Turning Phosphate Gold By Dan McCue The land at the elbow of the area’s two interstates was once a phosphate mine. Now it’s a gold mine.
With the opening of a Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, and last year’s opening of a 35-acre Tanger Outlet Center, the price of land at the Centre Pointe development in North Charleston has shot up to more than $1 million an acre, according to the primary developers of the site.
“We’ve actually turned down deals of over $1 million an acre for out-parcel land at the site,” said Lenn Jewel, a vice president of the Weiser Companies and a partner in Centre Pointe LLC, the entities overseeing the overall development of the area.
Mall teen policies balance spending, safety By Kathleen Dayton If you are young or young-looking, be prepared to show your identification at more than 40 malls around the country, including two in South Carolina.
State’s political exposure: Priceless By Dan McCue The prolonged campaign leading to South Carolina’s first-in-the-South presidential primary next year could prove to be an economic bonanza for the state.
Political observers, who have been crisscrossing the state in recent weeks, estimate the campaigns will bring in as much as $150 million.
As cities sprawl, farms are the next tourist attractions By Kathleen Dayton As an increasing number of homes and businesses replace the rural landscape, farmers across the country are looking for ways to compete in the marketplace and preserve their way of life.
New WPC headquarters marks another Noisette milestone By Dennis Quick To officials at WPC Inc., moving their headquarters from Mount Pleasant to The Navy Yard at Noisette, a community restoration project in North Charleston, made a lot of sense.
Cigarette tax? Welcome to Groundhog Day in the General Assembly By Bill Settlemyer Remember the film “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray? He played a cynical TV newscaster assigned to the dreary task of covering Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pa.
Why the smoking compromise hurts everyone By Dan Carrigan and Dianne Wilson South Carolina’s Senate Judiciary Committee and a House subcommittee recently passed revised bills that would overturn all nine of the past year’s local smoke-free laws in exchange for one of the nation’s weakest statewide smoke-free laws.
Political exposure: Reporters looking forward to Charleston in January By Dan McCue Inside the press room at the Democratic debate in Orangeburg, reporters mixed talk of politics with discussions of where they’d visit over the weekend, dinner plans and how nice it will be to visit South Carolina during winter, after braving Iowa and New Hampshire in December and January.
Political exposure: S.C. primary move will help candidates shape message By Dan McCue South Carolina’s decision to move its primary up to just behind the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary next year will ultimately benefit the candidates, said House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., during last month’s Democratic debate in Orangeburg.
Small retailers square off with chains in Lowcountry By Kathleen Dayton The tug-of-war between independent retailers and national chains and superstores over the American consumer is not a new thing, but one local businessman thinks the challenge is not as tough as it seems.
Firefighting museum becoming a hot North Charleston attraction By Dennis Quick Firefighting buffs, historians and kids of all ages have a treat in the new North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center in the city’s Centre Pointe retail development.
MeadWestvaco steers plan for former timber land By Kathleen Dayton Paper manufacturing giant MeadWestvaco wants the public to be part of the planning process for 72,000 pristine acres it owns along the Edisto River, straddling Charleston and Dorchester counties.
The digital undercurrent By Shelia Watson The sale of Charleston-based Digital Lifestyle Outfitters to Royal Philips Electronics in April was not only a mark of substantial success for DLO’s founder Jeff Grady, but also affirmed that nurturing small digital companies is an effective economic development tactic.
Army Corps: Terminal permit decision sound By Dan McCue When it came to deciding whether to issue a permit for the planned S.C. State Ports Authority terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base in North Charleston, Lt. Col. Edward R. Fleming of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said a single, overriding question remained paramount.
Traffic analysis based on what is, not what might be By Dan McCue How the new S.C. State Ports Authority port terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base would impact traffic congestion in the area has been an ongoing concern throughout the permitting process for the new terminal.
Concerns linger about impacts of the new terminal By Dan McCue In the weeks leading up to the issuance of a permit for the S.C. State Ports Authority’s proposed terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base, a number of municipalities, responding to residents’ concerns, passed nonbinding resolutions intended to slow the permitting process.
Academy teaches minority contractors the ABCs of business, opens doors By Dennis Quick Stephon Edwards, president of Orangeburg-based construction company Paragon Builders, told the Lowcountry HUB Contractor Business Academy’s 19 graduates that the grueling 14-week program they had just completed will serve them well.
Mount Pleasant welcomes multiple downtowns By Lindsay Street Through all of Mount Pleasant’s growth, a true downtown has yet to emerge and now at least two developments are bidding to become the town’s center.
State’s tourism action plan highlights ‘blooming’ potential By Shelia Watson When it comes to tourism in South Carolina, there is much to celebrate but, equally, much work to do, said Chad Prosser, head of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Trucker shortage grows more severe By Kathleen Dayton The lure of the open road and the power of a big rig rumbling down a rural highway may seem the epitome of American commerce, but the romance of trucking isn’t grabbing today’s job seekers.
Charleston lifestyle lures young lawyers from big cities By Dennis Quick Paul VanWagenen, a 31-year-old attorney in law firm Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein’s Charleston’s office, recalls how once upon a time he and his wife found Washington, D.C., a fun place to be.
Effects of new employee rights bill uncertain By Kathleen Dayton A bill that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is once again before the U.S. House of Representatives.
As market expands, some law firms choosing to stay small By Kathleen Dayton First there were boutiques: small stores focused on specialty merchandise. Then boutique hotels came along; smaller, more intimate versions of the giant flagships but with the same upscale flair. Today, boutique law firms are creating a buzz as more firms place their focus on highly specialized areas and market to specific clients.
Presidential veto not yet affecting local contracts By Shelia Watson In a war of words with Congress, President George W. Bush sent a salvo in the form of a veto of the war spending bill that would impose timelines to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.
Capturing the essence of Charleston in a brand By Dan McCue To Robert Priouleau of Blue Ion, the interactive marketing firm housed in the Cigar Factory building on East Bay Street, the idea is the distillation of realizing that something ordinarily taken for granted is actually an indication of how lucky you are.
Timing is right for Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan By Shelia Watson The timing couldn’t be better. A document that originated in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 has become the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program just months after an upheaval in the S.C. Department of Transportation that ousted its director.
Animal Planet brings ‘Spring Watch U.S.A.’ to Kiawah By Lindsay Street A crew of fewer than 15 surrounded Animal Planet star Jeff Corwin as he stood on a marsh dock outside the Vanderhorst House on Kiawah Island. For perfect sound recording, silence is required—something that abounds in golf-savvy Kiawah.
The ABC’s (a few D’s and one E) of telling a story By Elizabeth Boineau When we were young, we wanted a wise, literate and semi-astute individual to tell us a story that would capture our interest, attention and imagination for moments and sometimes hours, based on the intrigue of the topic juxtaposed to our need for sleep.
Going up or sideways: Which is right for you? By Barbara Poole Joe, a client of mine who works in the pharmaceutical industry, is one of the most dedicated and talented employees any organization could hope to have. He’s been with his company for 18 years.
Calendar MAY 22: Center for Women event. 6 p.m. at the Tate Center for Entrepreneurship, downtown Charleston. Topic: Mothers and daughters in business. Speakers: Carrie Bailey-Morey and Callie White, Callie’s Charleston Biscuits, and Darcy Whalen and Ashleigh Kresslein, Simply Divine Home & Garden.
People in the News Ronald F. Green has been named dean of The Citadel School of Business Administration, effective July 1.
Accolades & More Rodrick Samuels, founder of Profile Barber Institute in Ladson, was appointed to the business advisory council for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Giving Back C of C offers a ‘Break from the Books’ Students at the College of Charleston organized a “Break from the Books” celebration during spring semester exams to help raise funds and awareness for the Trident Literacy Association.
Global Aeronautica delivers first assembly for 787 project By Dan McCue Global Aeronautica achieved a significant milestone Tuesday night, delivering its first mid-fuselage section for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The combined section, measuring 84 feet in length, was assembled from components built in Grottaglie, Italy, and Nagoya, Japan. It represents about half of the Dreamliner’s fuselage structure.
Photo Finish I’ON ANNIVERSARY FEATURES PARK DEDICATION In honor of its 10th anniversary, the I’On development in Mount Pleasant dedicated a new park, called Avant Garden, to the neighborhood’s developer, Vince Graham.
Council OKs agreement for Central Mount Pleasant By Kathleen Dayton and Lindsay Street Mount Pleasant Town Council passed final reading of a development agreement that would create a mixed-use plan in the heart of Mount Pleasant. The town last week had agreed to defer final reading on the Central Mount Pleasant project until today at the developers’ request for more time to complete the development agreement.
Democrats converge on Charleston for July debate By Dan McCue Haven’t caught presidential debate fever yet? You’ll get your chance this summer when Charleston hosts a nationally televised debate among the Democratic candidates vying for the White House. The sparing session is scheduled for July 23 and will be broadcast live on CNN.
Santee Cooper to launch net billing pilot program By Shelia Watson After a year-long review of regulatory standards in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Santee Cooper’s board of directors has directed the utility’s staff to study the concept of net billing and present a pilot program for residential customers in the fall.
Parish to plead not guilty at Wednesday arraignment By Dan McCue Economist Al Parish, accused of bilking nearly 600 clients through a series of investment pools he ran for more than 20 years, will plead not guilty to 11 criminal charges lodged against him when he appears in federal court on Broad Street on Wednesday.
‘Fragile’ Parish says he didn’t hide assets By Dan McCue Fallen economist and professor Al Parish says he did not hide any assets he’s accused of bilking from as many as 600 investors, said J. David Dantzler, an attorney and investigator for receiver Hays Financial Consulting.
Sen. Clinton ties pre-K education to Iraq, business development By Dan McCue Striving to provide enhanced peace of mind for working parents and to help grow a future work force to fill high-skill jobs that now go unfilled, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., has proposed the creation of a universal pre-kindergarten education program for every 4-year-old in the nation.
Parish pleads not guilty, bail hearing set for next week By Dan McCue Standing before a courtroom filled with family, supporters and business associates, former investment counselor and Charleston Southern University economist Al Parish this morning pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he had bilked nearly 600 investors of close to $50 million.
Plantations’ slavery exhibits hope to attract more tourists By Dennis Quick On the 450-acre Magnolia Plantation and Gardens a row of five wooden cabins stand in disrepair, but their survival reveals the legacy of the people that once occupied the tiny structures. Four cabins built in the 1850s were homes to slaves, and one cabin built in 1900 was home to descendents of slaves.
New science facility approved for College of Charleston By Kathleen Dayton After more than a decade of planning, the College of Charleston will break ground this fall on a new science building to house its chemistry and biology departments. The city of Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review approved plans Wednesday for the three-story, 125,000-square-foot building to be built at 205 Calhoun St. at the corner of Coming Street.
Charleston County announces evacuation pick-up points By Dan McCue Hoping to avoid a Lowcountry replay of the scores of stranded citizens seen in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Charleston County and municipal officials this morning announced the designation of 75 evacuation pick-up points for residents who don’t have transportation in the event of a mandatory evacuation.
