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Pointe Grand Beaufort opens as developers and Sen. Tim Scott tout 'housing for doers'
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Summary
Developers HillPoint opened Pointe Grand Beaufort in Beaufort with a ribbon-cutting where U.S. Sen. Tim Scott praised the project as 'housing for doers' and highlighted bipartisan legislation that passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 24–0 to encourage local housing supply increases.
BEAUFORT — HillPoint on Saturday celebrated the ribbon-cutting for Pointe Grand Beaufort, a new attainable-housing development the firm's managing partner called a milestone in efforts to keep workers in the community.
"We're here today in Beaufort to celebrate what is a big milestone for us, and that is the opening of Pointe Grand Beaufort," said Steven Campisi, HillPoint managing partner and cofounder. Campisi said the project responds to a local need for housing affordable to people who make median income and work in the community.
Kelly Mahoney, HillPoint partner, told attendees the project's chief challenge was cost: site selection, design, horizontal and vertical construction and required local upgrades all affect the rent that must be charged to keep homes attainable. "You cannot have a quality living experience unless you have a clean, safe, quality place to live," Mahoney said, and added that HillPoint plans long-term ownership rather than building and selling.
Mahoney also described a design variation on HillPoint's usual product: Pointe Grand Beaufort is a four-story building (most of their developments are three stories) and includes additional windows and upgrades required by local rules that raised construction costs but were intended to improve resident experience.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott attended and praised the development as "housing for doers," recounting his upbringing and saying closer housing reduces commuting burdens for working families. Addressing the press and attendees, Scott said federal action can help: "This legislation passed out of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 24 to 0," he said, describing a bipartisan bill he helped craft that aims to eliminate red tape and use federal incentives to encourage local jurisdictions to increase housing supply.
Scott said the legislation uses both incentives and penalties tied to federal grant dollars to encourage local change but declined to outline details of the bill at the ceremony. He also said work across party lines is necessary to lower housing costs.
The ribbon-cutting concluded with a ceremonial tape cutting and remarks of thanks from Campisi. Event organizers did not announce any formal local approvals or votes at the ceremony; the gathering was ceremonial and promotional, with developers and an invited federal official discussing the project's aims and a pending federal legislative effort.
