News

Chapel Hill, NC –  Southway Builders, Community Housing Partners and the Town of Chapel Hill hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for the redevelopment of the Trinity Court public housing community in an initiative titled Re-Imagine Trinity Court. 

Trinity Court was built in 1975, offering 40 units of public housing to families until it was vacated in 2018 due to structural deficiencies and deterioration of the buildings. This development will replace the 40 existing units with 54 new, modern units in garden-style apartment buildings. It will expand affordable housing options for eligible Chapel Hill residents, including those who are currently on a wait list. 

The groundbreaking ceremony featured remarks from Jessica Anderson, Mayor of Chapel Hill; Chris Blue, Town Manager, Town of Chapel Hill; Harry Miles, Division Director U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD); Andy Davenport, VP, Community Housing Partners; and Sarah Vinas, Director of Affordable Housing & Community Connections, Town of Chapel Hill. 

“We’re proud to be a part of such an important project for the Town of Chapel Hill and its residents,” said Matt Bolyard, Vice President, Southeast at Southway Builders. “As our company continues to grow in the region, we are excited for the opportunity to serve others to help them to achieve their maximum potential and, through this project, demonstrate our commitment to the communities where we work.”

Re-Imagine Trinity Court is a first step in the Town’s Public Housing Master Plan to revitalize its aging public housing stock, to improve housing conditions and, where possible, to increase density to make more efficient use of Town land. In Chapel Hill, affordable housing costs no more than 30% of a household’s income. To qualify for most affordable housing, household income must typically fall below 80% of the AMI. The new, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be for households with incomes between 30% and 80% of Chapel Hill’s Area Median Income (AMI).

“In terms of our complete community goals and our vision, [Trinity Court] is the perfect example of it,” Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson said. “Having affordable housing right next to all these amenities people can walk and bike to, being able to be right next to a community center, the school, trails, greenways [and] downtown.”

The site is adjacent to the Northside neighborhood and looks out over 10 acres of wooded Town land onto Umstead Park and the Tanyard Branch Greenway trail. There is a bus stop at the site’s entrance, and Northside Elementary School is located half a mile from the site. The estimated completion date for Trinity Court is June 2025. 

Project Notes:

• Developer: CHP Real Estate Development
• Development Partner: Town of Chapel Hill
• General Contractor: Southway Builders
• Architect: Moseley Architects
• Engineering: Timmons Group
• Sustainability: New Ecology, Inc.
• Size: 54 apartments
• Construction Start Date: June 2024
• Estimated Completion Date: August 2025
• Funding: 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits; Town of Chapel Hill; Truist; Grandbridge; Orange County, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Total Cost: $18.9 million

About Southway Builders

Southway Builders is a construction management firm serving public, private and non-profit clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. Founded in 1991, Southway delivers award-winning historic restoration, commercial, multi-family, adaptive re-use and institutional projects as a recognized leader in transforming communities.