HELENA-WEST HELENA -Southern Property Corporation hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Southern Place Apartments today. Representatives from the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Development, and Senator Blanche Lincoln’s office spoke at the event marking the start of the largest multi-family housing development in Phillips County in several decades.

Southern Place is a $1.5 million low-income housing development of 20 apartments nestled around a large outdoor common area with a gazebo, flower gardens, and picnic areas. The complex will also feature a community room, a fitness center, and a computer room with internet access. The facility is scheduled to open in May 2008.

This development is a result of partnerships between USDA Rural Development, Arkansas Development Finance Authority, Southern Property Corporation, and the City of Helena-West Helena and was coordinated by the Delta Bridge Project. The Delta Bridge Project is a community-driven economic development effort in Philips County facilitated by Southern Financial Partners.