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Cambridge Square gives ‘urban center’ to subdivision
By Dennis Quick
Senior Staff Writer
Park West, a suburban development off of U.S. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant, will be the site of a new urban development—Cambridge Square, a 35-acre area upon which 138,000 square feet will be built.
Cambridge Square will feature distinctly urban residential units, such as townhouses, “New York-style” lofts and condominiums built above retail outlets, according to Mike Surles, president of Mount Pleasant-based Mike Surles & Associates, which is marketing the development.
Developed by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Centrium Associates LLC, Cambridge Square will be a “walkable” neighborhood built with pedestrians in mind rather than cars, Surles explained.
“It’s a place where people can live, work, shop and enjoy nature,” he said.
Charlotte, N.C.-based general contractor Shelco Inc. will build Cambridge Square. Mount Pleasant-based Bell Architects designed the buildings, and Mount Pleasant landscape architect David Tomlin will design the grounds.
The developers hope to begin construction this March and finish in two years. Surles would not reveal the development’s cost.
Cambridge Square will include 35 condominiums, 22 lofts and 18 luxury townhouses. Units will be two and three bedrooms and range from about 1,800 square feet to 2,400 square feet. Surles declined to discuss sales prices.
Buildings will be no higher than three stories, with the first stories reserved for retail space. A parking garage will include aboveground parking with walkways leading to residences above retail stores.
Since Cambridge Square will be within a 2.5-mile radius of some 10,000 homes and at the development’s center will be a traffic circle through which an estimated 44,000 daily automobile trips will pass between highways 17 and 41, Cambridge Square could be a goldmine location for retailers, Surles pointed out.
In addition to four parks, the development will include two restaurants and a specialty foods store selling fine wines, meats and other upscale products. Specialty retailers will dominate the retail space. Additionally, space is being planned for medical and other professional offices.
“Park West knew it would need a commercial center where folks could buy food and go shopping,” Surles said.
Development trend
Mixed-use developments like Cambridge Square are a hot trend among the nation’s developers because there is less land available for suburban sprawl, Surles noted.
Residents also desire more convenient shopping and recreational amenities close to where they live, he added.
The Lowcountry, with its growing population, is a choice location for creating mixed-use developments, Surles said.
“It can be done many times in Charleston, but it has to be planned well,” Surles said.
Planning such developments is something of a specialty in the Surles family. Surles’ first cousin is married to the president of Cambridge Square’s developer, Centrium Associates. Their son, who is involved in Cambridge Square, grew up with Surles’ son, Mat, who helps oversee Cambridge Square’s progress.
“Mat is the one who makes it all work,” Surles said. “In some cases, he’s done more than I have.”
Developments like Cambridge Square are commonplace in Europe and were once the essence of U.S. cities before suburbs arrived, noted Surles, who traveled to Europe, Florida, California and North Carolina to see how these developments are flourishing in the modern world.
“We’re putting a new twist on an old idea,” he said.
Dennis Quick is senior staff writer at the Business Journal. E-mail him at dquick@charlestonbusiness.com.
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