“It was really important to us because we want to see change, not just talk about change, but to see it,” said Florence Mayor Lethonia Barnes. “And our people need to have something to believe in. Today is a proud day for all of us.”
Barnes is the niece of Iola Jones.
“I can remember when this place was first built,” Barnes said. “I remember right on the corner, in the front, was a daycare, and my little sister went to the daycare, and we would have to walk over and pick her up. I am 61 now, and so this was 50-something years ago, and now it’s time. It’s time for us to uplift this community.”
Oakland Place apartments as seen on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
The groundbreaking ceremony ended with a prayer by Reverend Calvin Robinson, who is the chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Florence’s housing authority.
“Our job is to look out for everybody because every child that has a new home, a new home to stay in, will go to school with a new sense of pride within their spirit,” Robinson said. “They will study harder. They will work harder. And our seasoned saints need a decent place to live.
“Jesus said everybody ought to be treated the same,” Robinson said. “Everything shouldn’t be done on the west side of town – I’m not a politician, so I ain’t scared – I am so glad to be doing something in North Florence, and East Florence, and West Florence, and South Florence, because all of God’s children come from the four corners. God bless you.”
The project, which has been years in the making, is a collaborative effort between private businesses, public officials and nonprofits. Paces Preservation Partners, which is a partnership between the nonprofit The Paces Foundation and Soho Housing Partners, works with local housing authorities to redevelop public housing. Financing for the project is being provided by Berkadia (Freddie Mac), Advantage Capital and JP Morgan Chase as well as the Housing Authority of Florence.