LiveWell Terrace aims to expand housing options

Beaufort Memorial and Woda Cooper Companies have broken ground on LiveWell Terrace, a 120-unit affordable housing development planned for Bluffton.

The $39 million project, located along Buckwalter Parkway, is expected to expand workforce housing in southern Beaufort County while also increasing access to healthcare through planned medical office space.

LiveWell Terrace will be built on 6.9 acres of land provided by Beaufort Memorial. The development will include 30 one-bedroom units, 60 two-bedroom units and 30 three-bedroom units.

Monthly rents are expected to range from $700 to $1,725. Planned amenities include a business center, fitness facility, playground and community park. The units will be open to eligible renters whose household income generally falls between 40% and 80% of Area Median Income.

Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley said the project is designed to address two major challenges in the Lowcountry: housing affordability and access to healthcare.

“The Lowcountry’s rapid growth is driving unprecedented demand for both healthcare services and the workforce needed to provide them, while simultaneously intensifying the region’s housing challenges,” Baxley said.

He said partnerships like the one between Beaufort Memorial and Woda Cooper are key to meeting those needs.

Victoria Smalls, the Town of Bluffton’s affordable housing director, said the project will add much-needed housing options in a market where affordable rentals remain limited.

“This project is another key piece in tackling the housing crisis in our region,” Smalls said. “This is a close-knit community, and we are thrilled to see quality affordable housing like this become available in our market.”

In addition to housing, the development will include medical office space aimed at expanding access to primary care services in southern Beaufort County.

The project was made possible in part through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority.

Robert MacDonald, executive director of SC Housing, said “Every investment in housing drives our state forward, so it’s thrilling to see a new construction project like LiveWell Terrace come to life and welcome new residents.”

Construction is now underway, with LiveWell Terrace expected to add 120 affordable housing units in Bluffton as demand for workforce housing continues to grow.