Affordable workforce housing near new Bluffton hospital approved by town council

Bluffton Memorial Hospital’s proposal to bring 120 affordable workforce housing units to its new medical complex can officially move forward after the Bluffton town council approved it on Tuesday.

Council members approved the transfer of 60 residential dwelling units from the town’s bank to the hospital-owned property. Because all of the proposed units are considered “workforce/affordable,” the project was also awarded a 100% density bonus for a total of 120 units.

The 11-acre site is located within the Buckwalter Planned Unit Development, and council also approved amendments to the master plans for the PUD’s development agreement and concept plan. Construction is expected to start later this year, according to the town, and the first tenants are scheduled to move in by early 2027.

The 120 units will be part of the LiveWell Terrace by BMH project, at 333 and 335 Buckwalter Parkway. Located up the street from the under-construction Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Community Hospital campus, the complex will have 30 one-bedroom units, 60 two-bedroom units and 30 three-bedrooms. Rents will range from $570 to $1,720, depending on size, according to Beaufort Memorial.

LiveWell Terrace will also include a 6,000-square-foot medical office space that will house a new Beaufort Memorial primary care practice, plus physical, speech and occupational therapy services. The 28-bed, $103 million Bluffton Community Hospital is set to open in 2027.

Although the units will be located on the medical campus, they’re open to any tenant based on income qualifications, according to the hospital. The units are open to potential residents who make up to 80% of the current Area Median Income, or a household income of $88,100 or less for a family of four.

The measures were swiftly and unanimously approved by council members Tuesday night. A public hearing was held at the July 23 planning commission meeting, and the council’s first reading of the project was July 15.

As the town grows, so does the need for affordable housing, town spokeswoman Debbie Szpanka said. It’s reflective of an overall national trend. Council member Fred Hamilton, chair of Bluffton’s affordable housing committee, has been an advocate for affordable housing for years, Szpanka said, but more recently the community at large has been in favor of building units for its workforce.

“In the last couple of years, it went from ‘not in my backyard’ to ‘how do we join hands and correct this,’” Szpanka said. “If we have stores but they don’t have workers, that dominoes into the totality of quality of life.”

In a statement, Mayor Larry Toomer said affordable housing is essential to sustaining the town’s economic growth.

““A decade ago, affordable housing was an issue few wanted to tackle. Today it’s a top priority because we know it directly impacts economic development, quality of life and the prosperity of our entire community,” Toomer said.

The hospital is partnering with Ohio-based affordable housing firm Woda Cooper Companies to realize the project.

This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 5:30 AM.