federal income tax portion of each paycheck that an employer takes out for tax purposes. It can also mean the amount from earnings that self-employed people and others voluntarily set aside to pay their estimated taxes. 

After using the Tax Withholding Estimator, taxpayers can determine if they need to submit an updated Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, to their employer or adjust the amount they voluntarily set aside for tax purposes. By adjusting tax withholding, individuals can: 

*Prevent owing money and potential penalties at tax time.

*Adjust withholdings to increase take-home pay instead of waiting for a refund. 

By using this tool once a year, taxpayers can manage their estimates based on any personal life change, such as buying a home, changing jobs, having a child or changing their marital status. 

For individuals who recently completed their 2024 tax return, the IRS advises them to use the Tax Withholding Estimator that considers all income sources such as full-time wages, side jobs and any sale of services or commodities typically reported on Form 1099-K. 

For an effective tax withholding estimate, the IRS recommends taxpayers gather certain documents including: 

* All income statements, including those of your spouse if filing jointly

* Data from other sources of earnings

* Their most recent income tax return.

Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, provides instructions for taxpayers with complex tax situations that are difficult to solve through the Tax Withholding Estimator.

These cases may involve taxpayers responsible for the alternative minimum tax or other taxes and those with long-term capital gains or qualified dividends. 

For more information on the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator, review the Tax Withholding Estimator FAQs at IRS.gov. 

 

Allow us to tell your company's Business Narrative. Send your press release to David Dykes or for more information email [email protected]