Mortgage Broker in Park Circle, SC

A new 210-unit apartment development is coming to the Park Circle area of North Charleston.

Real estate developer The Beach Co. of Charleston and investment firm ParkProperty Capital of Atlanta recently broke ground on The Assembly, a multifamily community slated as part of the Garco Park redevelopment project near O’Hear Avenue.

The four-story complex will offer a mix of floorplans, including studio to two-bedroom units. Features include stainless steel appliances, tile backsplashes, large walk-in closets, vinyl plank flooring and quartz countertops.

Tim Cotter, development manager at The Beach Co., called the new development “a Class A apartment community with unmatched amenities in the Park Circle neighborhood.”

Amenities will include a resort-style pool, fitness center, yoga room, pet spa, co-working lounge, game room and walkability to retail and nightlife options along East Montague and Spruill avenues.

The development is a first investment in the Charleston area for ParkProperty Capital.

“We see a lot of opportunity in this vibrant, historic neighborhood,” said Brendan Whalen, ParkProperty’s managing director.

The Assembly is scheduled to be completed in late 2024, with preleasing starting in summer 2024.

SUMMERVILLE — A national builder wants to disturb about a dozen acres of wetlands to build a 661-home development off Interstate 26 on a large parcel recently annexed into this once-sleepy town west of Charleston.

D.R. Horton is asking federal regulators to approve filling 10.7 acres of wetlands and excavating 1.6 acres for road crossings and infrastructure on an 836-acre tract at Drop Off Drive and Sheep Island Road near Nexton Parkway interchange.

The residential subdivision would sit on 311 acres of higher ground “while avoiding and minimizing wetland impacts to the greatest extent practicable,” according to the environmental permit application.

To offset disturbance of the wetlands, the Texas-based homebuilder plans to put restrictive covenants on 542 acres, including 504 acres of wetlands and a 25-foot buffer that encompasses 38 acres of high ground.

D.R. Horton is proposing that the preservation would qualify the builder for a 25 percent reduction in required mitigation credits, and it would buy about 106 wetland credits through a Palmetto State mitigation bank with a site in Berkeley County.

The homebuilder’s move comes after Miami-based land-banking firm HIC Land LLC paid $4 million earlier this year for a 122-acre parcel in the same nearly 1,000-acre tract that Summerville annexed in 2020.

The sold site extends from Drop Off Drive near I-26 to Sheep Island Road, near the rear portion of the age-restricted 55-plus Del Webb Nexton neighborhood.

The first 177 homes were approved last year near Linda Way for the initial two phases of residential development, according to Summerville planning director Jessi Shuler.

The nearly 1,000-acre parcel, including the sold tract, has been approved as a planned-unit development with about 700 housing units.

HIC has been shepherding the land through the permitting process, with D.R. Horton as the homebuilder for the tract.

Neither company responded to requests for comment.

The large swath annexed by Summerville extends from I-26 to Wildgame Road, west of the 5,000-acre Nexton development.

North Charleston is anticipating the opening of an inclusive playground and a completely revamped Park Circle that’s on track to open this fall, according to Ryan Johnson, a representative for the mayor’s office.

Johnson said the playground will likely be finished before the park opens in November, but it will officially open along with the rest of the park. So far, the rest of the park is on track for the fall opening.

The park is part of a $20 million project that will revitalize Park Circle. Planners say the playground will be the largest inclusive playground in the country.

Johnson believes the reimagined Park Circle could mean big things for the city. He said queries are coming in from across the country.

“We are getting the feeling this will be a popular project,” he said. He said the city will hold a large ceremony when the park opens.

“I don’t know of any other projects in the world that are as large as this playground,” said Pat Faust with Landscape Structures, one of the contractors working on the project.

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The goal for the 55,000-square-foot playground, Johnson said, is to have a place where everyone can play. He mentioned the old-style playgrounds that were mostly steel and divided kids between skill levels. Now, the playground will be available to children with disabilities like Down syndrome, autism, mobility difficulties and more. The city will have a therapeutic program manager on staff once the park opens to continue to address the needs of all children.

“There’s intentionality going on,” he said. For instance, he noted the slides will be stainless steel so children with cochlear implants won’t have problems using the slide. There will also be double-wide ramps leading to playground equipment for children to walk with disabled friends.

The old Felix C. Davis Community Center was demolished earlier this year, and a new building with twice the space is under construction. The new community center will be an event space with a theater and meeting rooms.

The theater itself will be in a somewhat black box style, Johnson said, which involves a square room with black walls and a flat floor.

The project was funded through a tax increment financing district, which is funding earmarked for public projects like Park Circle, and will not come out of the general fund. It’s part of a $45 million project for the area.

Mike McMillan is a contributing writer for SC Biz News.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Park Circle Pride wrapped up Sunday after a week of different events in North Charleston celebrating members of the LGBTQ community.

Last week was the third year of Park Circle Pride and event organizers say that this year had record-breaking numbers of people coming together to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

From last Tuesday until Sunday, 45 events offered something for everyone ranging from drag shows and bike parades to raising of the Pride flag in park circle.

Park Circle Pride Producer, Simon Cantlon, says this year was the largest turnout yet and he is excited to see the event grow in coming years.

“We had a record turnout and raised a lot of money for charity,” Cantlon says. “It’s just been a wonderful experience; like the community really did come together. Everyone opened their doors, and so many different people with so much diversity has come out to celebrate Pride here in Park Circle.”

Sunday during the Feminist Magic Market, people from all over the Lowcountry shopped at different local vendors stands and LGBTQ organizations were providing resources.

“It was a lot of fun,” Grace Waggoner, a Park Circle Pride attendee, says. “With my autism at first it was overwhelming, but then I got used to it. I’ve never been to a Pride so it was a lot of fun.”

For some younger LGBTQ community members, the week of events opened a new door of opportunity.

“It’s honestly kind of shocking, because in my old neighborhood, there was nothing for Pride Month,” SJ Austin, Park Circle Pride attendee, says. “But this is actively supportive, and it’s like this huge thing.”

As for the future of Park Circle Pride, Cantlon says raising money for charities is at the top of his list.

“I think the goal is to just keep growing it and bring in more people,” he says. “We get people coming from out of town, but I love more people to come in from out of town. I’d like to raise more money for the charities.”

He says that the dates for next year’s Park Circle Pride will be coming out shortly.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ATLANTA, Oct. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ECI Group (ECI) announces the acquisition of The Factory at Garco Park, a 271-unit, built in 2017, institutional-grade multifamily community in the highly-desirable Park Circle neighborhood in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Factory at Garco Park is ECI's first investment in the Charleston metropolitan area and, with assets in Greenville and Savannah, their fourth in the Carolinas/SE Georgia region. Financing for the acquisition was provided by SouthState Bank.

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"The Factory at Garco Park offers ECI an opportunity to recycle capital from our recent sale of The Columns at Vinings in Atlanta into a very high quality, exceptionally well-located asset in a top expansion market for us," said ECI Chief Acquisitions Officer, Scott Levitt. "With our ability to self-manage and oversee additional enhancements to the balance of the unit interiors and the property's exterior and amenity package, we look forward to this property providing us with a cornerstone asset in the Charleston market." The 1031 Exchange involving the recently announced sale of The Columns at Vinings and the acquisition of The Factory at Garco Park is the 5^th such exchange for ECI in the last 18 months.

The Factory at Garco Park, located at 4993 O'Hear Avenue in North Charleston, features upscale, spacious studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The community's walkable experience has made it popular with young professionals seeking a vibrant Peninsula lifestyle, with an abundance of restaurants, retail, and nightlife, in the East Montague corridor just steps from their front door.

Community features include:

Individual units include:

*In Select Units

ECI extends its appreciation to Alex Okulski of Newmark for his representation of the seller.

About ECI Group

For more than 50 years, ECI Group has been one of the most highly regarded, privately owned real estate organizations in the United States. The firm is fully integrated, with development, construction, investment, and property management groups that have garnered national recognition for innovation and performance in the multifamily industry. With a portfolio of more than 7,500 units located throughout the Southeast and Texas, ECI is strategically positioned to continue to be a leader in the multifamily industry. For more information, visit www.ecigroups.com.

Media Contact: Karen WidmayerKW Communications, LLCkarenwidmayerpr@gmail.com301.661.1448

SOURCE ECI Group

NORTH CHARLESTON — Construction site banners circle the recreational space at the heart of Park Circle, currently undergoing a $20 million renovation that’ll add a special-needs playground, ball field, community center and outdoor pavilion.

Up the street, the city is spending an additional $25 million to revamp the Danny Jones gym, pool and football field.

On the northern edge of the community on the old Charleston Naval Base, North Charleston is almost finished with a $15 million pedestrian bridge that’ll expand the existing Riverfront Park.

All of the projects are slated to be completed by late 2023. But people don’t have to wait to visit Park Circle, one of the region’s most popular local destinations. While these latest projects are almost sure to draw more people to the growing community, the plans also serve as an indicator of Park Circle’s existing reputation as a vibrant corridor of restaurants, retail stores, wineries, breweries and mom-and-pop shops.

Though it’s not the destination hub that is downtown Charleston, Park Circle has no shortage of places to eat and drink, and parks to visit. In the past few decades, the neighborhood has been transformed from a sleepy residential community into a vibrant commercial hub.

On the food side of things, there’s something to eat at all times of day. In addition to providing tacos, sandwiches and other lunch options, Junction Kitchen & Provisions offers breakfast until 2 p.m. during the week, and 3 p.m. on weekends. Orange Spot Coffee has become a community favorite, frequented by business professionals and elected officials, who meet over hot coffee, cold brew and pastries.

A break from the warm weather might be found at Park Circle Creamery, where homemade ice cream comes in a variety of flavors. Customers have a choice between cups or waffle cones.

Like elsewhere across the Lowcountry, seafood restaurants have found their place in the community. The CODfather Proper Fish & Chips is a popular British eatery that offers north Atlantic cod fillets dipped in the restaurant’s own special batter, paired with delicious chips (fries). Nearby is Lola, where Cajun and Creole-style seafood can be enjoyed inside or on the restaurant’s patio.

If seafood isn’t your preference, places like FOOD, Sesame Burgers & Beer and DIG in the Park provide a variety of sandwiches, soups, burgers and lunchtime favorites. One of area’s newest additions is Tattooed Moose, the popular downtown Charleston bar that’s relocated to North Charleston to serve food and beer.

Italian cuisine is also available. Fratello’s Italian Tavern, Park Pizza and EVO Pizzeria provide cheese enthusiasts with a variety of entrees.

Despite the overall family-friendly focus of the Park Circle community, the nightlife scene is up-and-coming. A number of watering holes and breweries already call the area home, including Madra Rua Irish Pub, The Mill, Coast Brewing Co. and Holy City Brewing. If beer isn’t your thing, then you might instead find Accent on Wine attractive.

Eating and drinking is only part of what makes this side of town so much fun. The space features a handful of recreational amenities.

After all, the circle itself was modeled after London native Ebenezer Howard’s vision for “garden cities” where green space, commercial and residential could all coexist within a walkable community.

Quarterman Park’s central pond is an ideal outdoor space for both people and geese alike. Pedestrians can often be found fishing and feeding birds and walking the sidewalk for exercise.

Though located about 2 miles south and technically outside of Park Circle proper, Riverfront Park rests on the banks of the Cooper River and provides an expansive outdoor space for picnics, concerts and other major events. Guests might enjoy fishing from the park boardwalk or exploring the military monuments that tell of the history of old the Navy Base.

At the heart of the North Charleston neighborhood, a ring contained ball fields, a community center, butterfly garden and disc golf course. But this space is currently closed for redevelopment and will be reopened late 2023.

Plant lovers should stop by Roadside Booms, a unique flower shop that sells bouquets, plants and locally made gifts.

The Station at Park Circle is an antique store that offers vintage furniture, art, accents, lighting, music, plants, apparel and gifts. The independently owned Itinerant Literate Book Shop sells nonfiction, new fiction, children’s books and more, along with gift items.

Strength is something that is relative and it can be found in inconspicuous places if you know where to look.

This week’s winner is Sherrill Biggers with an image of a large chain framing the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The honorable mentions are Dale Johnson with a photo of a powerful Silverback gorilla, and Lara Wilson with a photo of the Temple of Poseidon in Greece.

Next week’s topic is round, so anything without harsh edges.

The rules: Send your best photo to yourphotos@postandcourier.com by noon Thursday. Include your name, town and where the photo was taken. Add your name and the topic to the file. If you want your photo to be eligible to run in the newspaper, it must be at least 1,500 pixels, not have a commercial watermark and not have been published in another publication.

On Fridays, we first announce the editors’ pick of the week at postandcourier.com/yourphotos and declare a topic for the next week. On Saturdays, we publish an online gallery.

On Sunday, the photo pick of the week will appear in this section, Life.

All photos submitted will be considered for publication in The Post and Courier’s yearly magazine, My Charleston. Some images may be selected for other editorial or noncommercial use.

We reserve the right to not publish any photo for any reason.

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