Google having an immediate economic impact

Construction of Google’s data center on a 520-acre site in the Mt. Holly Commerce Park has created hundreds of jobs and business opportunities for the region.

In the three months since Google formally announced its plans, a total of 27 businesses have brought crews on site, employing more than 300 local individuals. Ten companies have hired an additional 17 subcontractors to assist with the construction, Google said in a written statement."

In addition to construction jobs, dozens of suppliers, food and beverage businesses and rental companies are needed to satisfy the work force. As a result, nearly 170 additional local businesses are receiving boosts in sales.

“This project is already making a difference in the lives of hundreds of Berkeley County residents and I’m confident over time, every person in this community will be positively impacted,” Berkeley County Supervisor Dan Davis said. “We’re proud to have this high quality company in our county.

”Charleston Regional Development Alliance Chairman Robert Pratt said the presence of Google is providing “tremendous economic opportunity for area residents and businesses.”

Google said it plans to launch a Web site dedicated to the data center in South Carolina at www.google.com/berkeleycounty.

Google’s data centers are a worldwide network of specialized buildings that contain the computers responsible for supporting Google’s services, including Gmail, Google Maps and Google Earth. When complete, the Mt. Holly data center will employ more than 200 people.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Charleston debate breaking new ground

CHARLESTON -- It's likely the biggest thing to come to The Citadel’s McAlister Field House since air conditioning was installed in the fabled gymnasium in the mid-1990s.

Tonight the eight Democratic candidates for president will converge on the campus off Moultrie Street for what one CNN executive described as the Internet's "first seat at the table in terms of determining who the next president of the United States might be.”

In all, some 2,700 tickets have been distributed for tonight's debate, the live broadcast of which begins at 7 p.m. That's more than three times as many as were distributed for the Democratic debate three months ago at S.C. State University in Orangeburg.

As has been highly publicized, rather than simply answer questions posed by moderator Anderson Cooper, the candidates will respond to questions submitted by video via YouTube.

By Sunday nearly 2,000 videos were submitted. Of those, only about 30 will be chosen and aired tonight.

"I think it's fitting that a city so full of tradition is where tradition is broken," said David Bohrman, CNN's senior vice president and the executive producer of its campaign coverage. "Whether it works or not, we'll know after the debate."

While he expressed confidence about the success of the format, which CNN will also use for its Republican debate being held in Florida in September, Bohrman also admitted, "You never can tell until you actually do it. This debate is truly unique."

That sentiment was echoed by Anderson Cooper, who was on the debate set Sunday for an extended rehearsal.

"Frankly, I was kind of concerned when I first heard about the debate. I didn't really see how it would work, and then once I started watching the videos, all my concerns really sort of fell away because you could see that this format would really provide a new dimension to a debate,” he said.

"It's not about members of the media posing a predictable set of questions. It's about the public, in a sense inviting the candidates into their lives momentarily and asking questions that are personally important to them and require a personal response."

That's what makes this debate interesting, Bohrman said.

"People have real questions, want real answers and the candidate who reverts to his or her talking points to address those questions is going to be dead in the water,” he said. “It'll be really interesting, after the fact, to learn how the campaigns prepared for the debate. Did they try to wade through all the videos over time, or did they just sample for a flavor of them, or did they do something else entirely?"

Few questions submitted through YouTube addressed the war in Iraq, and many were about economics and what Bohrman described as "pocketbook issues," he said.

In addition to debate spectators, more than 400 reporters are expected to be in the city today, as well as 60 to 70 CNN staffers, and large contingents affiliated with each campaign.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said while playing host to the debate has been a big logistical challenge, expenses for overtime and the like were well within what was budgeted for those items this year.

"You always build a cushion into your budget because you anticipate that over the course of the year, something unforeseen at budget time will need to be addressed," he said.

And in fact, some things the city had initially planned, including a proposed Sunday night reception for visiting reporters at the Riviera Theater downtown, did not materialize.

"You know, you also can't interpret expenditures until you look at them against the backdrop of what they achieve. In other words, they are an investment in our future,” Riley said.

"This debate will be very important to these candidates on their journey to becoming president. In the future, when the city has an issue or a project, their memories of their time here and of how the debate helped position them going forward, will be a great benefit for us."

On Sunday afternoon, as Charleston began to be transformed into a Democratic stumping ground, several candidates who will be participating in today's events were walked through their paces at The Citadel.

In addition to being taught how to conduct themselves physically, they are instructed how to answer potentially thorny questions about the facility.

Elsewhere around town, some of the Democrats began putting in their first debate-related campaign appearances. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson hosted two events on Sunday, in Mount Pleasant and on James Island, and was scheduled to meet with Mayor Riley at City Hall this morning.

Sen. Joe Biden, meanwhile, attended services at both St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Morris Brown AME Church downtown.

This afternoon, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is scheduled to make a brief appearance at Charleston's Waterfront Park around noon, and another appearance, at the American Theater on King Street at 5 p.m. He also has a final appearance in Charleston at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Kitty's Soul Food at 1137 Morrison Drive.|

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, meanwhile, has two brief campaign events planned for today, including a 1 p.m. stop at Gullah Cuisine in Mount Pleasant and a post-debate stop at his campaign's debate viewing party at the International Longshoreman's Association Hall on Morrison Drive in Charleston.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, who flew in from a campaign event in Miami last night and will depart for New Hampshire on Tuesday, has thus far scheduled only one event, a post-debate appearance at her campaign's debate watching party at the new Charleston Marriott Hotel at 170 Lockwood Drive.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Report: S.C. gas prices are lowest across U.S. State average cost: $2.83, says AAA

South Carolinians may complain about paying an arm and a leg to fill up their gas tanks, but they can find comfort in a AAA survey released Monday that shows the state has the cheapest gas in the country.

A gallon of regular gas in South Carolina averaged $2.83 on Monday, according to AAA's gas-tracking Web site www.fuelgaugereport.com. That's down .004 cents from Sunday and below the average U.S. price of $3.05 a gallon, which also dropped .004 cents from Sunday.

North Carolina has the twelfth-lowest gas price, at an average $2.95 per gallon.

The most expensive regular gas can be found in Nebraska at $3.33 a gallon.

Prices spiked in the last couple weeks because of outages at several U.S. oil refineries, but "it's starting to dribble down again," AAA Carolinas spokesman Tom Crosby said Monday.

Drivers on the Grand Strand are still paying the highest cost for gas in the cheapest state. The Myrtle Beach area's average price Monday was $2.89.

"It's a pain, but at least it's better than back home," said Hannah Chang, who was fill-

ing up her PT Cruiser with 12 gallons of $2.89 regular gas at the Citgo by Tanger Outlets on U.S. 17. Chang and some friends are visiting the Grand Strand from Missouri, where the average gallon costs $3.05.

South Carolina's lowest-in-the-country gas price average has two causes: the state's location on a key pipeline and a low state-gas tax, Crosby said.

South Carolina relies on the Colonial pipeline from the Gulf Coast, which goes through Charleston, so the state's prices aren't influenced as much by the recent refinery flooding in Kansas that has caused prices in the Midwest to surge.

That and other Midwest outages have caused a 6-cent price increase in the last three weeks, according to the Lundberg Survey released Sunday.

The average state gas tax is 21.25 cents per gallon, according to the the Federal Highway Administration.

The federal gas tax has added an additional 18.4 cents a gallon since 1997.

In South Carolina, the gas tax has been among the lowest, at 16 cents a gallon, since 1987, while North Carolina's tax is 31.5 cents a gallon after lawmakers increased it in 2006.

"Both states suffer from road construction and maintenance needs that are fueled by gas tax revenue, so at some point the roads are going to get a lot worse or the taxes are going to have to increase," Crosby said.

Fuel costs are more frequently influenced by demand and global events, which make it difficult to predict where prices will go in coming weeks.

"The real dilemma is that it's fragile, and with the Mideast unrest - if something goes worse than it is there now - or with the idea that we could have a hurricane or a refinery emergency, prices could go up," Crosby said. "Without anything happening, [reducing] our driving demand is one of the ways that we could bring prices down."

Contact EMMA RITCH at 444-1722 or eritch@thesunnews.com.

By Emma Ritch - The Sun News

Dancing in the moonlight

Dance the night away under the stars from 7-11 p.m. Friday at the Folly Beach Fishing Pier. Rob Duren will spin the oldies and beach music. Food will be available at Locklear's Beach City Grill and Gangplank Gift & Tackle Shop. Beverages will be available for purchase on-site. Tickets are $10 or $8 with Charleston County Park discount. Space is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance; call (843) 795-4FUN.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Mount Pleasant's growth outpaces state, nation

New population forecasts show growth in the town of Mount Pleasant outpacing Charleston County, the state of South Carolina and the United States. The forecast comes from Jerome N. McKibben of Rock Hill-based McKibben Demographic Research.

From 2005 to 2025, the population of the United States is forecasted to grow 16.9%, from 296 million to 346 million. The state of South Carolina is expected to grow 21.2%, from 4.2 million to 5.1 million.

Charleston County is forecasted to grow 18.8%, from 330,000 to 392,000. And the town of Mount Pleasant is expected to grow 24%, from 59,100 to 73,300.

The study was completed in April and used a number of factors to determine population growth through 2025. Indices included mortality and fertility rates, migration patterns and economic factors.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Del Webb community welcomes first homeowners

Del Webb Charleston, a 360-acre active adult community for adults age 55 and older, has officially opened near Summerville.

Del Webb plans 1,000 homes in the community within the master-planned development of Cane Bay Plantation off S.C. Highway 176.

The community will offer a variety of amenities and activities.

Del Webb Charleston is being developed by Pulte Homes Inc., a Fortune 150 company based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. The company had revenues of $14.3 billion in 2006 and has constructed nearly 500,000 homes in its 57-year history.

Call (843) 452-6038 or email Mike Terry for additional information.

Charleston among Top 10 retail markets

Charleston has been named among the top 10 retail investment markets in the country by one of the nation’s largest commercial real estate brokerage firms.

Sperry Van Ness , based in Irvine, Calif., has just released the retail edition of its 2007 Top 10 Markets To Watch Report, which examines economic factors that impact future retail investment real estate. In its report, Sperry Van Ness cites the top 10 markets to watch as:

• Albuquerque, N.M.
• Charleston
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Phoenix
• Raleigh/Durham, N.C.
• Salt Lake City
• Tucson, Ariz.
• West Palm Beach, Fla.

Charleston was chosen largely because of the area’s 5.36% increase in household income and 1.63% increase in population in 2007, the company reported. In addition, retail vacancy rates in the Charleston area are tight, at about 8.9%, which is expected to keep rents rising. Rents in the area increased 3.2% during 2006 to an average of $12.22 per square foot.

In compiling its report, Sperry Van Ness analyzed more than 60 primary, secondary and tertiary markets, examining economic factors that impact future retail investment in real estate. Market rankings were determined from a number of dynamics, including retail sales and inventory, vacancy factors and rental trends.

David Ebeling, communications manager for Sperry Van Ness, said the 10 markets were not ranked against each other, and no market within the list was ranked stronger than another in comparison.

“They’re all so close,” Ebeling said. “These are the ones that show the most promise in terms of the greatest potential for income growth.”

Founded in 1987, Sperry Van Ness is a commercial real estate brokerage firm with more than 900 advisers in 150 cities. The company advised clients on more than $10.9 billion in real estate transactions in 2006.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal - Daily Journal Staff

Condominium complex planned for Daniel Island

A four-story condominium complex is scheduled to break ground in downtown Daniel Island in September.

Developers Sam Levin and Michael Murray are creating a 68-unit complex called The Four Corners at Daniel Island. The project will be comprised of two buildings near the corner of Seven Farms and River Landing drives.

The condominiums will be offered from the low $200,000s to the low $400,000s, sales director Cindy Koontz said. There are 15 floor plans for the one- and two-bedroom units, which range from about 650 square feet to about 1,300 square feet.

Pre-sales are under way and model units may be complete by summer of 2008, Koontz said. The developers hope to close on the first home sales by next October.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Ethanol plant eyes tri-county, county officals skeptical

A number of ethanol companies have been coming to Charleston proposing plants; more than a dozen have “kicked the tires” in Berkeley County in the last year, said Al Kennedy, project manager for Berkeley County Economic Development.

The newest prospect in the Lowcountry is International Bio Energy Virginia LLC.

“They’ve told us (they are looking at Charleston),” said Warren Harris, economic development director for Chesapeake, Va. Harris and his colleagues in Chesapeake have worked feverishly to land the plant in their region. “I’m trying for them not to go to Charleston.”

International Bio Energy is a Switzerland-based corporation with its U.S. headquarters in Virginia. Currently, the corporation is working on three separate sites to launch ethanol plants; one of which in the United States. The other two will be located in Hungary and Germany. Eventually, the company plans to have seven ethanol locations.

International Bio Energy is working with undisclosed Charleston regional authorities to determine if the plant will come to the Lowcountry, said Rick Starnes, senior program manager for the development of the three ethanol plants for the company. If Charleston loses to Chesapeake, the region may end up as a secondary location.

“Charleston is a very strategic location,” Starnes said. “(Chesapeake and Charleston) are two ideal candidates for having two plants.”

The company is looking at a 100-acre site to build a $500 million ethanol plant and would bring 150 jobs to the region, Starnes said. He would not divulge the county or nearby town where the site will be located.

Local officials remain skeptical.

“I don’t know (if it is true),” Kennedy said of International Bio Energy possibly looking at Berkeley County. “And I don’t know if I could tell you if I did. We get ethanol projects rolling in and rolling out. A lot of them come in looking and put queries out and we just never hear from them again. I guess you’d call it tire-kicking.”

Dorchester County Economic Development Director Jim Friar was equally unconvinced. Rumors are rampant all the time about ethanol plants coming to Dorchester, Friar said in a message sent through his secretary.

But it seems International Bio Energy is doing more than kicking the tires.

“We are seriously coming,” Starnes said. “We’re working on permitting and were investigating opportunities in Charleston.”

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal - Lindsay Street, Staff Writer

Charleston ranked among top "foodie" destinations

According to a Travel Industry Association of America study, 58% of all U.S. leisure travelers say they are somewhat or very interested in taking a trip to engage in culinary or wine-related activities. With this in mind, editors of travel Web site Travelocity ranked international cities as top “foodie” destinations and Charleston made the 10-city list. “Culinary tourism has become very popular over the past few years,” said Jennifer Gaines, Travelocity editor. “People are traveling to cities around the world just to have an opportunity to savor the local cuisine.” The top 10 culinary destinations include:

• Barcelona, Spain
• Boulder, Colo.
• Charleston, S.C.
• Las Vegas
• London
• Montreal
• New Orleans
• New York
• Rome
• San Francisco

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

To donate to the firefighters' (Charleston 9) families

For continually updated information, see www.charleston.net. Here are some opportunities to give:

Bank of America: Make a donation at any branch or send money to: The City of Charleston Firemen's Fund, Box 304, Charleston, SC 29402.

First Federal: The Charleston Firefighters Memorial Fund was opened Monday at First Federal in response to the tragic loss of nine Charleston firefighters the preceding evening. The bank opened the account with $5,000 in a show of support for the families of the firefighters and the heroic firefighters community. The public is invited to join First Federal by making a donation in any First Federal office. The funds will be used to assist the families of those whose lives were lost fighting the fire at the Sofa Super Store on Savannah Highway in Charleston. Checks may also be mailed to: First Federal, c/o Linda Weber, 2440 Mall Dr., North Charleston, S.C. 29406.

Trident United Way: The agency will match the first $10,000 contributed to the City of Charleston Firemen's Fund to encourage support for the families and co-workers of the fallen firefighters.

Piggly Wiggly: Customers can donate at the register to the Charleston Fallen Firefighter Fund, created to raise money in support of the families of the firefighters who died. Piggly Wiggly will be kicking off the fund with a $10,000 donation.

Southcoast Community Bank: The bank has created the Southcoast Firefighter's Relief Fund to support the families of the victims. Southcoast will initially fund the account with $1,000. Additional donations in the form of cash and checks will be accepted at all 10 Southcoast Community Bank branches in the Charleston area. For additional information, contact Southcoast Community Bank at 884-0504 or www.southcoastbank.com.

provided by Charleston.net