Greenville City Council received an update on three affordable housing projects awarded low-income housing tax credits during a work session on Nov. 11.
The low-income housing tax credit program provides tax credits to developers who create affordable housing. Bryan Brown, CEO of the Greenville Housing Fund, said the program partially finances 90% of all new affordable housing construction in the U.S.
Southernside Senior Living, a $32 million affordable housing development near Unity Park, was awarded a 9% federal low-income housing tax credit. The Greenville Housing Fund is partnering with Harmony Housing Affordable Development to develop the project.
Construction is set to begin in 2025. The development will consist of 147 rental units for seniors earning 20% to 60% of the area median income. Phase one will include 93 units. Fifty-five project-based vouchers will be available for households earning below 30% AMI.
The Alliance, a $38 million mixed-use development in Greenville, received both a federal and state low-income housing tax credit. The project is being developed by NHE, a Greenville-based property management company.
Located at the corner of Laurens and Ackley roads, the project will consist of two, four-story buildings with 100 affordable units, serving households earning below 60% of the AMI. Taylor Davis, president of NHE, said construction is hoped to begin in the second quarter of 2025 and take around 20 months to complete.
The final project in Greenville to receive a 9% federal low-income housing tax credit was the Greenville Summit, an existing affordable housing building for seniors in downtown Greenville. The property owner, JE Properties, plans to complete a rehabilitation project for the 100-year-old building.
The project will include renovating the residential units, replacing old pipes, upgrading the building’s facade, installing a new elevator and more. Joseph Eddy, president of JE Properties, said renovations should be underway by May.
JE Properties also plans to build an eight-story addition next to the Greenville Summit to add more affordable senior housing apartments. The property owner applied for an additional LIHTC, however, it was not awarded to the project.
Read more about local affordable housing projects
Initial approval: Funding for Southernside and Viola Multi-Service Centers
The city of Greenville plans to rebuild the Southernside Multi-Service Center and the Viola Multi-Service Center. Both buildings will be demolished to construct two new facilities to use for community gatherings, afterschool programs and more.
The cost to construct and furnish the multi-service centers is estimated to be $2.4 million. Approximately $858,057 in funding has previously been allocated to both projects.
Council gave initial approval during its Nov. 11 meeting to appropriate $1.57 million from the capital projects fund to cover the remaining cost of reconstructing both multi-service centers. This funding was collected from the former Viola Tax Increment Financing fund which ended in 2022.
JonScot General Contractors was awarded the contract to rebuild the Southernside Multi-Service Center in October. According to the city, construction of the new center is expected to start in early 2025. The Viola Multi-Service Center will soon go out to bid for a contractor to complete the project.
Update: Debris pickup in Greenville
Greenville City Manager Shannon Lavrin announced that more than 327,445 cubic yards of vegetative waste – over 6,000 loads – have been picked up within the city due to Hurricane Helene. Over 88,185 cubic yards have been ground and shipped to a mulch processor.
The second pass of debris pickup is currently ongoing throughout the city. This is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving. The collections of larger stumps will also begin this week.
The city’s debris pickup contractor, Crowder Gulf, will begin the final pass on Monday, Dec. 9. All debris in need of pickup must be on the curb by that day.
Read more about the city’s debris pickup
Additional items
- Council postponed the vote on the annexation and zoning of approximately 1.85 acres of property on Guess, Orr and Seth streets. The site is proposed to be zoned RN-C, Neighborhood C District, to allow for the development of 11 to 13 townhomes.
- Council gave initial approval of an amendment to the city’s business license ordinance that would allow the city manager to appoint a hearing officer. This individual would be responsible for hearing appeals of business license denials and suspensions.
- Council approved the final reading on an ordinance to temporarily suspend the requirement for a certificate of appropriateness to help expedite the process for property owners to receive a permit for building repairs after Hurricane Helene.
