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

Smoking ban passes in Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant joined the league of nine municipalities across the state banning smoking in workplaces at Tuesday night's monthly town council meeting. Town council voted 7-2 in favor of the ban.

Within the tri-county, Mount Pleasant, Charleston and Sullivan's Island all have indoor smoking bans, including restaurants and bars. Sullivan's Island was the first area municipalities to enact the ban last July. Charleston's ban will become effective July 23, and Mount Pleasant's will become effective Sept. 1.

Earlier this year, the Mount Pleasant Town Council decided to delay decision on the ordinance because many of the municipalities with smoking bans have faced lawsuits. However, when the state Legislature failed to enact a statewide smoking ban, many members of the council felt inclined to protect their citizens from the dangers of smoking, said Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, town councilwoman

"I think it was the best thing to do," she said. "We were hoping that we would be able to wait until the state Legislature ruled on the smoking ban. … When they didn't rule on it, I thought that it was time for us to take some action."

By Lindsay Street, Staff Writer - Charleston Regional Business Journal

Mount Pleasant Town Council Meeting News:

Last night at the Mount Pleasant, SC Town Council meeting several issues were discussed including first reading for the "Central Mount Pleasant" project.

Town Council delayed zoning decision for the Snee Farm project that would create 57 new homes in Snee Farm. READ MORE

"Mount Pleasant Square" passes reading by Mount Pleasant town council by a 5 to 4 vote.  Located at the intersection of Ben Sawyer Boulevard and Rifle Range Road. The project proposes 287 condo units with more than 83,000 square feet of retail space.  READ MORE

Also passing first reading last night by town council was 12 home sites for habitat for humanity.  These will be located in the Phillips community off of Hwy-41 in Mount Pleasant.

After much discussion town council sent the much talked about "NO SMOKING" ordinance back to committee to be revised before voting on it.  Much of the debate centered around the "teeth" of the bill.  Several councilmen wanted to tame the ordinance a bit by making the offense more like a parking ticket than a criminal offense. This should be placed back on next months adgenda.

Central Mount Pleasant passes first phase

"Four ordinances designed to facilitate the construction of Central Mount Pleasant came in front of Mount Pleasant Town Council Tuesday night.

Central Mount Pleasant, a project by Mount Pleasant-based McAlister Development Co., was hailed by many citizens as a great development because of the low impact to roads and the increased walk-ability of the town it promised.

Central Mount Pleasant would lie on a 110-acre tract in between Hungry Neck Boulevard and Rifle Range Road. The project goal is to create a downtown Mount Pleasant using the New Urbanism concept of locating housing near restaurants, shops and green spaces".... READ MORE

Pharmaceutical maker plans $28.5 million expansion

GenPhar Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that develops and produces therapeutic vaccines against some of the world’s most dangerous diseases, is planning a $28.5 million expansion of its presence in the Lowcountry.

On Wednesday night, the Mount Pleasant-based company, which recently moved into an interim facility on Seacoast Road, received final approval for a new 50,000-square-foot facility to be located in the Oakland Plantation Business Park on Highway 17 at Porcher Bluff Road. The approval, however, is pending the resolution of minor design issues brought up by town staff.

The plan outlined for the town of Mount Pleasant Design Review Board by architect James P. Verkaik is for the creation of a three-story building, with GenPhar’s offices to be located on the ground floor, lab space located on the second and high maintenance equipment, like the lab’s filtration system, located on the third.

In addition to the main building, the plan also calls for the construction of an 800-square-foot accessory building.

Once GenPhar addresses the design issues, the biggest of which is the placement of an awning over the building’s main entrance, it will be able to secure its building permit.

“It’s definitely the biggest project we’ve done in Mount Pleasant, although my company has done big projects elsewhere, including Benefitfocus’ building on Daniel Island,” said Verkaik, who company, James P. Verkaik Architects LLC, is also headquartered in Mount Pleasant.

“It’s an exciting project that will have an international impact in the world of health sciences and has tremendous implications for the economic development of the region,” he said.

Representatives of the company declined to comment on their expansion plans, which had largely been kept under wraps pending a formal announcement.

The planned facility will employ 133 people.

Later today, the Charleston County Council’s finance committee is set to accept a $50,000 utility incentive being provided to GenPhar by the SCANA Corp.

The Utility License Tax Credit Infrastructure Grant is intended to help extend public utility service to the new facility. Under the grant program, a municipality—in this case Charleston County—must act as grantee and administer the grant through its economic development office.

The Charleston County Council finance committee has already acted twice regarding financial incentives for GenPhar Inc.

In September 2006, the committee accepted a $175,000 Set-Aside grant from the S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development for use by GenPhar for site development and entry-road expenses.

Last December, the committee authorized fee-in-lieu-of-taxes financial incentives on the proposed investment by the company as well as the use of up to $35,000 as a contribution toward infrastructure expenses associated with the project.

A document outlining the incentives for the committee’s use today said Charleston County’s contribution for infrastructure expenses was equivalent to those made by the town of Mount Pleasant and the Mount Pleasant Water and Sewer Commission.

The finance committee’s recommendation on the SCANA Corp. incentive is expected to be ratified by the full Charleston County Council at its meeting March 6.

Verkaik told the Mount Pleasant Design Review Board that having the project approvals in place as quickly as possible was vital to the company’s efforts to line up additional grants and funding in support of the lab. The federal government typically bestows such grants only once a year.

He later told the Charleston Regional Business Journal that the company is seeking millions of dollars worth of grants to purchase equipment for the laboratory and vaccine production facility.

But if the approval of the incentive packages and building design seem on a fast track, GenPhar must still secure the approval of the federal Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, a process Verkaik said could take months.

“You can turn plans around and secure your building permits, but you can’t put a shovel in the ground until the OCRM says so,” he said.

County officials indicated that OCRM approval also will figure in significantly when the project actually gets on the county’s tax rolls.

Although a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive has been approved, the county still has to pass a formal fee-in-lieu-of-taxes ordinance that will establish the millage rate for the site and effectively start the tax clock ticking.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal by By Dan McCue , Staff Writer

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT PUBLIC HEARING - RECREATION MASTER PLAN (2007-2017)

The Town of Mount Pleasant will be hosting two public hearings to seek input on the proposed Mount Pleasant Recreation Master Plan.  Consultants will present information boards regarding current and potential programs and activities. The public is invited to give input and fill out a survey on the types of programs and activities they would like included in the Recreation Master Plan over the next ten (10) years.  The meetings will be held at the following locations:

MARCH 6, 2007
Park West  Program Building
1251 Park West Blvd.
6:00 - 7:30 PM

MARCH 8,2007
Town Hall Gym
100 Ann Edwards Lane
6:00 - 7:30 PM

For additional information on the Master Plan public hearings, contact the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department at (843) 856-2174.

Mount Pleasant - Town Council says "NO SMOKING"

Tonight February 13, 2007 at the Town Council meeting in Mount Pleasant after much debate and public outcry - Town Council passed an ordinance for the town attorney to prepare a ordinance within 30 days to ban smoking in ALL public places (Restaurants, bars, etc...).  The vote was 7-3 in favor.  When this is brought back to council next month - there should be a vote on this ordinance whether to enact or not.  The time frame to enact this ordinance seems to be a sticking point for some members and at least one member (the mayor - Harry Hallman) wants to wait to see how the law suits against Sullivan's Island and Charleston turn out before taking up this issue.  This discussion was placed on the agenda by Town council member Gary Santos and Paul Gawrych.  Stay tuned!

Hotel, medical facility coming to Mount Pleasant

A Courtyard by Marriott hotel is under construction at one of Mount Pleasant’s most prominent intersections: the corner of Interstate 526 and U.S. Highway 17.

The130-room, 77,366-square-foot hotel is scheduled to be completed by September. It will have an outdoor swimming pool and a meeting room with capacity for 122 people.

South Hampton Ventures, a limited liability corporation that is a subsidiary of Bennett Hofford Construction Co. Inc., is the owner of the franchise being built on four acres just south of Mount Pleasant’s Towne Centre.

“We see it as the center of Mount Pleasant. We feel like it will be a great location and have really good visibility for people coming in from (Interstate) 526 and (U.S.) 17,” said Tracy Ray, a developer with Bennett Hofford.

CPI General Contractors is handling the approximately $13.5 million project.

Next to the hotel and fronting U.S. 17, Imaging Specialists of Charleston is building a 14,500-square-foot medical imaging facility that will be the first stand-alone office for the 21 radiologists of Charleston Radiology Associates PA. It is an expansion for the group, which primarily provides radiology services for Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center.

Imaging Specialists of Charleston will offer advanced technology at no additional cost, including a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging technology, which offers higher magnetic field imaging that is not widely available.

“This is the next generation of MRI,” said Dr. Michael Garovich, president of Charleston Radiologists PA. “What’s really exciting is added quality doesn’t cost patients any more than studies on a lower field strength magnet.”

 The new imaging center will offer 24-hour turnaround for results and a boutique environment that is more like a hotel than a medical facility, said Hunter Kerrison, spokeswoman for Imaging Specialists.

Imaging Specialists of Charleston is scheduled to open in June.

By Kathleen Dayton , Staff Writer

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Lease indicates Kohl’s is coming to Mount Pleasant
By Kathleen Dayton , Staff Writer

Kohl’s, the Ohio-based department store chain, signed a ground lease Monday with Avtex Commercial Properties Inc. of Greenville. Avtex is the developer of The Market at Oakland in Mount Pleasant.

Jason Smallwood, leasing agent for Avtex, confirmed that negotiations with Kohl’s had been finalized.

“That is a done deal,” he said.

Officials with the department store chain have not yet announced their plans to build in the area.

Anne Simaytis, a public relations coordinator for the chain, said Kohl’s has an ongoing real estate assessment process and is constantly reviewing sites in communities nationwide.

“When we have firm details, we are happy to share them,” she said.

Kelli Ramey, the chain’s manager of public relations, said Kohl’s normally announces new store plans just prior to store openings, which take place in spring and fall.

Jeff Ball, commercial plan reviewer for the town of Mount Pleasant, said Kohl’s had submitted an application for a building permit and he estimates it could be ready by mid-March.

“They have gone through the planning department’s required review in order to get approval for their conceptual plans, how the building looks and its size,” Ball said.

Kohl’s plans nearly 90,000 square feet of retail space on a 10-acre site at The Market at Oakland, which is located on U.S. Highway 17 near Park West.

Simaytis said Kohl’s department stores normally hire about 150 full- and part-time employees. The chain currently has 817 stores in 45 states, including seven stores in South Carolina, where its presence has been on the increase. New stores are set to open this spring in Florence and Rock Hill, Simaytis said. The chain opened a store in Myrtle Beach last October and launched its Summerville store in 2004.

Kohl’s had net sales of $13.4 billion in 2005. Sales for 2006 have not been released, but sales for the five-week period ended Dec. 30, 2006, increased 11.2% from the same period in 2005.

Simaytis said Kohl’s looks for communities with a high concentration of families and children. The chain will join a 185,000-square-foot Wal-Mart anchoring The Market at Oakland.

“Mount Pleasant is a market that a lot of retailers want to be in,” said Smallwood, the AVTEX leasing agent. “Most retailers are very aware of this market.”

The Market at Oakland broke ground in November 2004 and will be built in four phases on 75 acres, Smallwood said. Kohl’s and Wal-Mart are so far the only retailers who have signed leases.

“We’re just getting to see who’s interested in the center,” Smallwood said. “I certainly hope it attracts a mixture of national and local tenants, something that really helps the Mount Pleasant area.

The area’s burgeoning population will soon support two Wal-Marts in the area, as the discount giant plans to keep its existing Mount Pleasant store near the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and Interstate 526 open along with the new store.

Wal-Mart, Kohl’s and any other retailer locating in the The Market at Oakland will be part of a master plan approved by Avtex and Mount Pleasant Town Council. Buildings in the project must develop facades that follow specific architectural design criteria.

The Market at Oakland is a village concept with 415,000 square feet planned for retail space and 273,400 square feet of space reserved for offices and economic development. A Wachovia bank branch office is also part of the project and is under construction at the corner of U.S. Highway 17 and Porchers Bluff Road

The Market at Oakland is being constructed on part of a former plantation with a home dating from 1859 that is still a private residence. The home and grounds are being preserved and the plans for the retail project are focused on preserving open space. More than 200 acres of the plantation property has been placed in a conservation easement.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Mount Pleasant, SC Recreation department

6 year old Basketball league

My son had his second game of the season on Saturday.  Fun was had by all.  This is a mixed league of boys and girls with an emphisis on fundamentals.  The Mount Pleasant, SC recreation department has been voted the #1 recreation department in the state of South Carolina for many years running.