Diversifying Greenville's Real Estate Development Field

Passion for Diversity

“It’s truly just a passion of mine,” said Melanie Brown, the President of Restoration 52. Brown grew up in Greenville, she now owns her own real estate development firm, Restoration 52, and leads the REDI program.

“Greenville has grown by leaps and bounds and I think we had an opportunity to be much more inclusive in that growth and include members that are untapped talent within our communities that are experiencing a lot of heavy displacement,” she said.

Real Estate Diversity Initiative

REDI is the Real Estate Diversity Initiative. The program was created by Urban Land Institute and launched in Greenville last year.

“They learn from the last 12 weeks– all of the real estate development steps; what it takes to go from concept and visioning, all the way through to how do you finance a deal or how do you finance a project,” Brown explained.

Impactful Learning Experience

The students—all people of color work alongside volunteer mentors.

“I recognized that there was still a lot for me to learn,” said Ashana Taylor, a graduate of last year’s class. Before she worked only entry-level development positions. Now, she helps create affordable housing with the nonprofit Homes of Hope.

“That the ready program kind of made things accessible in a different way that was intimate, close and personal,” she said.

Practical Applications

The REDI students use real examples to practice their skills. Right now they’re working on ideas to transform the properties of former Chef Manigault’s La Vieille Maison and the Law Offices of Theo Mitchell—while preserving their legacy. Developers who purchased the property will consider ideas from the students when making the real site plan.