Mortgage Broker in Park Circle, SC

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

Park Circle Playground in Charleston, SC has the honor of being the world’s largest inclusive playground because any kid, no matter their ability, can enjoy the park. We checked it out and can confirm it is enormous and fun!

I first laid eyes on Park Circle playground in Charleston, SC about two blocks away. It’s that big. I couldn’t even get the entire playground in one – or two- photos. And it was designed for any child, no matter their ability.

About Park Circle Playground

Park Circle, which opened November 2023, encompasses 55,000 square feet and is the world’s largest inclusive playground, meaning that the playground was designed for any child, no matter their development or ability. It also includes their friends, siblings, parents, and caregivers. Yup, you parents can play on the playground. I did!

Here’s how the park describes their inclusivity:

“All children means everyone. The need for play does not distinguish between children who are typically developing and children with disabilities. Everyone of all abilities needs play. And everyone means not only children with a physical disability requiring an accessible playground, but it also includes developmental disabilities like autism; children with sight or hearing impairment and children with intellectual disabilities such as down syndrome.”

I think this is just beautiful. Seeing tons of kids and their parents and siblings playing at this playground made me happy.

Park Circle, besides the enormous playground, also has walking trails, a farmers market pavilion, event space, nature garden, and an inclusive baseball field.

Things to Play On at Park Circle

I had no idea where to look first when we got to the playground. My kids, ages 13 and 9, seemed just as overwhelmed but recovered quicker than I did and decided to head to the nearest double slide massive climbing structure.

There are just so many things to play on: slides, swings, zip lines, a legit ninja course, exercise equipment, obstacle courses, more swings. We were there for over an hour and probably didn’t even play on half of the playground equipment.

Our favorite was definitely the ninja course. I always had respect for the American Ninja warriors but after doing a bunch of the ninja obstacles (and massively failing), I have a whole new respect for those athletes. There are lots of upper body focused apparatus’ plus beams, a climbing rope, and other rope nets to traverse.

There are areas of the playground for any age and ability as well from play houses to huge slides that you have to climb up to even get to.

Park Circle Playground Design is Parent-Friendly

I give a lot of credit to the designers of the playground because they absolutely nailed it when it comes to things that matter to parents: an enclosed space, seating, and shade.

The playground is entirely fenced in. You may lose your kids while they are playing on the equipment but they won’t get far because there is a fence around the whole playground.

There are shade sails everywhere to provide cover from that brutal summer sun. There are a few spots where the shade sails aren’t directly over but for the most part, the playground is covered. Way to go designers!

And lastly, there are lots of benches around the playground. I didn’t sit down ever because I was playing with my kids but if we had stayed longer, I probably would have rested on a bench. Most of the benches are also shaded.

I so appreciate the thought and consideration that went into the construction of this playground. They did a truly excellent job.

There are also bathrooms on site at the adjacent pavilion to the playground.

Visiting Park Circle Playground

Park Circle is in North Charleston, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Charleston. It is totally free to visit and is open daily from 7 am – 5:30 pm.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A cold and rainy forecast did not stop hundreds in the Lowcountry from celebrating the grand opening of a redeveloped Park Circle space.

City of North Charleston officials and visitors have been waiting for the first-of-its-kind inclusive space for nearly 18 months, but the project itself has been in the works for six to eight years.

“Inclusion is a topic that’s growing, it’s like wildfire,” Inclusive Play Specialist Jill Moore says. “Everyone is excited to bring that to their space.”

Moore is one of many who worked hard alongside city officials to bring a lifelong dream to fruition.

“To see it from early phases, talking about it and learning about it, what we wanted to do. To see the grand opening of this amazing space, this is really big,” Moore says.

Park Circle Playground is one of the first inclusive spaces in the Lowcountry of its kind and the largest in the world, according to city officials.

The space is meant to help visitors of all ages, abilities or backgrounds to engage in motor skills, sensory perception, cognitive abilities and social and emotional growth.

“I think they’re cool because everyone who doesn’t have a disability can do something,” Park Circle guest Harper Lewandowski says. “If you do have a disability, you can go on stuff made for you.”

City of North Charleston Recreation Director TJ Rostin says it is a testament to 20+ years of research only pushing the need for better inclusion.

“We want to make sure we have programs everybody can enjoy in whatever ability they need to enjoy them at,” Rostin says.

Mayor Keith Summey calls it one of the highlights of his time in office and a milestone to add to the city’s 51 years of progress.

“Park Circle is unique,” Summey says. “It’s a centralized location. It sort of connects our community.”

The redeveloped playground remains one of the oldest in the city, formerly a historical marker.

“Memories are wonderful, but now is the time to create memories for the next generation,” Summey adds.

North Charleston families say it is a welcomed change.

“It is so different but we love it,” one family says. “I like everything! Everything.”

Park hours will be from dawn until dusk and include full free access to the playground, an updated community center and pavilion and an all-inclusive ball field.

To learn more about the “Park Circle Reimagined” project and everything it has to offer, click here.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Last weekend, the new Park Circle playground in North Charleston opened to much fanfare, as it should have.

More than just being among the largest inclusive playgrounds in the world, it was a reminder that government is able to not just meet, but exceed expectations when it comes to public spaces.

It was hard to take more than a few steps without hearing people exclaim how amazing the project was.

This massive undertaking involved input from a wide range of communities, and it shows.

In addition to the playground, the newly renovated circle space provides recreation spaces and community gathering areas in a safe and welcoming layout.

At a time when our nation is increasingly divided, isolated and driven from behind computer screens, this park stands as a strong force for building community, bridging divides and increasing in-person communication and interaction.

Our family has continued to return since the playground’s opening. What hasn’t changed is that the park continues to be full of people from diverse backgrounds, races, socio-economic statuses and primary languages.

To put it in market terms, there is strong demand for this type of project.

In more poetic terms, it is truly a place of community and joy.

Let this be a reminder to our local leaders that people want bold leaders who envision public spaces that build community.

Let’s hope this is the first of many transformative projects — not just for North Charleston but across the Lowcountry.

BRADY QUIRK-GARVAN

North Charleston

How fitting that this city, which is celebrated for hospitality, is home to what I believe is one of the nation’s premier literary festivals.

For what is more inclusive, more welcoming than a book?

Every reader is invited in; every reader is given new worlds and ideas to explore, new characters to meet and language to fall in love with.

Reading is radical and can be life-changing. That’s why now, as throughout the ages, many seek to ban books.

The Charleston Literary Festival is an extravagant bright spot.

Over nine days, Charleston residents and visitors were charmed and challenged by Pulitzer and Nobel winners, National Book Award and Booker Prize winners, an impressive line-up of more than 30 literary luminaries. That number rivals that of the New Yorker Festival or similar events in major cities.

Congratulations and thanks to Sarah Moriarty and her team for giving this food-and-beverage town plenty to chew on: a rich and diverse array of topics discussed by internationally renowned authors and local talent.

“Embrace the conversation” indeed.

STEPHANIE HUNT

Mount Pleasant

I hesitate to ask for a new government program, but it seems the only thing likely to work.

There needs to be a yearly vehicle safety inspection in South Carolina. Too many cars and trucks have headlights, taillights or brake lights that aren’t working.

Law enforcement cannot be everywhere and stop drivers for these violations.

I believe most people take care of these kinds of issues on their own. But some do not.

Some may not even be aware of a headlight or tail light problem.

What is the solution if not an annual mandatory vehicle safety inspection?

JOHN USHER

Summerville

Everyone is entitled to their personal opinions, but not all personal opinions are of equal value when carefully scrutinized.

It is unsettling that far too many people accept dubious or false information from questionable sources without examining it.

By not challenging false statements, exaggerations and lies made by others, they are contributing to a culture of misinformation and enabling the manipulation of public opinion.

When individuals accept stories without verifying facts or checking claims, they are putting themselves at risk of being influenced by demagogues who use emotions to promote their agendas and spread false information.

Some folks prefer to remain passive, of course, believing it to be a safe and secure approach.

Unfortunately, there are those who, due to a lack of knowledge or perhaps for personal gain, assist demagogues in their schemes, scams, exaggerations, self-serving statements and political chicanery.

The problem with accepting these schemes and lies is that they feed on each other in a cycle of deception: One falsehood leads to another until people become so entangled in the web of deceit that they are no longer able to distinguish the truth from the lies, even when the truth is all that they have left.

J.E. WALKER

Johns Island

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Four new food-and-beverage venues are in the works in the Park Circle area of North Charleston.

Southern Roots Smokehouse has temporarily closed its restaurant at 1083 E. Montague Ave., where it has operated since 2017, ahead of a move to a new location down the street.

The barbecue dining spot is moving to 1037 E. Montague in the former site of Ship's Wheel Hard Cider, which moved its production operation to 7325 Cross County Road last year.

Southern Roots is aiming to reopen in the new site by the spring. It offers another Lowcountry location at 2544 Savannah Highway in West Ashley.

Falling through

A new dining concept was on the way to the former Southern Roots site until earlier this week when the deal fell through.

The owners of MOMO, which serves American fare off Everglades Avenue in Riverfront Park in North Charleston, planned to open a restaurant called The Venice, offering a vibe from the Venice Beach neighborhood in southern California, by late summer or early fall.

But MOMO co-owner Justin Moore confirmed Feb. 12 the deal was off to open in the rental location.

"The building has a lot more things to be fixed than anticipated is the reason for the sudden reversal," Moore said. "Very disappointing to say the least."

The building is owned by an affiliate of Charleston commercial real estate firm Clement Crawford & Thornhill, which paid $2 million for the property in 2021, according to county land records.

CC&T agent Bradley Baker said Moore asked Monday to be released from a lease signed more than two months ago.

"It came as a shock to us," Baker said.

Moore said he does not have a new location for the planned Venice restaurant.

On the way

Also in Park Circle, three new establishments are coming to three buildings on one block just down the street from the former Southern Roots site.

Sissy Bar plans to open at 1067 E. Montague in the former site of Three Sirens restaurant, which closed last September. Sissy Bar's owner Good Boy Doc LLC recently applied for a state license to sell beer, wine and liquor for on-site use.

The forthcoming Sissy Bar is next door to the former Idle Hour restaurant at 1065 E. Montague, which is being renovated for an undetermined concept after the building changed hands in 2022 for $550,000. The 1,000-square-foot Idle Hour closed in 2021, a family business that operated on site and next door since 1942.

Also, a new dining venue is coming to 1063 E. Montague. A Colombian-style restaurant called Ciudad Bonita is on the way. It's scheduled to open in April, according to restaurant operator Santiago Sierra.

Next in Nexton

Two new food-and-beverage businesses are coming to outparcels at the soon-to-open Harris Teeter supermarket site in Nexton near Summerville.

Mexican restaurant La Minerva recently leased 3,627 square feet for a new venue in a building that is yet to be constructed off Nexton Parkway at Brighton Park Boulevard.

The restaurant signed the lease with Southeastern Development of Augusta, according to Mandy Coleman with National Restaurant Properties, who represented the tenant. The land is currently owned by North Carolina-based Harris Teeter, which bought the nearly 14-acre site in 2016 for $4.76 million.

Southeastern plans to buy the outparcel from Harris Teeter, according to Coleman, who said it's the first time she has represented a tenant in a lease with a company that hasn't bought the property yet.

Business

La Minerva plans to open another restaurant in Cedar Grove Commons off Dorchester Road in North Charleston. With an opening planned for this summer, it will be on the opposite end of the building where Buffalo Wild Wings opened last fall.

Also coming to the new Harris Teeter site is a Starbucks cafe, according to supermarket spokeswoman Paige Pauroso. Opening time frames for La Minerva and Starbucks have not been announced since the buildings have not been constructed.

Harris Teeter will tentatively open April 17, following a pre-opening event 4-7 p.m. the previous day called "Taste of Teeter" that will be open to the public.

Giving back

A Charlotte-based car-cleaning business with operations in the Lowcountry will donate $1 to the American Red Cross's disaster relief fund from the sale of each "Rain Repellent Special" car wash through Feb. 25.

Autobell's selected car wash, which includes the works inside and out, costs $39.99, according to the company's website.

The promotion is good at all of the more than 85 Autobell locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

Autobell has five locations in the Charleston area in James Island, North Charleston, Summerville and West Ashley. Another is in the works for 1768 State Road near Cane Bay and Nexton in Berkeley County.

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