Groundbreaking Marks New Chapter for The Foothills Retirement Community
The multi-component project, designed by RDG, supports aging in place through new independent living, renovated commons and a new memory care neighborhood.
Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina (PCSC) celebrated the groundbreaking of a significant expansion and renovation project at The Foothills Retirement Community on December 19, 2025, marking a major investment in the future of senior living in the Upstate. Designed by RDG Planning & Design, the $86 million project will expand independent living, enhance shared community spaces and add new memory care accommodations to better serve current and future residents.
“This expansion reflects PCSC’s enduring mission as a compassionate Christian ministry dedicated to enriching the quality of life for seniors of all faiths,” said RDG Partner and Architect, Dave Heuring, AIA. “As design partners, RDG seeks to honor that mission by balancing new development with thoughtful renovations that enrich daily life and strengthen community connections to serve residents across the full continuum of care.”
The project comprises three distinct components that, together, enhance The Foothills’ campus experience and allow residents to move through the continuum as their need for higher levels of care emerges. The largest component, known as The Terraces, introduces 119 new independent living residences across four buildings totaling more than 303,000 SF. Three buildings (102 units) are organized around a new amenity pond with an adjacent clubhouse, while a fourth building (17 units) integrates directly into the existing main campus. The residences offer a variety of one- and two-bedroom floor plans, many with dens, designed to complement the existing campus and surrounding landscape.
The second major component is a new, single-story memory care building featuring 24 residences organized around an enclosed courtyard. Designed to support safety, comfort and connection to the outdoors, the memory care neighborhood expands the campus’s assisted living offerings while maintaining a residential scale.
In addition to the new construction, the project also includes a comprehensive renovation and modest addition to The Foothills’ existing Commons and assisted living buildings. Nearly 95,300 SF will be updated to enhance dining venues, resident commons, fitness and wellness spaces, administrative offices and shared circulation areas. A new 4,300 SF addition will introduce a multipurpose cultural center with seating for more than 150 people, along with a new bistro and an associated kitchen.
Extensive site improvements are also planned, including new roads and sidewalks, utilities, retaining walls, additional parking and the creation of the amenity wet pond that anchors The Terraces neighborhood.
RDG Planning & Design is providing architectural services along with the coordination of structural, mechanical, electrical and food service consultants, including Morrissey Engineering, Snell Structural Engineers and SCOPOS. McCutchen Engineering Associates is serving as the civil engineer, and RDL Architects is leading the interior design. Construction services are being provided by Thompson Turner Construction, with Boyer Construction as a consultant. Project management oversight is led by Baile Senior Development, with owner representation provided by Matrix Program Management, LLC.
The CM/GC contract was executed in late October, and the project is scheduled to have a 28-month construction timeline, beginning in November 2025.