New In Charleston

Record Real Estate Sale Made On Charleston Peninsula

A record real estate sale for the highest multifamily deal was recently made in downtown Charleston.

A new apartment complex, Foundry Point Apartments, sold for a staggering $82.4 million dollars. The complex, which is located on Huguenin Avenue, was purchased by Madison Capital Group, a private investment firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

With 275 total units, the luxury apartment complex offers one, two, and three-bedroom apartments ranging in price from $1,505 to $5,500.

Ryan Hanks, the founder of Madison Capital Group, is eager for his company to continue to expand in the Charleston area. In a statement regarding the recent purchase, Hanks said, “Foundry Point is an asset that we plan to hold long term as we believe in the long-term growth of Charleston, particularly on the peninsula, The nearby corridor is continuing to transform, and we are excited to see how the area looks in 10 to 15 years.”

Madison Capital Group already has a number of properties in and around the Charleston area, as more and more companies are recognizing and taking advantage of the city of Charleston and everything it has to offer.

New In Charleston

Local Philanthropist Vows to Give $10K A Year to Charleston High School Grads For College

Ben Navarro, a local philanthropist and entrepreneur, has vowed to provide high school graduates in Charleston with $10,000 a year to go towards their college tuition with his new Meeting Street Scholarship Fund.

Navarro is the founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group. He also founded Meeting Street Schools, a non-profit organization that provides children with access to quality education in an attempt to close the opportunity gap.

The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund will help those individuals who need it most pay for college. Students who graduate from a high school in Charleston County, qualify for the LIFE lottery or Palmetto Fellows scholarship, as well as a federal Pell Grant will be eligible for the scholarship.

The only other requirement surrounds the college that students must attend. If students wish to receive the $10,000, they must attend either a public or private college that graduates at least half of its students within six years.

In a statement on the decision to create the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, Navarro said, “We want more kids deciding they can go to college. College isn’t for everybody, but if you qualify for a LIFE scholarship, it probably is.”

There’s no doubt this scholarship will be instrumental in allowing more students in South Carolina the opportunity to attend college.

New In Charleston

New Restaurants And Shops Coming To Charleston

Even in the midst of a pandemic, Charleston is still expanding, with the addition of new restaurants and shops.

Downtown Charleston is welcoming a new restaurant that is serving up fresh poke bowls. Sweet Bowl Poke & Tea is opening in the WestEdge area of downtown Charleston and has a variety of made-to-order items as well as boba tea available for customers.

Over in Mount Pleasant, the Panera Bread will soon be serving early risers with a new cafe on Muhlenbergia Drive. The cafe will offer customers indoor dining options, drive-thru, and delivery services, as well as curbside pick-up.

Mount Pleasant also recently welcomed a new Maple Street Biscuit Co. in the Queensborough Shopping Center. This popular chain offers patrons delicious comfort food through a variety of biscuit-based meals.

In addition to restaurants, a new vintage women’s apparel store, Portal, recently opened on St. Philip Street in downtown Charleston. Portal allows customers to buy, sell, trade, and/or rent clothing.

A new 11,000 square foot Dollar Tree Store is also opening on College Park Road in Ladson.

Be sure to check out some of the new businesses coming to town!

New In Charleston

‘Operation COVID Christmas’ Task Force Spreads Joy In Charleston Community

The holiday season is looking quite different than normal this year. However, it’s not stopping the town of Mount Pleasant from spreading joy in their community.

A Mount Pleasant-based task force has been created to spread Christmas cheer. The task force, Operation COVID Christmas, is being led by Mayor Will Haynie and is composed of a variety of non-profit organizations.

Throughout the month of December, Operation COVID Christmas will be hosting events to give back to the community, especially those most affected by the pandemic.

Some of the events taking place this year include a blood drive, Christmas caroling, and food deliveries to healthcare workers.

In a statement on the creation of the task force, Mayor Will Haynie said, “We focused on three groups in our community who have really felt the effects of the pandemic: Healthcare workers, the Isolated/Elderly, and Hospitality Workers. What began as a conversation has become an expansive operation far exceeding our original vision.”

Click here for the full list of Operation COVID Christmas events.

Events

Charleston Farmers Market Reopens With Limited Vendors

The Charleston Farmers Market reopened on September 26th at Marion Square.

The farmers market looks different than usual, operating only as an “essentials market” with limited vendors. While all of the farmers and growers have been invited to participate in the market, artisans and prepared food vendors are not allowed to participate yet.

In addition to the limited vendors, there is also a limited capacity and social distancing required of all who attend and participate in the market.

Numerous vendors, who have always relied on the income received at the market, have taken a significant hit due to the pandemic and subsequent closing of the market.

Amanda McLenon, a longtime market vendor, created a petition to get the Marion Square market running again and has over 800 signatures.

“For a while, we understood it wasn’t safe to be there, so we sat back and sacrificed our livelihoods to keep people healthy,” Amanda explained. “But if people are in the bars now, we can certainly be safely open providing local produce and handmade goods outside in Marion Square.”

The Charleston Essentials Market will operate on Saturday mornings from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. In addition, the West Ashley Essentials Market will operate on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the West Ashley Greenway.

New In Charleston

CARTA Brings Free Shuttle From Mount Pleasant to Isle of Palms

With recent changes to the parking regulations along Isle of Palms, a new shuttle service is offering a free and easy way to get to the beach.

CARTA is now offering a free beach shuttle service from Mount Pleasant to Isle of Palms. The shuttle will run on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm from now until October 18th.

The shuttle service departs every hour from the Charleston County East Cooper Service Center, stopping at both 14th Ave. at Ocean Blvd. and Palm Blvd. at 28th Ave.

While this is a great way for people to enjoy our beautiful beaches and current fall weather, there are some rules and regulations that shuttle users need to be aware of. Most notably, you are required to wear a mask or face covering at all times while you are on the shuttle. There’s also a limit on the type and number of items you are allowed to bring with you aboard the shuttle.

Download the app to see where the shuttle is at all times and effectively plan your next beach trip.

New In Charleston

College of Charleston Still Set to Hold Graduation in October

The College of Charleston will hold its Spring 2020 commencement ceremony on Saturday, October 10th. There will be four different ceremonies in total – the first one beginning at 9:00 am and the last one beginning at 6:00 pm.

While the College of Charleston is not allowed to have an in-person audience, the ceremony will be live-streamed through CofC’s Facebook page and their website.

The ceremony will take place in the Cistern Yard, located at 66 George St. “Crossing the Cistern” is a long-held tradition at the College and due to the adjustments in this commencement, 2020 graduates will have the opportunity to cross the actual cistern – instead of just crossing a stage like it is normally performed.

Since an audience will not be allowed, 2020 graduates will have the option to participate in a future graduation ceremony when it is safe for audience members to attend.

New In Charleston

Charleston County School District Hires 104 Full-Time Nurses

With the 2020 school year in full swing, the Charleston County School District (CCSD) has announced that every elementary, middle, and high school within their district will hire one full-time nurse. This comes as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 104 nurses will be placed in total.

The team at CCSD remains committed to the health and safety of the staff and students. Ellen Nitz, Director of Nursing Services at CCSD, explains that “the nurses took contract tracing courses to be versed in the procedures and can answer questions from parents and administrations.”

Protocols to reduce the spread of Coronavirus are also being put in place. CCSD has installed a plate of plexiglass in front of each nursing station, in addition to following social distancing guidelines. The clinics also feature an isolation area or bay with a cot and a curtain to act as protection. Nightly sanitation is in place as a means of following guidelines.

As their schools reopen and welcome students back in-person, CCSD is continuously working to keep all members safe and healthy.