A development of 12 new homes, named Hattie’s Crossing, is coming to a site between Lexington Avenue and Poplar Street in Cayce.

Crews are preparing the property and will begin construction, soon. Cypress Commercial and Investment Real Estate will build the homes on the site where the Cayce Grammar School once sat. It’s named after former Cayce Grammar School Teacher and Principal Hattie Derrenbacher. The school, that was a big part of the history of the neighborhood, was unused since 1976 and it was in disrepair.

While the school is gone, developers are making sure to keep something that has been on the land for a long time. A large cedar tree sits on the property. It is several decades old.

“We thought it was important to save that beautiful tree,” said Tyler Baldwin of Cypress Commercial and Investment Real Estate. “We reconfigured a couple of lots to fit the tree in.”

The development is in District 2, represented on Cayce City Council by Byron Thomas. He said keeping part of the old neighborhood adds to its aesthetic appeal.

“Anything that relates to landscaping and beautification is a positive,” Thomas said. “We’re set to welcome 12 new families to Cayce and I’m sure they will appreciate the effort to preserve some of the neighborhood’s past.”

District 1 Cayce City Councilman Tim James, who went to Cayce Grammar School and knows the neighborhood well, said he’s glad some of the past is being recognized.

“That tree has been there longer than most of us. It was there when I was a student at Cayce Grammar School. It’s part of the past and it’s part of the present. That’s a nice touch for this new community.”

Baldwin also said the project will include sidewalks and several trees will line the sidewalk.

“The history of this development is special and we want to make it something we’re proud of for everyone in Cayce,” he said.