Emerging industrial corridor along I-26

[krazeeboi]

It seems as though the the Jedburg area is slowly but surely being transformed into a major manufacturing and distribution hub. In doing so, the region could become more attractive to companies seeking to invest capital and create jobs. Ross Perot Jr.'s firm has proposed building the Berkeley Interstate Trade Center, a 750-acre master-planned business park that would stretch along 1.5 miles of Interstate 26 between Summerville and Jedburg. Another large commercial developer, New York-based Rockefeller Group, also is interested in the immediate area. Rockefeller is in talks to possibly acquire a 400-acre former timber property near the Jedburg I-26 off-ramp. The tract is listed for $20 million. Nearby, another investment group is finalizing plans for Omni Commerce Park, at the entrance to Baucom's Nursery.

It seems as though several factors are driving this activity, including soaring coastal property values, the growth in global trade, and a dwindling supply of industrial land.

So is it time for Orangeburg County to start bracing for some of the Charleston metro's northward-creeping sprawl? This could especially be the case if the inland port gets built in the eastern part of the county at the intersection of I-26 and I-95.

[Spartan]

Thats just not good news. I mean it is economically, but that is straight up sprawl. Putting industries further out isn't the answer. What about all of that blighted land in North Charleston?

[SimCity]

It seems as though the the Jedburg area is slowly but surely being transformed into a major manufacturing and distribution hub. In doing so, the region could become more attractive to companies seeking to invest capital and create jobs. Ross Perot Jr.'s firm has proposed building the Berkeley Interstate Trade Center, a 750-acre master-planned business park that would stretch along 1.5 miles of Interstate 26 between Summerville and Jedburg. Another large commercial developer, New York-based Rockefeller Group, also is interested in the immediate area. Rockefeller is in talks to possibly acquire a 400-acre former timber property near the Jedburg I-26 off-ramp. The tract is listed for $20 million. Nearby, another investment group is finalizing plans for Omni Commerce Park, at the entrance to Baucom's Nursery.

It seems as though several factors are driving this activity, including soaring coastal property values, the growth in global trade, and a dwindling supply of industrial land.

So is it time for Orangeburg County to start bracing for some of the Charleston metro's northward-creeping sprawl? This could especially be the case if the inland port gets built in the eastern part of the county at the intersection of I-26 and I-95.

Hi, new poster, longtime onlooker,lol. Anyway this is a very real possibility. Just a few miles from the Orangeburg/Berkeley County lines on Hwy. 176 there is a significant amount of acerage that was just put up for sale. After all these years of no absolutely no activity I'm sure that the growth encroaching up from Summerville and Goose Creek towards Jedburg has something to do with this. There is also quite a bit of land for sale at the Ridgeville/ St. George exit just up the road. Expect developments there in the near future too. In this part of Orangeburg County there has been a slow but steady increase in the population here and you have to wonder where the people are coming from. One thing's for sure, one only has to drive through Jedburg and up Hwy. 176 and see all of the new factories and subdivisions to know that the Charleston region is really booming.

[SimCity]

Thats just not good news. I mean it is economically, but that is straight up sprawl. Putting industries further out isn't the answer. What about all of that blighted land in North Charleston?

Well there is a lot of blighted land in North Charleston, mainly in lower N. Chas in the Heights area but remember that huge swaths of that are slated to be redeveloped by Magnolias and so forth so land has to be set aside somewhere for industry, especially since Cainhoy and Clements Ferry Rd. are being taking over by residential developments. Those of us in the rural and somewhat depressed areas will welcome industry locating further away from Charleston.

[krazeeboi]

In this part of Orangeburg County there has been a slow but steady increase in the population here and you have to wonder where the people are coming from.

I knew it would only be a matter of time. That part of the county, while economically depressed, still offers a pretty good quality of life; this is mainly due to the Santee/Lake Marion area, which affords residents some of the best natural amenities in the state. Proximity to Charleston is also a plus for eastern Orangeburg County.

[Spartan]

Well there is a lot of blighted land in North Charleston, mainly in lower N. Chas in the Heights area but remember that huge swaths of that are slated to be redeveloped by Magnolias and so forth so land has to be set aside somewhere for industry, especially since Cainhoy and Clements Ferry Rd. are being taking over by residential developments. Those of us in the rural and somewhat depressed areas will welcome industry locating further away from Charleston.

Very true, but there are other parts of North Charleston that coudl use some help too. N Charleston is the only city in SC with real blight. Its very important that this be corrected.

I knew it would only be a matter of time. That part of the county, while economically depressed, still offers a pretty good quality of life; this is mainly due to the Santee/Lake Marion area, which affords residents some of the best natural amenities in the state. Proximity to Charleston is also a plus for eastern Orangeburg County.

Its probably service industry jobs. Even small increases there can lead to increases in other services, which both lead to new people.

[SimCity]

I knew it would only be a matter of time. That part of the county, while economically depressed, still offers a pretty good quality of life; this is mainly due to the Santee/Lake Marion area, which affords residents some of the best natural amenities in the state. Proximity to Charleston is also a plus for eastern Orangeburg County.

You're quite right, the quality of life here is not bad at all. That's one of the main reasons why I decided to move here than rather than the congested Summerville area. It's rural,quiet, and safe yet you can be shopping in Summerville or Goose Creek in 30 minutes. There's no doubt that the driving time will decrease as Goose Creek and Summerville continue to expand. Have you seen Clemson's Urban Model for the Charleston metropolitian area? It shows a continual urbanization along the shores of Lakes Marion and Moultrie stretching from Charleston, similar to what's happening to Lake Norman outside of Charlotte.

[krazeeboi]

Oh wow. I don't know if that's a good thing or not (probably not). I really hope Orangeburg County takes great care in guiding this development; if not, such growth will erode the quality of life that people moving there think they're getting.

[SimCity]

Very true, but there are other parts of North Charleston that coudl use some help too. N Charleston is the only city in SC with real blight. Its very important that this be corrected.

Its probably service industry jobs. Even small increases there can lead to increases in other services, which both lead to new people.

There are some parts of North Charleston that are pretty bad, especially lower Rivers Ave. past I-526. Hadn't thought about the service industry jobs, that's pretty much the main thing out here besides the cement and lumber plants. A whole lot of people commute to Orangeburg or the Charleston area for better paying jobs, at least in this part of the county, closer to Orangeburg Columbia plays a bigger role in commuting patterns.

[SimCity]

Oh wow. I don't know if that's a good thing or not (probably not). I really hope Orangeburg County takes great care in guiding this development; if not, such growth will erode the quality of life that people moving there think they're getting.

If Orangeburg is any example we could be in trouble, the zoning laws in this county seem rather weak. But maybe a balance can be reached, especially if some of the newcomers help elect a more progressive county council. And credit must be given, the council has been making some progressive decisions lately. A third industrial park will soon be built at the intersections of Hwy 176 and US 301 near I-26.

[krazeeboi]

I think the county may oversaturated with industrial parks. But I do agree with you concerning zoning in Orangeburg County, and I'd also throw in land use planning and design guidelines. At this point, the county will get whatever they can take so they won't be so nitpicky when it comes to those things. But I don't want to get too much off-topic.

[krazeeboi]

Ross Perot Jr.'s large development, the Berkeley Interstate Trade Center, is currently trying to get the green light for this project. The project calls for 17 buildings totaling more than 9.1 million square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space, or the equivalent of more than 10 structures the size of Northwoods Mall. The site, which would be accessible by a new interchange to be built just west of Sheep Island Road, is along the eastbound lanes of I-26, between Exits 194 and 199. The Perot development and other smaller industrial projects proposed for nearby tracts could create between 4,000 and 12,000 jobs, depending on the amount of the space that is used for warehousing, manufacturing or distribution.

[Charleston native]

Saw this in the P & C as well, but since I was voting, I didn't have time to post it. Thanks krazee!

This project is really immense, and it's going to spur the suburban development further into areas like St. George, Ridgeville, and even Holly Hill. While those areas do need an economic boost, I'm afraid that it will potentially create a suburban corridor leading from I-95 all the way down.

It is encouraging to see entrepreneurs like Ross Perot's son financing a large amount of money for a project like this, but it would be nice to see this industrial park closer to the city center. The location is practically in the middle of I-95 and the port.

[krazeeboi]

And the article did cite lower costs as to its location.

St. George and Holly Hill could certainly use the economic benefits this will generate; hopefully, this, along with the inland port in eastern Orangeburg County, will generate some activity along the I-26/I-95 interchange. Too bad it will also generate some pretty significant sprawl, especially in combination with the other projects slated to come on board as well.

[SimCity]

Increased sprawl is a definite possibility. In a recent Holly Hill Observer article, the mayor of Holly Hill said that the town anticipates a large residental development to be announced sometime next year, especially if the regional water system based in Santee gets off the ground. I'll try to find out more information about this when possible and post it here or in the Orangeburg county thread.

[krazeeboi]

Got some updated info on this from the Charleston Business Journal. The Rockefeller Group plans to build out 2.65 million square feet of industrial space on some 400 acres of land currently owned by MeadWestvaco. Rockefeller plans to begin construction of its first 565,000-square-foot building by November and complete it around this time next year. Hillwood Investment Properties will begin construction sometime next year on its first planned 400,000- to 500,000-square-foot speculative building. A project dubbed the Charleston Trade Center, it is the largest of the planned developments, with a blueprint calling for some 9 million square feet of primary logistics and light manufacturing space on 750 acres.

In connection with all this construction, Berkeley County and several developers are finalizing a deal that would finance needed road upgrades. The $30.5 million cost-sharing agreement would pay for road improvements that some developers say they need to get started.

[SimCity]

Even with the economy in the shape that it's in, it appears that prep is ongoing for the location of a number of mega warehouses, distribution centers and industrial sites planned for the Jedburg-Summerville corridor. On the I-26 frontage road from the Piggly Wiggly distribution center to almost the Summervile exit can be seen heavy equipment creating a new road and installing utilities. Likewise on the westbound side there is continuing activity as far as land clearing, utility placement and building construction. If the state is able to fund the planned improvement of Sheep Island road and or the creation of an entirely new interchange between Jedburg and Summerville it'll be safe bet that we'll see the continuing development of this exburb.

[krazeeboi]

Lowcountry economic development officials are in hot pursuit of a business deal dubbed Project Neptune that, if nabbed, would serve as the anchor tenant for the planned distribution park in Jedburg to be built by both the Rockefeller Group and MeadWestvaco; both companies co-own the 400-acre site where 2.7 million square feet of warehousing and light industrial space would be constructed. The unnamed company would immediately become the S.C. State Ports Authority

[MikesLogic]

Just thought I would post to update that Charleston was selected over Savannah and Norfolk for what was dubbed Project Neptune. The company is TBC Corporation and they will have a 1.1 million sqft distribution center.

This is a real boon for the ports. The distribution space being added out here is a huge draw that the Charleston area was really lacking.

[Spartan]

Between this, the Maersk deal, and Boeing, this has really been a good couple of weeks for Charleston' economy (and South Carolina too).

[digital_sandlapper]

Just thought I would post to update that Charleston was selected over Savannah and Norfolk for what was dubbed Project Neptune. The company is TBC Corporation and they will have a 1.1 million sqft distribution center.

This is a real boon for the ports. The distribution space being added out here is a huge draw that the Charleston area was really lacking.

[MikesLogic]

I've never heard of TBC Corp. Where is it going? What is your source of info for this, MikesLogic?

They need to build a new interchange at Jedburg Road NOW before they do any more development up there. It is a nightmare of an exit, if you've ever had the pleasure of experiencing it.