honor tower

A rendering shows Greenville's planned Honor Tower in Unity Park. City of Greenville/Provided

GREENVILLE — Construction on a 10-story observation tower that will serve as a centerpiece for Greenville's Unity Park is expected to begin this summer with completion set for 2024. 

The city announced during a March 21 event that the plaza surrounding the tower will be named for Philip Carlton, a Greenville businessman who died in 2016. His family donated $500,000 to the project.

David McInnis, Carlton's son-in-law, said Carlton was a longtime supporter of local law enforcement throughout Greenville County and that it was fitting his name be associated with a landmark honoring their service. 

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"Phil set out to make sure law enforcement had the equipment that they needed and that their families, God forbid if tragedy struck, were taken care of," McInnis said.

Hughes Agency Senior Account Director Bill Fox said work on the tower is expected to begin in August and would last 12 to 14 months. The city contracted the Hughes Agency to assist in the fundraising effort and announced in December it had reached its $5.5 million goal. The tower will cost a projected $11 million, half of which is coming from private donations.

The tower will reach 125 feet into the air in a spiral design from the south side of the Reedy River, offering views of the Blue Ridge mountains and Greenville's skyline. It will act as a focal point of the 60-acre park. A curved walkway and plaza will surround its base.

honor tower announcement

David McInnis speaks at an event announcing that the plaza surrounding Honor Tower in Unity Park will be named for his late father-in-law Philip Carlton. Conor Hughes/Staff

The city has named the coming landmark the Thomas and Vivian A. Wong Honor Tower. The Wong family donated $1 million to the project, which is dedicated to police, first responders and military service members. 

City officials have said the project will be to Unity Park what Liberty Bridge has been to Falls Park. The pedestrian bridge over the Reedy River has become an icon for the city.

During the March 21 event, Hughes Agency owner Velda Hughes said the next major milestone for the park will be the ribbon-cutting on 8 acres of wetlands on the northern perimeter of the site. That event is scheduled for May 17. It will include a network of boardwalks and an outdoor classroom.

"The wetlands are going to be so fun, so pretty," Hughes said. 

Unity Park officially opened in the spring of 2022. Hughes stressed that its current offerings — including the open greens, the playground, and the splash pad — were only the first phase. In addition to the tower and wetlands, a baseball stadium is still in the works.

"We have so much more coming," Hughes said. 

Follow Conor Hughes on Twitter at @ConorJHughes or reach him on his email at chughes@postandcourier.com.

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