After five or six years of work, Rock Hill's Southside has a new place to live.
Charlotte-based Fitch Irick Corporation has opened Edgewood Place, a 216-home affordable apartment community at 1547 Caprine Court, a few minutes from downtown Rock Hill. The company announced the opening in mid-September, and city leaders and residents marked the milestone this month.
The community offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for households earning up to 60% of the area median income.
How many units?
Early coverage left some readers with two different numbers. WCNC's story on the opening listed 126 units in its summary line, but the same story quoted Fitch Irick vice president Andera Gonzalez putting the count at 216. The developer's own announcement and its project page both say 216, so that's the figure we're using.
According to Fitch Irick's project page, the homes are spread across 15 buildings on a roughly 20-acre tract, a mix of quadplexes and two- and three-story garden-style apartment buildings. The site includes open space and wooded areas.
"Edgewood Place is about more than adding 216 apartments. It is about creating 216 opportunities for individuals and families to have a beautiful, comfortable home they can afford," Fitch Irick Chief Operating Officer Adi Adair said in the announcement.
Inside, residents get modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances, luxury vinyl plank flooring, private patios or balconies, washer and dryer connections and extra storage. Shared amenities include a fitness center, business center, community gathering spaces and playgrounds.
Paying for it
Edgewood Place leaned on tax credit money, as most affordable communities do. It was financed in part through federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by SC Housing. Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments served as the syndicator for those credits, Bank of America provided the equity investment and construction financing, and PGIM arranged permanent financing from Fannie Mae, according to the company.
The company says the need was clear when it started. A 2021 market study done during planning found that 42% of area renter households were spending at least 35% of their income on housing and that the rental market was about 99% occupied. The study identified nearly 4,800 income-qualified renter households and found little new affordable construction over the previous decade, with most existing affordable communities offering only basic finishes and few amenities.
"I think affordable housing is the lifeblood of the community," Gonzalez told WCNC. "Being able to keep people in the community they grew up in and plugged in an area that's been so meaningful to so many people for generations."
Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys said the project has been a long time coming. "It's taken five, six years to get to this point to see this development," he said. "And better housing for more of our people."
For resident Tiara Jene-Mendiola, finding housing her family could afford was the main thing. She told WCNC that one of her children has a disability and her husband has to stay home.
The opening comes at a hard time for the Southside. The neighborhood recently lost a community garden and a pay-what-you-can fresh produce store, and some residents are still recovering from a hailstorm that damaged homes several years ago. Gettys said he hopes the opening builds confidence in future projects in the area.
The company says the community has limited availability left. No general contractor was named in the announcement.
Why it matters for Contractors
A 216-unit, 15-building garden-style community on 20 acres is a big job by any measure, and it shows the kind of affordable housing work that tax credits keep moving in South Carolina. Projects like this call for site work and utilities across a large tract, foundations, framing, roofing, exterior work, MEP, and a long, repetitive run of interior finishes like flooring, cabinets and appliances. That repetition is good, steady work for subcontractors who can keep crews moving building to building. The financing stack here, with SC Housing tax credits, a bank construction loan and Fannie Mae permanent debt, is typical for these deals. Contractors who want this kind of work should get comfortable with tax credit paperwork, cost certification and inspection schedules. With the mayor saying he hopes Edgewood Place builds confidence in future Southside projects, Rock Hill could see more of this kind of work.