News Release

The Town Announces Development Partner Finalist for Workforce Housing

September 27, 2023

The Town of Hilton Head Island has reached a crucial milestone in reshaping the future of workforce housing on the Island. The Town is now in formal development negotiations with its top-choice development partner, OneStreet Residential, to establish a workforce housing community on an 11-acre tract of Town-owned land at Northpoint Circle.

Today, Town Manager Marc Orlando announced that the Request for Proposal (RFP) has been awarded to OneStreet Residential, solidifying their role as the preferred development partner in this project. The decision was made following comprehensive analysis by Town staff and the Town’s Northpoint Public-Private Partnership Housing Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee, comprised of Town Council members and community leaders, worked closely with the Town Manager in assessing and identifying the most qualified development partner for Northpoint. "This project is unique. It will be an energy efficient sustainable neighborhood. Our belief is this will be a model project not just for our community but across the Southeast and even the country," Orlando said. "Awarding the RFP to OneStreet is a critical milestone in the process of creating a shovel ready development for workforce housing at Northpoint. We couldn’t build an incredible project like this without a true partnership between the Town and a developer like OneStreet."

OneStreet Residential is an Atlanta-based owner, developer and property manager that has focused on creating affordable and mixed-income communities for the last 35 years. The firm is known for its unique track record of creating mixed-income workforce properties, with high quality designed neighborhoods.

The Northpoint community, when completed, is anticipated to feature 150 to 170 residences including a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments catering to a range of incomes and professions for people who work on Hilton Head, including caregivers, teachers, medical professionals and first responders. At least 50 percent of the apartments are anticipated to serve households earning between 60 percent and 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). "This project is key for those who work on Hilton Head and are struggling to find housing. It gives them hope that living and working on the Island is a real, affordable possibility. It could redefine housing on the Island and potentially set a new national standard for workforce housing," said Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry.

OneStreet Residential was selected as the Town's preferred development partner after months of deliberation, including interviews with developers and consideration of a wide range of designs, development plans, and financing options. The Town’s goal was to select a team that would create a best-in-class neighborhood to serve the Island’s essential workforce with a wide range of incomes, while maintaining its high standards of architectural and environmental quality.

"We are thrilled for the opportunity to bring our 35 years of experience creating beautiful workforce communities to Hilton Head Island," said Dave Dixon, Founding Partner and CEO of OneStreet Residential. "We are deeply grateful for the Town’s trust in our team's abilities. We understand the huge significance of this Northpoint development to the entire Hilton Head Island community and share Town leaders’ commitment to addressing the Island's critical need for workforce housing. We are confident that with such great partners as the leadership of Hilton Head Island, we will develop an award-winning community, with a level of quality and programming that will make it a source of pride for its residents, and all Hilton Head citizens, for years to come."

The OneStreet leadership team visited Hilton Head Island several times. One of the trips included a tour with the Northpoint Public-Private Partnership Housing Advisory Committee and Town staff. The team visited various locations around the Island to explore the environment and designs of local architecture. Among the tour stops were Northpoint, the site of the proposed community, the Boys and Girls Club, the Island Recreation Center, and the workforce apartment complex created by Sea Pines Resort for its own workers. OneStreet's goal was to intimately understand the people and families they would be building for and to better understand the need for workforce housing on the Island.  The Advisory Committee also visited Atlanta and toured several communities that were developed and managed by OneStreet.

"This initiative is a testament to the forward-thinking vision of Hilton Head Island," Orlando said. "Our approach to this critical housing issue is innovative and unique among coastal communities in South Carolina, and communities of our size throughout the Country. We are committed to creating a high-quality solution that not only meets our housing needs but does so in a way that preserves and enhances the distinctive aesthetic and quality of life on Hilton Head Island. This balance between progress and preservation embodies our values and sets a new standard for thoughtful, sustainable development."

Awarding the RFP is a critical step toward a final project at the Northpoint property. It allows OneStreet to begin site due diligence, site planning, engineering, and architectural renderings that will provide a sense of the scale and size of the community and a vision of how the property will blend with the surrounding natural resources and development.

This also starts the process of negotiating the development agreement, which will be subject to OneStreet securing financing and Town Council’s approval. The development agreement will include details on design, amenities, number of units, bedrooms, tenant qualifications, and programing, as well as legal provisions.

"We are envisioning OneStreet collaborating with the Town and nonprofit organizations to deliver tailored programs focused on education and economic empowerment for Northpoint residents," said Ben Brown, Senior Advisor to the Hilton Head Island Town Manager.

The development agreement is expected to go before Town Council for a vote in early 2024, with the commitment to maintain the Northpoint community as workforce housing forever.

About OneStreet Residential

OneStreet Residential has developed over $1 Billion in assets, including 125 communities with more than 8,900 homes. Since 1988, OneStreet Residential has been dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of their residents, associates, and neighbors, one community at a time. They focus on developing and managing best-in-class, boutique-scale Workforce, Active Adult, and Mixed-Income neighborhoods. For more information, please visit their website at onestreetres.com.