Greater Charleston Projects & Developments

[Charleston native]

Lifequest (a well-known health club franchise) has shut down all of its facilities, but its demise has brought a much better, nationally known franchise to take over: Gold's Gym. The company has signed a lease for the Lifequest building West Ashley, increasing the number of its locations in Chas to 2. The other one is on Folly Road on James Island. The link for the story is here.

[Spartan]

Good news for downtown Charleston. A culinary school is coming to the Carroll building (on East Bay and Market). It's an interesting place for a school, right in the middle of the tourist district, but I imagine they'll occupy the upper floors and allow teh ground floor to remain a restaurant. I think the Noisy Oyster is there right now. The school is a branch of the Art Institutes, a company which runs a wide variety of "practical" art schools across the country. Once the culinary school is established, they plan to also offer classes in fashion, web design, photography, etc.

From comments made in the P&C article by a local chef, it appears this school won't be as prestigious or as comprehensive as Johnson & Wales. It will, however, offer people a choice who are looking to change careers. The article is here.

They need to knock down the buidling that the Noisy Oyster is in, and build something more visually appealing. Anything will do

[Charleston native]

Folks, I prayed and prayed, and FINALLY my prayers have been answered. For some strange reason, Chas has only had one Best Buy store to serve the entire metro area on Rivers Avenue for many years. Now, the city will finally get another one...near my old stomping grounds in West Ashley!!

It will be built into a store building which was a Toys 'R Us, at the intersection of Sam Rittenberg Blvd and Orleans Road...right across from Citadel Mall. This is a prime location, and I know it will get good business. The link for the story is below.

Best Buy to open West Ashley store

[Jerseyman4]

^Chas metro area only has one Best Buy? Im suprised! You would think another one would be on Sam Rittenburg or maybe even in Mt Pleasant on US 17 (new town center) but i didnt even think about that there is only one!

Is there only one Circuit City as well?

[Charleston native]

^ Yep! The electronics retail market in Chas has been rather slow in growing, and many citizens down there have wondered why. The Circuit City is also on Rivers Avenue. These stores have horrendous traffic in and around them, since they are the only ones in the area.

I've been saying for years that a Best Buy needed to be built West Ashley and in Mt. P...I've even written the company a few letters. The good thing is that this new store will provide competition against Monster CD store and FYE in the mall with selection and prices for DVDs and CDs. It will also compete against the only other electronic appliance store in this section of the city: Rex, which does have some quality products, but does not have a great selection.

Crap, I just realized I placed this in the wrong thread! Moderators, could you move these posts about Best Buy into the Chas Developments thread?

[digital_sandlapper]

I was in Charleston yesterday and decided to drive down George Street by my alma mater (CofC, of course), and the St. Philip's parking garage is GONE!!! What happened to it???? What is being built in its place???

I am shocked that they would tear down such a much-needed thing. It is a rare occurence indeed to see a parking deck torn down. Not sad it's gone, just totally shocked when I drove past!

[Charleston native]

^ Whoops, I should have posted an article in the paper about that! The old garage on St. Phillip Street was demolished, and in its place, encompassing the nasty parking lot next to it, will be a much larger parking garage. I believe it will have around 1,500 spaces. It will definitely be a significant improvement to the college's parking.

Once that is complete, I think they should replace the parking lot at Calhoun and Coming Streets with a 3 or 4-story parking garage, and then they could get rid of the street parking spaces on Calhoun, helping traffic flow there.

[Charleston native]

Well, I've got good news and bad news here. The good news, which is far more significant anyway, is that Ye Olde Towne Shopping Village at 1662 Savannah Highway, located between a Shoney's restaurant and the Morris Nissan car dealership, is FINALLY going to be redeveloped! About frickin' time, Colliers Keenan will upgrade the center's facade, parking lot and signs, and add some new shops and restaurants. It will be renamed Indigo Village (a very cool name, since it is just down the street from my old neighborhood, Indigo Point).

The bad news is that Salsarita's Fresh Cantina at Citadel Mall in West Ashley closed last week. I really liked this place, and it should have done better. I think Moe's, its main competitor just down Sam Rittenberg, really kept this place from succeeding. The mall is looking for a new tenant which will probably be a restaurant. Hint: Carrabba's, Olive Garden, or Macaroni Grill...PLEASE!

West Ashley strip mall getting (much needed) facelift

[Spartan]

Moe's is better than Salsarita's anyway

[Charleston native]

^ In your humble opinion, of course. I actually liked Salsarita's better than Moe's for its atmosphere and food. Moe's just has a more established reputation around the state.

[Spartan]

Nah its a fact. Its in the dictionary. Look it up

[krazeeboi]

Salsarita's vs. Moe's

Lemonade vs. Sweet tea

What's next?

[Charleston native]

Ya'll are a trip!

[tablrock]

the new tanger outlet center in n chuck opens this friday

[Spartan]

I thought it was intersting that the article in the P&C gave quotes abuot people who were trying to sell North Charleston as a place to go for conventioners. I mean, how much pull does an outlet mall have on conventions?

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?section...p;newsID=100111

[Charles Pearson]

I thought it was intersting that the article in the P&C gave quotes abuot people who were trying to sell North Charleston as a place to go for conventioners. I mean, how much pull does an outlet mall have on conventions?

http://www.charleston.net/stories/?section...p;newsID=100111

IMO...None. Historic/downtown Charleston (where I would spend my non-convention hours) is the only reason I would want to go to UpChuck for a convention...P&C can have the outlet mall.

[Infinite1]

maybe, but attractive shopping options and the 40 plus restaurants planned for that little area sure dosen't hurt when convention organizers consider venues.

[waccamatt]

Nah its a fact. Its in the dictionary. Look it up

In which dictionary? Wikipedia?

[lsgchas]

Developers have finally started to target Awendaw, even though the town has still not completed its vaunted water treatment system. My favorite quote from the article is when an official town so-and-so says the subdivision is okay because "there is already a similar development within a ten-mile radius of Awendaw." As if the new litmus test for appropriate development is whether there's a similar development ten miles away!

P&C article here.

[Charles Pearson]

maybe, but attractive shopping options and the 40 plus restaurants planned for that little area sure dosen't hurt when convention organizers consider venues.

hmmmm...worth a thought to save gas.

[Spartan]

This thread is now intended for Greater Charleston developments including West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville/Dorchester County, Goose Creek/Berkeley County, and the Islands (James, John's, Daniel, Sullivan's, IOP).

Downtown now has two threads, so please post in the appropriate thread for those developments.

Downtown North of Calhoun Street

Downtown South of Calhoun Street

[Spartan]

For those of you who know the Shem Creek area, you may want to check out this website to see some of the major changes coming to the landing area....

http://www.ownthelanding.com

[Charleston native]

Thanks Spartan for setting this up! It is a far more organized format to the Chas forum, so it will be easier to keep up with and update different projects in the area. I'm out of it for a little while and things already get changed!

[tablrock]

i c that starwood hotels is building an ALOFT hotel near the airport!!!

[MikesLogic]

That is going to be a sexy development, I was surprised they chose N. Chas Coliseum area(would think they would locate something like that downtown) but I do understand the attraction of business customers. Charleston definitely needs to get on the ball with better connections within the metro so that the airport and coliseum area have stronger ties to downtown(linked so to speak.)