Greenville Summit, a 114-year-old building in downtown Greenville, is about to undergo a rehabilitation that city leaders say will keep its apartments “deeply affordable” for at least 20 more years.

The city of Greenville joined development partners, community leaders and residents for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Greenville Summit on May 19, marking the start of a major rehabilitation project on the building.

The event comes after the City Council’s Feb. 9 approval of a new 20-year Affordable Housing Special Tax Assessment — a move that ensures the Summit will remain affordable through at least 2046 and enables the project’s financing and construction to move forward, according to a news release.

“Today’s groundbreaking shows what’s possible when a city commits to preserving affordability as part of its growth,” Mayor Knox White said in the release. “Earlier this year, council took an important step by extending the Summit’s special tax assessment for another 20 years — ensuring that seniors can continue living in the heart of our city. This building is a Greenville landmark, but more importantly, it’s a home. And we’re proud to help protect it for decades to come.”

Built in 1911–1912 as the Imperial Hotel, the Greenville Summit was the city’s first tall building and remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the decades, it transformed from a grand hotel into a 101-unit affordable senior community, where residents pay no more than 30% of their income in rent. Last year alone, 381 seniors applied for one of the units; more than 90% of current residents earn below 30% of the area median income, and roughly 20% were previously homeless, according to the release.

“We are honored to steward the next chapter of the Greenville Summit,” Joe Eddy, president of JE Properties, said in the release. “This project brings together every level of government to preserve not just an historic building, but the stability it provides to more than a hundred seniors. With council’s support, we’re able to undertake a once-in-a-generation renovation that respects the property’s history while preparing it for the next 100 years.”

The $10 million rehabilitation project — supported by federal, state and local partners including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the state’s SC Housing and the city of Greenville — will restore the building’s historic cornice, repoint brickwork, replace windows, upgrade mechanical systems and renovate kitchens, bathrooms and flooring in every unit, the release stated. It also represents the first time in South Carolina that an existing Bailey Bill tax assessment has been extended to preserve affordable housing.

“Affordable housing for seniors doesn’t happen without strong partnerships,” Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe said in the release. “The Summit is a perfect example of federal, state, local and private organizations working together to create safe, dignified homes for our most vulnerable neighbors. I’m grateful for the city’s commitment and for the developer’s investment in ensuring these residents have the comfort and stability they deserve.”

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Lindsay A. Joyner of Gallivan White Boyd has been sworn in as president-elect of the South Carolina Bar for the 2026-2027 Bar year.

Joyner has been with GWB since 2012, working in the firm’s Charleston and Columbia offices. Throughout her involvement with the South Carolina Bar, she has held numerous leadership roles, including treasurer, secretary, House of Delegates chair, Board of Governors member, Trial & Appellate Advocacy Section chair, Wellness Committee chair and Young Lawyers Division president, according to a news release from the firm.

The South Carolina Bar serves more than 19,000 attorneys licensed in the state under the unified judicial system established in 1975. Its mission includes improving the administration of justice, upholding ethical and professional standards, promoting high-quality legal education and services and encouraging integrity and excellence in public service, the release stated.

Joyner focuses her practice on business and commercial litigation, lender liability, professional negligence and high-net-worth trusts and estates litigation. She has presented matters in these practice areas before state and federal courts. Her honors include Chambers USA recognition for Litigation: General Commercial from 2022-2025, South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Leadership in Law Honoree, South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Excellence in Law Honoree and South Carolina Super Lawyers. She also has been ranked by Best Lawyers in America since 2020 and was named Lawyer of the Year for Litigation, Trusts and Estates in 2026.

Gallivan White Boyd, founded in 1948, has offices in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Charlotte. The firm handles litigation matters for local, regional and national clients.

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Berkeley County opened part of the $10.5 million Berkeley County Waterfront Park on Friday with six boat ramps and 180 boat trailer parking spots open to the public.

The parking spaces include boat trailer spaces, make-ready spaces and tie-down spaces located at 933 Broughton Road in Moncks Corner.

“Opening Atkins Landing in advance of the park opening is critical to meet the demand of our boating community and to relieve the overcrowding at other landing sites. We are excited and look forward to opening the entire park very soon,” Johnny Cribb, Berkeley county supervisor, said in a news release.

The rest of the park is still under construction and is expected to be ready for the public after a June 12 grand opening ceremony, according to the release.

The 15-acre site eventually will include space for 36 boats to be docked, a 4,200-square-foot open air pavilion, a half mile walking trail, 58,000 square feet of beach and — after remodeling — the current 7,300-square-foot pavilion available for rent.

Facilities will include picnic shelters and benches, one public restroom, a Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Safe Boat enclosure, emergency call stations, and a security system with free Wi-Fi.

Funding for the project is from Berkeley County Delegation’s Water Recreation Funds, Berkeley County Accommodations Tax Funds, South Carolina state budget appropriations, and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the release said. Santee Cooper has also provided a long-term gratis lease to Berkeley County for the project.

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Harmony Housing Affordable Development is partnering with the Greenville Housing Fund to build a new affordable housing community for seniors.

Southernside West will be located at 846 W. Washington St. in the Southernside community.

Plans call for a four-story development that will bring 54 high-quality apartment homes to residents aged 55 and older, offering a mix of affordability levels serving households earning between 30% and 80% of area median income, with 10% of units specially reserved for individuals with disabilities, according to a news release.

Southernside West will meet a growing demand for affordable senior housing in an area experiencing significant population growth with limited comparable supply, according to Harmony Housing Affordable Development.

Financing for the development includes a loan from CommunityWorks, a Greenville community development financial institution, along with a construction loan and federal tax credit equity provided by Huntington Bank, according to a news release. Permanent financing will be supported through a 9% Freddie Mac Forward loan arranged through JLL. The city of Greenville contributed to the project through a land donation.

The development will offer a range of modern in-unit features, and the developers say community amenities will further enhance daily life, offering spaces to gather, stay active, and connect, including a community room, fitness center, free on-site parking, and bike racks. Southernside West is a collaboration among industry leaders, including McMillan Pazdan Smith as architect, Creative Builders as general contractor, and Thomas & Hutton as civil engineer.

“Southernside West is designed to provide high-quality, affordable housing that supports the health, independence and well-being of Greenville’s senior population,” Tanya Eastwood, president and CEO of HHAD, said in the release. “This development represents not just new housing, but a meaningful investment in the future of the community.”

The same players partnered on a similar project nearby, last summer launching construction on Southernside East.

“HHAD and GHF previously partnered on Southernside East, located a few blocks away, which broke ground last July and is adding 93 affordable apartments for people age 55 and up,” said Deborah McKetty, interim president and CEO of The Greenville Housing Fund. “Partnerships are what make affordable housing a reality in our community, but it also takes vision, leadership and planning. All of these came together to bring us here today.”

Completion of Southernside West is anticipated in October 2027, followed by lease-up through year-end and conversion to permanent financing in April 2028.

Harmony Housing Affordable Development Inc. is an affordable housing developer and developer partner that specializes in construction, rehabilitation, repositioning and recapitalization of projects. To date, the team has developed approximately 18,000 apartment homes with another 4,800 in various stages of completion in 10 states, according to the release.

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Among the concerns facing South Carolina attorneys are two letters that are also causing disruption and innovation across the business world — AI.

When asked about trends in the legal sector this year, SC500 attorneys from around the state named artificial intelligence as one of the biggest challenges facing the practice of law at all levels. The concerns range from how and when firms employ artificial intelligence to the many ethical issues that the technology brings with it.

Leading attorneys from around the state also named several other issues facing the profession this year, including a rapidly changing and fluctuating judicial environment and the challenge of keeping attorneys and legal staff up to date and trained in the newest available technology.

A look at some of the issues attorneys are talking about in 2026:

Artificial intelligence. The legal sector, like everyone else in the business world, is dealing with the ongoing advance of artificial intelligence. The technology in some instances can help improve efficiency in legal offices and streamline research, but as it always seems to be with AI, there’s a catch.

“AI tools that may increase efficiency may also raise legal questions around confidentiality, privilege, accuracy and professional responsibility,” said Sheila Abron, an employment and labor attorney with Fisher Phillips in Columbia. “Additionally, the utilization of AI by clients is changing the scope of evidentiary issues, documentation and in many instances, given AI ‘hallucinations,’ can lead to misinformation.”

AI already is affecting the way law firms do business and will continue to do so in the future, according to C. Pierce Campbell, CEO and attorney at the Turner Padget firm in Florence.

“Attorneys must determine how to use AI ethnically and appropriately, what AI tools are best suited for the practice of law, and how to use AI to bring additional value to their representation of clients,” Campbell said. “This rapidly changing environment is affecting how we practice law, how we operate our firms and the expectations of our clients.”

The one thing law firms of any size can’t do is ignore AI, according to James Buxton, founding partner and business law attorney at Buxton & Collie of Mount Pleasant.

“Attorneys face a choice: ignore the technology shift at your own peril or go all-in on retraining your skill set,” Buxton said. “My firm’s employees are required to get baseline certification in AI skills throughout our technology stack. We would rather they be overtrained and be able to critique the tools than to simply have the technology happen to them.”

Cybersecurity

Keeping information systems secure in a world of rapidly changing technology and ongoing cybersecurity threats is also something law firms will increasingly have to focus on in 2026.

“With expanding privacy laws and increasing cyber threats, organizations are navigating a patchwork of regulations while trying to protect sensitive data,” said Abron of Fisher Phillips. “Legal teams are playing a central role in incident response planning and risk mitigation.”

Technology companies and the law

South Carolina’s economy is growing as a whole, and technology firms are taking an ever larger role. Douglas Kim, an intellectual property attorney with Kim, Lahey and Killough in Greenville said this will require these firms to increasingly learn about and negotiate the different legal issues integral to the technology sector.

“More companies in this state are developing technology — software platforms, advanced manufacturing processes, etc. — that has fundamentally changed the type of legal counsel they need,” Kim said. “These companies need industry-specific contracts, subscriptions, licensing, vendor, development, sales, terms and conditions that are specific to their business.”

While technology companies need to learn about their specific legal needs, law firms will also increasingly need to learn about the tech sector if they want to gain these companies as clients.

“Technology companies expect their lawyers to speak their language,” Kim said. “They want practical guidance that reflects real-world development cycles — not abstract legal theory. That expectation is reshaping legal services and how lawyers interact with their clients. … Looking forward, I believe the firms that succeed in South Carolina will be those that combine strong technical and business understanding with genuine technical fluency and strategic judgment.”

Regulatory issues and compliance. The federal regulatory and judicial landscapes are both in flux, Abron said, a phenomenon that is creating consistent uncertainty in areas like employment law, environmental regulation and civil rights enforcements.

“These changes can swiftly impact compliance obligations,” Abron said.

There is also a growing emphasis nationwide on workplace investigations and compliance, particularly in areas tied to harassment, discrimination and Title IX, she said.

“Institutions and employers are under pressure to demonstrate not just compliance, but fairness, transparency and consistency,” Abron said. “This has elevated the importance of well-trained investigators and strong collaboration between legal, HR and compliance teams.”

Mergers and acquisitions. Buxton expects merger and acquisitions activity across the legal sector that picked up in 2025 to continue to increase in 2026.

“There is still a lot of capital in action in private equity, and the passage of recent new tax law has been a structural accelerant for deal activity because it provides tax planning certainty for acquirors, particularly for leveraged buy-out or asset-heavy acquisitions,” Buxton said. “High interest rates are still a headwind, but there should be good reason to believe deal activity should be robust for the near- and mid-term.”

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The board of commissioners for the Housing Authority of the City of Charleston chose Nathan Frank Simms Jr. as CEO after a national search.  

Simms has more than 20 years of leadership experience in housing and community development including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, a news release said. 

“I’m honored to join the Charleston Housing Authority at such a pivotal time,” Simms said in the release. “As Charleston continues to grow, it’s important that we expand access to safe, quality and affordable housing while continuing to be strong stewards of the resources entrusted to us. I look forward to building on the authority’s 90-plus-year foundation and advancing modern, sustainable housing solutions for our residents and community.” 

In the role, Simms will serve over 15,000 residents and manage more than 1,400 public housing units and 1,500 housing choice vouchers. CHA said his role will be to modernize and reinvest in the organization’s housing portfolio, expand affordable housing opportunities and strengthen residential services.  

Simms was picked from 72 applicants in a partnership search by Gans, Gans & Associates and CHA’s board of commissioners. The release said his grandparents, aunts, uncles and mother were born, raised and lived in downtown Charleston. 

“Mr. Simms distinguished himself through his depth of experience and his understanding of both housing operations and development,” Garcia Williams, vice chair who led the agency’s search committee, said in the release. “He brings the leadership and perspective needed to guide the housing authority as we address the evolving housing needs of our community while remaining strong stewards of public resources.” 

Originally from Washington, D.C., Simms has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bowie State University and a master’s degree in public administration from American University.  

Simms assumed the role on May 4. According to the website, he follows Arthur Milligan Jr., who has held the CEO position for about four years. 

“I’m focused on delivering results and building trust with our residents and the broader community,” Simms said. “Our work is not just about housing; it’s about creating opportunities and strengthening the future of Charleston. I look forward to getting started.”

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Gallivan White Boyd’s A. Johnston Cox is the new president of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys.

Practicing in Gallivan White Boyd‘s Columbia office, Cox has spent more than 30 years focusing his practice on insurance litigation, business litigation and complex personal injury matters. With more than 50 cases tried to verdict, he has represented clients across South Carolina in both state and federal courts, according to a news release from the firm. Cox was also former president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association and is a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, where he previously served on the admissions committee and faculty of the FDCC’s Litigation Management College.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University and a law degree from the University of South Carolina, according to the firm’s website.

The Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, a national organization, selects one member per 1 million people in each region, ensuring clients have access to highly skilled defense attorneys. The organization seeks members that are recognized for their success in civil defense trial law and known for their professionalism and ethical standards.

The organization is meant to foster collegiality, provide educational opportunities, and facilitate business referrals among its members.

Cox has earned recognition for his legal work including an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell as well as inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for insurance law and personal injury law. He is consistently honored by South Carolina Super Lawyers for business litigation and recognized by Columbia Business Monthly’s Legal Elite in multiple categories, with a Top Vote Winner distinction.

With offices in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Charlotte, Gallivan White Boyd handles a variety of complex litigation for local, regional and national clients.

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The home of one of Greenville’s first car dealerships received Local Landmark designation from the city ahead of plans to convert the space into a 17-room hotel with a restaurant, rooftop bar and private basement speakeasy.

The city’s Historic Review Board approved the downtown property at 101 College St., built in 1922, and the plans to convert the building into a boutique hotel.

The property was recently home to Café and Then Some.

“We want to be really good stewards of the history in that building,” developer Jason Boehm of Aileron Management said in a news release.

The 101 College building was originally home to the Eugene F. Bates Motor Co. showroom and service facility. Bates was an entrepreneur who helped guide Greenville from horse-drawn travel into the automobile era, according to the news release. City planning staff highlighted that many of the building’s original architectural elements remain intact — including the brickwork, first-floor garage bay opening, the elevator shaft and pulley system. The building later housed the McDuffie-Parker Furniture Co. and Lenny’s Sandwiches before Café and Then Some took occupancy.

“We had uncovered a lot of the history, and we are making efforts to not only preserve what’s there but also to enhance it and make it something special for Greenville,” Boehm said in the release.

Historic Review Board members also approved a preliminary certification for special tax assessment for rehabilitated historic properties. The certification would freeze the building’s property taxes at its pre-rehabilitated value of $3 million for 10 years.

“We are investing a lot of dollars to make this a really special asset and addition to the fabric of Greenville,” Boehm said. “Those programs are in place to encourage situations like this, where there is a historic building that may need a change in use.”

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The South Carolina Department of Commerce has opened the floor to stakeholders, community leaders and the public to submit input on eligible census tracts in the state to be designated under the federal Opportunity Zone program.

The program is designed to provide federal tax incentives to taxpayers who reinvest realized capital gains into Qualified Opportunity Funds, according to a news release. This is intended to encourage economic development and job creation in low-income urban and rural regions.

Originally, the Opportunity Zone program was a part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, but is now updated by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act from 2025. According to a news release, the updates allow Gov. Henry McMaster to nominate up to 25% of South Carolina’s eligible census tracts.

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who authored the original bill that led to the Opportunity Zone program, recently highlighted the continued success and expansion of the program.

Scott said he created the Opportunity Zone program to drive long-term private investment into low-income and distressed communities by offering targeted tax incentives. Since its enactment, the program has spurred billions of dollars in investment nationwide, he said, supporting job creation, small businesses and economic revitalization in communities that have historically been left behind.

“I was proud to author Opportunity Zones as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — an innovative tool that empowers states to identify economically distressed communities and connect them with a powerful incentive to drive private investment where it’s needed most,” he said in a news release. “Millions of Americans still live in communities facing persistent poverty, lower incomes, and limited access to opportunity, and this program is designed to help change that by attracting long-term capital and creating jobs. With the program now made permanent and strengthened under the Working Families Tax Cuts, South Carolina’s designation process marks an important step in ensuring these investments continue reaching the communities that need them most and delivering lasting economic growth across our state.”

Opportunity Zones empower governors to designate economically-distressed communities that are ripe for investment and tie them to a new federal tax incentive, directing private investment into some of the nation’s most underserved areas. More than 50 million Americans currently live in economically distressed communities, and Opportunity Zones have put the decision-making in the hands of state and local leaders who know their communities best.

As part of changes to the program, Opportunity Zones will be redesignated every 10 years to ensure investments are directed toward communities with the most need.

Beginning July 1, governors will submit new Opportunity Zone nominations to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

More details about the program are online.

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The South Carolina Research Authority has some new members. Clutch Intelligence, PostPixel, AmICompliant, Memberworks, Pathly, PSF R&D Labs and Vismerch were accepted as SCRA member companies.

All SCRA member companies receive coaching and access to SCRA’s member benefits and startup resources, can apply for grant funding and have the potential to be considered for investment from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc.

SCRA announced these new members April 14:

Clutch Intelligence also received a $25,000 startup grant. The West Columbia-based startup is an AI-powered voice control platform designed for gamers and streamers, enabling hands-free management of games, applications, streaming tools and system functions through natural language commands. It integrates with tools like OBS, Discord and Spotify to reduce disruptions, enhance immersion and transform the PC into a fully interactive, AI-driven environment.

New member PostPixel also received a cash award — a $15,000 micro grant. The Lexington-based AI-powered marketing automation platform is designed specifically for home service businesses, enabling users to generate, schedule and manage digital marketing from a single dashboard. By automating content creation, branding and lead generation, the platform helps businesses maintain a consistent online presence, save time and drive growth without the need for dedicated marketing resources.

AmICompliant is a Greenville-based startup designed to empower health care professionals to effortlessly manage, track and enhance their professional and regulatory standing within a secure and unified platform. The platform aids health care organizations and staffing agencies to quickly verify compliance and onboard new staff members in days as opposed to weeks and months.

Memberworks, based in Daniel Island, has developed an all-in-one membership management platform designed for complex nonprofits and community organizations, helping them manage members, programs, payments and communications in a single system. The platform focuses on enhancing engagement and operational efficiency through customizable tools, data insights and seamless user experiences for both staff and members.

New member company Pathly is a Lancaster-based company that has designed an AI-powered student guidance platform that helps high school students explore career paths, discover post-graduation options and build personalized roadmaps for their future. The platform combines assessments, real-time AI support and actionable planning tools to help students make informed decisions about college, trades, certifications and careers.

PSF R&D Labs is a Mount Pleasant-based company that develops spray foam system solutions designed to be fully compatible with a wide range of SPF rig equipment, regardless of make or model. Built by experienced applicators, their systems strive to balance affordability and performance to meet the needs of both independent operators and large-scale fleets.

Vismerch is a Charleston-based company that has developed a sales and CRM platform built specifically for consumer-packaged goods, helping teams manage retailers, distributors and field operations in one centralized system. It enables companies to track products, streamline communication and gain real-time visibility across their entire sales ecosystem to improve execution and drive growth.

“We welcome these new member companies and congratulate those that received funding,” SCRA Interim President and CEO Bill Kirkland said in the release.

SCRA was chartered in 1983 by the state to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy through the impact of comprehensive services to technology-based startups, academia, and industry.

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