GAINSWave® Treatment in Daniel Island, SC

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At the mid-year point, South Carolina boasts three of the top-selling 50 master-planned communities in the U.S.

RCLCO Real Estate Consulting ranked Cane Bay Plantation in Berkeley County at No. 5 with 525 sales during the first six months of 2022. That’s down 9 percent from last year’s midpoint.

Nexton, also in Berkeley, came in at No. 22 with with 308 sales, down 5 percent from the first six months of last year.

Latitude Margaritaville in Hardeeville near Hilton Head Island ranked No. 39 with 234 sales, down 29 percent from last year from January through June.

The top-selling, master-planned community continues to be The Villages, between Ocala and Orlando, Fla. It had about 1,500 sales, down 25 percent from last year at the midpoint.

Almost all of the top 50 are in the southern tier of states. Texas posted the most with 20, Florida landed 15, Nevada had four, California and Arizona saw three each, and Utah and Washington state notched one each.

Total new home sales among the 50 top-selling master-planned communities declined by 18 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the same time period last year, according to RCLCO.

“Supply chain issues and inadequate new home inventory have continued to pose problems for developers, as price increases and interest rate hikes have begun to impact traffic from potential buyers in recent months,” RCLCO said in its mid-year report.

Nationally, the average price among all new single-family homes is up 15 percent since mid-2021.

“The results of this updated mid-year report confirm that supply chain disruptions continue to have an impact on the ability of master-planned communities to meet new home demand, though climbing interest rates and price appreciation​​​​​​​ have begun to have an impact on that demand, at least in the near-term,” said RCLCO principal Karl Pischke.

“However, it is important not to overreact to the slowing of sales seen over the last year, as these are still short-term trends,” he said.

“The long-term future of the for-sale housing industry, as evidenced by favorable demographic tailwinds, is strong,” Pischke said. “And the future of master-planned communities, particularly in their ability to capture an outsized share of buyer demand during uncertain or difficult economic times, provides another reason for optimism.”

An affiliate of King and Society Real Estate of Charleston bought the 1.5-acre parcel in 2019 for $1.25 million and plans to open a 38-room new lodging​​​​​​​ with a restaurant and other amenities on the edge of Beresford Creek.

4427: Address on Spruill Avenue in North Charleston for a new alcohol-making business called Wind & Waves​​​​​​​ Brewing.

28,200: Square footage of new Buy Buy Baby store soon to open in North Charleston. It’s the company’s second store in South Carolina.

5,703: Square footage of new sports bar The Natural coming to Johns Island, tentatively in mid-August.

+ Sold: The historic Two Meeting Street Inn changed hands earlier this month for nearly $7.7M. It’s had just two previous owners in its 131-year history.

+ The scoop: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams plans to open a second Charleston-area venue in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre.

+ Breaking ground: Charleston kicks off work on $42 million affordable senior housing complex​​​​​​​ at former Archer School.

Developers Capital Square and Method Co. plan to open the 50-room ROOST Apartment Hotel​​​​​​​ by early 2024 at the site of the former Dixie Furniture Store at 529 King St. in downtown Charleston.

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Can you smell the aroma? The building was made for coffee lovers, literally.

The structure at 20 Fairchild St. was built in 2017 specifically for a Starbucks, following a survey in The Daniel Island News stating that’s what 88% of residents polled wanted.

Since then, the site has since matured into a Class A, mixed-use, 12,000-square-foot facility that is still home to the national coffee chain, Beacon Community Bank and Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery. Previously, Bin 526 Wine Bar was a fixture as well, which closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

Beacon Community Bank is a Charleston-based FDIC insured institution that accepts deposits, and loans money for both personal and business needs.

When asked what the most important thing to know about their business, the business said: “Beacon is a local bank built on relationships and service. One hundred percent of Beacon’s decisions are made here in Charleston and we give back to our community. This includes Beacon’s Board Members who are active members of the Charleston community. ‘It’s not my bank, It’s not your bank, It’s our bank!’”

When asked what they like about doing business on Daniel Island, the business said: “Daniel Island has been so welcoming to our bank. There is a great sense of cooperation between the residents and local businesses, which makes networking within the community easy and beneficial. The tailored banking experience we offer here at Beacon fits perfectly within this tight knit community.”

Branch manager Silva Goxhaj is the best point of contact. Goxhaj can be reached at (843) 364-9613 or emailed at silva.goxhaj@beacon.bank

Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery specializes in plastic surgery and offers a medical spa.

When asked what the most important thing to know about their business, the business said: “At Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery, we treat every patient as if they are family. Our offices are warm and inviting. Our goal is to ensure that everyone leaves us feeling beautiful, confident and empowered. After all, patient satisfaction is our greatest achievement and best advertisement!”

When asked what they like about doing business on Daniel Island, the business said: “Daniel Island is fantastic because of how unique this tight knit community is. Having a location here gives Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery the exciting opportunity to become part of a growing community and even more important, the Daniel Island family.”

Practice manager Vicky Tolbert is the best point of contact. Tolbert can be reached at (843) 471-1135 or emailed at info@sweetgrassplasticsurgery.com.

Starbucks regional management was contacted for this article, but was unable to be reached by publication. The location is said to be the largest Starbucks in South Carolina, according to property owner Mike White, Broker-in-Charge of Charleston Industrial, LLC.

Continental Realty Corporation (CRC), a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company, purchased its seventh asset in the greater Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area with the $3.9 million acquisition of The Shops at Towne Centre Way, a 7,054 square foot retail center at 1903 N. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant.

CRC acquired this asset in an off-market transaction from Church Property LLC, with Trey Lucy, Principal at Belk | Lucy representing both sides in the transaction.

The center is immediately adjacent to two CRC assets: Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, a 510,000-square-foot regional shopping venue acquired by the company in 2020, and Sweetgrass Corner, a nearly 90,000 square foot neighborhood shopping center purchased by CRC earlier this year.

The Shops at Towne Centre Way was purchased on behalf of Continental Realty Fund V, L.P., managed by CRC. Fund V is a $210.8 million private equity fund focused on acquiring value-add retail and multifamily properties in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. This represents the 11th retail asset acquired by Fund V, following the $17 million acquisition of Sweetgrass Corner. Also through Continental Realty Fund V, in early 2022 CRC acquired 175 of the 200 apartment units contained within Sweetgrass Landing Apartments for $55 million. Since its inception, Fund V has acquired a total of 15 retail and multifamily properties.

In the Mount Pleasant area, Fund V also owns The Six Apartments, a 92-unit community located at 2170 Snyder Circle in Mount Pleasant which was acquired this January. CRC now owns seven assets in the greater Charleston area, including Central Island Square, a mixed-use project within the 4,000-acre master-planned community of Daniel Island and consisting of 313 multifamily units and nearly 30,000 square feet of retail space; and West Ashley Shoppes, a nearly 140,000 square foot neighborhood retail center across from Citadel Mall.

Constructed in 2001, The Shops at Towne Centre Way consists of four retail spaces that were 100% leased at the time of the transaction, including a nail salon, vision center and Marble Slab Creamery. The asset is situated on a corner lot with direct exposure to Mount Pleasant Towne Center and Sweetgrass Corner between N. Highway 17 and Hungry Neck Boulevard near the intersection of Isle of Palms Connector.

Nearly 45,000 vehicles pass the site on a daily basis via US Highway 17, and the center is located on a strategic corridor connecting Mount Pleasant to Charleston, with direct links to Interstate 526 serving the nearby towns of Daniel Island, North Charleston and West Ashley. Nearly 60,000 consumers, with an average household income exceeding $125,000, reside within a three-mile radius of The Shops at Towne Centre Way.

Derek Epperson is a family man, a businessman and a fisherman. The Indiana native also is the Rotary Club of Daniel Island’s newest president at the helm of the philanthropic organization.

On July 1, Epperson assumed the leadership role that was held by Mary Jo Romeo for the past year. Epperson will hold the position until July 1, 2023.

He moved to Charleston in 2015 from Kentucky, where Epperson had moved after college to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals. He’s been involved in the pharmaceutical business for the past 23 years and for the last seven years, he’s been planting his roots deep in the soil of the Lowcountry.

After Epperson arrived in the area in June 2015, four months later in October he joined the club. “I just love that (Rotary) is so service-oriented,” Epperson said. “They are a very vibrant club that is out doing great things for the community.”

In the early beginnings when Epperson first came aboard, he held the board position of public image director. Since then, he has been part of a slew of community service projects and food drives, especially around the holidays when money, time and resources are tight.

Aside from being the incoming president, he has also served as Mr. Sunshine, a role he launched to bring a bit of laughter to the club’s weekly meetings.

“Derek Epperson is a phenomenal Rotarian and leader,” Romeo said. “He is smart, strategic, kind and thoughtful... Derek has always been willing to step up and serve the club and our community.”

When Epperson was nominated by the board for the job, making him the 21st president in the club’s history dating back to 2001, he was humbled. “One of my mottos in life is to always try to leave something a little better than the way you found it.”

Epperson is aware that the clock is ticking on his newly established presidency. Under the club’s bylaws, every president gets one year in office with no consecutive terms.

This year, Epperson said the club’s focus will be on a big project initiative. Every three to four years, the club will look to do a project that betters the community like a park, memorial or garden – something that can be given back to the community for all to use.

Epperson’s goal is to lay the foundation of the next project for his successor. He hopes and intends for this tradition to be carried onward like a legacy for years to come.

For the foreseeable future, Epperson said he will put his best foot forward in all aspects of life. “I’ve got a full-time job and a full-time family. I typically try to take an hour or two each day in the morning or evening when I get home to stay caught up on any email communications or phone calls.”

Epperson lives on Clements Ferry Road near the Point Hope subdivision. When he’s not meeting the demands of running a nonprofit, he’s watching movies with his wife, Shannon, son, Gus and daughter, Maisie. Or eating out as a family at Dog & Duck, their favorite dining spot.

Rotary club holds one membership meeting a week and one board meeting a month. Next week, the club is traveling to Charleston City Hall for a fellowship event.

The next club meeting will take place Aug. 3, featuring guest speaker Nick Wong, executive director of the Maritime Association of South Carolina.

Later next month on Aug. 17 the club will be paid a visit from Rotary District Governor Bob Gross.

Daniel Island’s rotary club is made up of 94 members. Their satellite club on the Cainhoy peninsula, launched in 2021, currently has 14 members.

As Charleston continues to boom as an attractive destination for tourists and business, the expansion for hospitality in the Lowcountry becomes a high priority. Daniel Island may serve as a place of refuge by way of a newly proposed hotel, restaurant, event space and guest cottages.

In June, Daniel Island’s Architectural Review Board approved the conceptual design of a proposed hotel at 1995 Daniel Island Dr. and on Monday evening the City of Charleston Design Review Board voted 6-0 to approve the same design with some aesthetic revisions.

Next up, the hotel will undergo a preliminary submittal process through the city’s Technical Review Committee prior to obtaining final permits.

A 1,536 square foot single floor office building constructed in 1996 currently sits on a portion of the 1.5 acre site. That building is occupied by Beatty Management, a property management firm. The existing site is slated to be demolished.

The hotel would be located across the street from the former Blackbaud headquarters and the Old Charleston Battery soccer stadium, which is the future site of a 320-unit multifamily apartment complex called Nowell Creek Village.

Over the past 20 years, the 1995 Daniel Island Dr. has been home to a myriad of businesses and island celebrations. The building was the original sales center for Daniel Island Real Estate. It also served as the location of the inaugural Blessing of Daniel Island in 1997 around Thanksgiving. Over the years, the site housed an art school (Daniel Island Music and Arts) and a chiropractor’s office.

In May 2019, the 1.5 acre parcel was acquired by JT Industries from the Daniel Island Inn for $1.25 million. The properties previous owners included the Daniel Island Company.

According to DRB Administrator David Meeks, the scope of the project is piecemealed into four sections: The main building is scaled to be 11,200 square feet and three stories tall and will serve as the hotel, restaurant and event space. Four guest houses are planned at 8,500 square feet each. Two two-story cottages will be 866 square feet each. And, two two-story cabanas will overlook the marsh on Beresford Creek at 592 square feet each.

The design calls for a total of 38 units, along with 50 parking spaces. The developer is local King and Society Real Estate and the architect is local Neil Stevenson Architects, acclaimed in 2008 for Best In American Living Award’s “Best Urban Smart Growth

The owner was contacted for comment but was not reached by the time of this article’s publication. The developer and the ARB declined to comment due to the preliminary nature of the project.

The earliest the hotel could obtain permits would be by the fall. Construction would not break ground until next spring if all goes according to plan.