Mayor wants affordable housing in $1B Greenville project

This rendering shows the 37.4-acre redevelopment of Greenville County Square. (Photo: ROCAPOINTE PARTNERS)

This rendering shows the 37.4-acre redevelopment of Greenville County Square. (Photo: ROCAPOINTE PARTNERS)

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — The mayor of Greenville says affordable housing must be included in a $1 billion redevelopment project near the city’s trendy downtown area.

Mayor Knox White told a meeting last week he considers affordable housing to be “non-negotiable.”

Greenville’s city center is considered a model for revitalization, and officials are looking at a proposal to spend $1 billion on a redevelopment project within walking distance of the area.

The Greenville News reports as many as 1,500 apartments would be built under the current plan, and White says that must include a mix of housing types.

The area that’s being redeveloped doesn’t currently include housing, but it’s beside one of the city’s oldest African American communities. Rising home prices are raising concerns about what will happen to area residents.