The bronze statue of longtime Southernside activist Lila Mae Brock stands at the Lila Mae Brock Plaza in Greenville, as builders finish the 93-unit Southernside East apartment complex rising around her namesake plaza in Greenville. The affordable senior housing project, one half of a two-development push near Unity Park, is on track to add all 93 units by the end of 2026.
According to a post from the City of Greenville
, the statue sits at the center of the Southernside East site, with buildings rising around it. City Council Member Lillian Brock Flemming, Brock's daughter, discussed intentional development and senior housing at the site.
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Honoring a Housing Advocate's Legacy
The City of Greenville dedicated the Lila Mae Brock Plaza and unveiled her statue in April 2022 at the corner of West Washington and Hudson streets, according to the Post and Courier. Brock worked as a school cafeteria worker while spending decades fighting neighborhood decay in Southernside, the paper reported. The neighborhood's history includes senior programs, community services, and Brockwood Senior Housing.
Southernside East carries a $24.5 million price tag, funded partly through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from SC Housing, according to the Greenville Housing Fund, the project's co-developer. The Greenville Housing Authority secured 55 project-based housing vouchers to guarantee deep affordability, with the complex set to serve residents 55 and older earning between 20% and 60% of the area median income, per the same organization. A portion of the project's land was donated by the City of Greenville, the housing fund noted.
Building Details and a Sister Project Nearby
Local architecture firm McMillan Pazdan Smith designed the two-building complex, which general contractor Creative Builders Inc. is constructing, according to South Carolina Construction News. The finished buildings will hold 63 one-bedroom units and 30 two-bedroom units, each with a balcony, plus a fitness center, a computer lab, and shared community gathering spaces, the outlet reported.
Southernside East's sister project, Southernside West, is rising a few blocks away at 846 West Washington Street. The $21.1 million, four-story development will add 54 senior affordable units, with 10% of those apartments specially reserved for people with disabilities, according to Greenville Housing Fund. Southernside West will serve households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income, a wider band than its neighboring project, per the same source.
Unity Park's Scaled-Back Affordable Housing Promise
Both projects sit beside Unity Park, the 60-acre urban park that opened in May 2022 after approximately $66 million in public investment plus $10 million in private investment in Southernside, a predominantly Black neighborhood that experienced government disinvestment before the park's arrival, according to the Post and Courier. The housing fund has pursued affordable housing around the park, while community leaders have pointed to affordable housing as key to making the park's redevelopment equitable.
City Council Support and a 2027 Move-In Timeline
Greenville City Council passed a $291.2 million FY2026 budget in May 2025 that prioritized affordable housing, and members approved six surface, sub-surface, and air-rights encroachment permits clearing the way for Southernside East's construction, according to the Greenville Journal. Those permits covered items such as concrete pavers, retaining wall footings, and structural cantilevers extending over city property, the outlet reported.
Construction on Southernside East broke ground in the summer of 2025, according to South Carolina Construction News. Leasing is expected to open in fall 2026, with the first residents slated to move in during early 2027, with the project targeting low- and moderate-income seniors, the outlet reported.
Greenville Housing Fund's Expanding Reach
Southernside East's co-developer, Greenville Housing Fund, is involved in affordable housing development in the Upstate.
