Building Hope Partners with Gray Collegiate Academy to Expand High-Performing Charter Education in Columbia, South Carolina

Building Hope Real Estate is partnering with Gray Collegiate Academy (GCA) to support the acquisition and renovation of a new elementary school campus in Columbia, South Carolina, expanding access to one of the state’s highest-performing public charter school models.

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The project will transform a three-story, 55,315-square-foot office building into a purpose-built K–5 campus. Phase I of the renovation will deliver approximately 30,000 square feet of educational space, designed to support more than 550 elementary students when the school opens.

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Founded in 2014, Gray Collegiate Academy has quickly grown into one of South Carolina’s most successful charter schools. The network currently enrolls more than 1,400 students across two secondary campuses in West Columbia and Irmo, serving grades 6–12 and drawing students from across numerous school districts due to its strong academic reputation and college-preparatory programs.

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The new elementary campus represents the next step in Gray Collegiate’s growth strategy, allowing the school to extend its educational model to younger students while strengthening its long-term pipeline of academic success. The Charter Institute at Erskine, the school’s authorizer, has expressed strong support for the expansion and is working with the school to amend its charter to include K–5 grades.

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Building Hope Real Estate will lead the acquisition and redevelopment of the property through providing up to $9 million in equity investment and serving as the development partner for the project. The total estimated project cost is approximately $15.2 million, including acquisition, renovation, and site improvements.

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The renovation will convert the existing office building into a modern elementary school environment, including classrooms, a library, cafeteria, warming kitchen, and outdoor play areas. The design includes approximately 20 classrooms and core student support spaces, ensuring the facility meets the academic and operational needs of the growing school community.

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Phase I will focus on renovating the unoccupied portion of the building’s first floor and the entire second floor, while future phases may expand into the third floor and additional land on the property to accommodate enrollment growth to approximately 850 students over time.

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Building Hope is proud to partner with Gray Collegiate Academy on this transformational project. By repurposing an existing building into a high-quality learning environment, the project will bring hundreds of new charter school seats to the Columbia community while supporting the continued growth of a proven academic model.

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