CoolSculptingNear Nexton, SC

Rival supermarkets are now under development across from one another in a growing Charleston suburban community.

Ashland Construction Co. of Raleigh recently filed a notice for construction to begin on a 64,000-square-foot Harris Teeter grocery store at Nexton Parkway and Brighton Park Boulevard, where land clearing is underway.

Across the street, groundwork started several months ago to make way for a Publix supermarket.

Crosland Southeast of Charlotte is building the Florida-based Publix and 351 apartments on 24 acres the firm purchased last December for $24 million. Other commercial elements also are planned.

The Crosland sales agreement called for at least 54,000 square feet of retail construction to begin by March 22, with two more phases and an additional 31,000 square feet of commercial development by one year later.

Publix announced last December it had leased property for the new store. The supermarket will be about 48,000 square feet and is scheduled to be completed by late next summer, according to spokesman Jared Glover.

Across the street, Matthews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter bought the nearly 14-acre site in 2016 for $4.76 million, according to Berkeley County land records.

A Harris Teeter spokesperson did not immediately respond for further details on a tentative opening timeframe.

The 5,000-acre Nexton development is expected to have about 7,000 residences with a population of about 17,500 at full buildout in about 10 years.

That’s almost the same number of people as the combined populations of Moncks Corner and the Isle of Palms.

Nexton currently has 2,150 occupied homes and 1,500 occupied apartments. Another 250 homes and 600 apartments are under construction, according to a Nexton spokeswoman.

Publix operates 14 stores in the Charleston area, including the recently opened supermarket in Moncks Corner Marketplace on U.S. Highway 52 at Cypress Gardens Road in Berkeley County.

Publix also has plans for another store across from Summers Corner on Beech Hill Road south of Summerville. Work on it is not imminent, according to Publix.

The first of a cartload of new supermarkets coming to the Charleston area soon will open.

North Carolina-based Harris Teeter plans to host its grand opening at 8 a.m. April 17 on Nexton Parkway at Brighton Park Boulevard near Summerville, according to spokeswoman Danna Robinson.

The first full day of business will follow a “Taste of Teeter” preview of the 64,000-square-foot grocery store from 4-7 p.m. April 16. Participants can sample products, and registers will be open for those looking to shop during the preliminary event.

The new store also includes a fuel station. Plans also call for outparcel buildings on the 14-acre site. Harris Teeter, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co. of Cincinnati, bought the property in 2016 for $4.76 million, according to Berkeley County land records.

Across the street, Florida-based Publix is under construction and is expected to open the 48,000-square-foot store by mid-year, according to Nexton spokeswoman Cassie Cataline. The supermarket will anchor One Nexton, a new retail development with a mix of tenants.

The competing Berkeley County grocery stores are coming to the 5,000-acre unincorporated Nexton community where 7,500 residences will exist at full buildout in about 15 years, bringing 18,750 people to the Charleston suburbs. That’s more than the current population of Moncks Corner.

As of early February, the master-planned community had 3,000 single-family houses and townhomes sold and under construction and 1,860 apartments completed, according to Cataline.

More homes are coming to the area in a separate development southwest of Nexton. About 700 housing units are planned on part of a 1,000-acre tract near Nexton Parkway and Drop Off Drive near Interstate 26. Summerville annexed the large swath of land west of Sheep Island Road in 2020. Most of Nexton is not in the town of Summerville.

A Mount Pleasant-based publisher of local and regional history books that last branched out to New England is adding the Midwest to its geographic portfolio.

Arcadia Publishing announced Feb. 8 that it has acquired Belt Publishing, which is headquartered in Ohio.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Arcadia described the new addition to its literary lineup as “an independent press known for its commitment to publishing diverse voices and stories from the Rust Belt,” including “serious nonfiction on any topic” and “smart narrative” accounts.

Arcadia CEO Brittain Phillips said the deal delivers “two terrific opportunities in one acquisition.”

“It strengthens our local and regional catalog in the Midwest, where Belt has been publishing remarkable books for a decade,” he said in a written statement. “And as we look to the future, Belt helps to expand the way we think about local-interest publishing, with new voices and fresh ways to define sense of place.”

Belt was started in 2013 by former English professor Anne Trubek. She said that “while it has been fun to own and run a small business,” it also could be “overwhelming and stressful.”

Belt has released such titles as “What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia” and “The Last Children of Mill Creek.” It will continue to operate under its current name with Trubek staying on as publisher “while benefiting from Arcadia’s unique sales and marketing model for local and regional content,” according to the prepared statement.

Trubek said the Wingo Way company “has long been the model for local-interest publishing and served as the inspiration for Belt.”

“We will be able to continue with our editorial program and expand into new areas, together. ... How tremendous,” she said.

Aracadia was founded in 1994 and has amassed a catalog of more than 20,000 titles that focus on “hyper-local” history and culture. Many of the books are loaded with vintage photographs and include distinct sepia images on the covers.

Less than a month after the state’s health department issued a sweeping letter to food and beverage makers warning against advertising THC, High Rise Beverage Co. announced it will pause its distribution of hemp seltzers.

The Charleston-based brand made the announcement Feb. 7. The decision comes as the company plans to launch a hemp and THC-free line of adaptogen seltzers in March.

The “Blackout Edition” is a response to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Jan. 22 letter to the hemp industry declaring that product labels for hemp-infused food and drink shouldn’t declare that they contain THC, CBD or Delta-9 — though all of them naturally occur in hemp oil.

High Rise said in a statement that 10 cents from every can sold from the “Blackout Edition” will go toward advocacy for hemp laws and educational initiatives in the field.

Matt Skinner, co-founder of High Rise, told The Post and Courier that the company’s cannabis dry bar will also be going cannabinoid-free.

The nonalcoholic movement is big enough to support the dry bar without THC, Skinner said. And at this point, he feels like High Rise is a brand beyond its THC products.

High Rise isn’t the only business pulling back from distributing hemp products in South Carolina.

In response to a raid on his hemp shop, delayed justice and a lack of clarity about what is and isn’t legal, Michael Sims is planning to close Crowntown Cannabis, his only South Carolina location.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. – Nexton, the most innovative and walkable community in South Carolina, announced today it was awarded a 2023 Best in American Living Awards (BALA) by The National Association of Home Builders Design Committee in the category of Single-Family Community For Rent for its built-for-rent neighborhood, The Villas at Nexton. BALA is the building industry’s premier residential design awards program that spotlights the most creative and talented industry professionals who redefine design excellence for homes and communities nationally and internationally.

“Built-for-rent communities are rapidly gaining popularity as they offer a unique blend of convenience, flexibility and community living,” says Cassie Cataline, marketing director at Nexton. “This award underscores Nexton’s commitment to providing innovative housing solutions that prioritize modern lifestyles and foster vibrant communities and we are honored to be recognized.”

The Villas at Nexton earned the gold award in the category Single-Family Community for Rent. The Villas at Nexton spans nearly 27 acres and offers 282 single-family and duplex rental homes that cater to young professionals, empty nesters and those transitioning to the Charleston area looking to rent instead of buy. The community features a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom cottages, each with its own private, fenced yard, as well as one-bedroom lofts and carriage units. The homes range from 650 to 1,350 square feet and rental rates start at $1,535 per month.

To create a true neighborhood feel for its residents, the community features open green spaces to host community events, courtyards with pavilions and barbeque stations, a central clubhouse and resort-style pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, dog park and electric car charging stations. The homes offer nine- to 12-foot ceilings, quartz countertops, wood-grain flooring, in-unit washers and dryers, a smart home technology package and have 24/7 on-call maintenance and optional enclosed garage parking.

Nexton is a lifestyle-driven destination that artfully blends the best of live, work and play by offering conveniences such as state-of-the-art schools, modern infrastructure, 20 miles of trails and 2,000 acres of green space. The community’s four residential neighborhoods include apartments, built-for-rent homes, townhomes and a variety of for-sale single-family homes that cater to first-time buyers, executives and 55+ retirees. Nexton has currently sold over 3,000 homes.

For more information on The Villas at Nexton, visit: https://thevillasatnexton.com/. To learn more about Nexton, visit: www.nexton.com.

More than a dozen tenants are coming to a new grocery-anchored retail development near Summerville that’s almost completely leased several months before construction is set to be completed.

The One Nexton commercial node on Nexton Parkway will include restaurants, service-industry providers, a bank and workout site in addition to a new 48,387-square-foot Publix supermarket.

Food-and-beverage offerings coming to the development include Catrina’s Cantina, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Woodhaven Pizza, Ruby’s Bagels, Indian restaurant Naan Appetit, and Dulce Churros, Ice Cream and Cocktails.

The Packie Wine & Spirits retail shop will join service providers Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Heartland Dental, Noire Nails and insurance firm Swamp Fox Agency. Workout site Basecamp Fitness and Fifth Third Bank round out the announced tenants coming to the site, which is still under construction. One outparcel site remains to be leased next to the 351-unit Camellia One Nexton Apartments under development on the combined 23-acre One Nexton site, Yurfest said.

The multifamily project is expected to be completed in May or June, according to Nexton spokeswoman Cassie Cataline.

Opening dates have not been announced for any of the commercial tenants, but construction is expected to be completed by the fall on the retail center. It sits across Nexton Parkway from a developing Harris Teeter-anchored commercial site. Harris Teeter is tentatively set to open in the spring.

On the way

A rhyming round of slushy sweet adult beverages is on tap for Upper King this spring with the planned arrival of Zachary’s Daiquiris.

The bar, opening in the former Basil Thai restaurant site at 460 King St., is being touted as “Charleston’s Chic Daiquiri Destination.”

Zachary Elliott, a South Carolina entrepreneur, filed for a liquor license recently for the property, and his social media accounts tease the spring opening of the sing-songy locale.

Elliott is also affiliated with Charleston’s Bourbon & Bubbles, Mesu and Republic Garden & Lounge, and is a partner with the Sweetberry Bowls franchise that has locations in the Carolinas, Georgia and New Jersey.

Elliott did not immediately respond for comment on the daiquiri venture.

The space at 460 King, a former bicycle shop and Huddle House, has been empty since spring 2021, when Basil closed its longtime downtown restaurant.

Gassing up

A Savannah-based convenience store chain is looking to add its first location in Mount Pleasant.

Parker’s Kitchen plans to build a 5,175-square-foot shop on S.C. Highway 41 at Wood Park Drive, next to the Lowes Foods-anchored Market at Mill Creek Shopping Center.

Site plans presented to the town show three options for the building’s placement: with fueling stations parallel to the store facing the highway, with gas pumps in the rear, and with the store on the corner near the street and pumps set perpendicular to S.C. 41.

The 6-acre site where the store is planned near the entrance to The Gates at Dunes West subdivision is owned by Highway 41 LLC, an affiliate of auto supplier Oakwood Group of Dearborn, Mich. It bought the property for nearly $1.3 million 16 years ago.

Heads up

A new salon focusing on relaxation and rejuvenation of the scalp and hair is now open in West Ashley.

Charleston Head Spa at 1420 Ashley River Road offers a serene atmosphere and personalized treatments to improve scalp health, according to its website. The business, owned by Molly and Josh Smith, is open weekdays by appointment.

Dance steps

A new place to twirl and tumble is being proposed in Mount Pleasant.

The owners of Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics want to build a 9,500-square-foot studio between existing buildings at 600 and 608 Seacoast Parkway, a frontage road next to the Mark Clark Expressway west of Long Point Road, according to site plans presented to the town.

The school is currently at 455 Long Point Road in a shared-use structure. The proposal is making its way through the town’s review process.

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SUMMERVILLE, S.C. – Nexton, the most innovative and walkable community in South Carolina, reported a successful 2023 that includes the addition of cutting-edge commercial space as well as fresh amenities and housing options. As a new year begins, the community is poised for growth on all fronts, advancing its status as a national model for master-planned communities.

“Nexton’s tenth year was filled with accomplishments. From celebrating 2,800 total home sales to welcoming a multitude of high-quality new businesses and housing choices, it was truly a remarkable year,” said Nexton’s Senior Vice President, Development Brent Gibadlo. “Each new year presents countless opportunities for Nexton, and we are excited to continue this momentum as a forward-thinking master-planned community and thriving economic hub in 2024.”

COMMERCIAL Nexton welcomed a collection of world-class retailers and commercial entities in 2023, including:

• The Hub at Nexton, developed by SL Shaw, added 88,000 square feet of office, retail, and restaurant space. It officially opened its doors in May, featuring local favorites such as The Co-Op and Derrington Dermatology. • Brighton Court: Two additional multi-tenant buildings were added adjacent to Coastal Fertility, offering new medical office and retail options. • Downtown Nexton: Sharbell Nexton LLC, the developer of Downtown Nexton, broke ground on Atelier Downtown Nexton office project in June and secured the first five tenants for the ground-floor retail in the Lofts Downtown Nexton apartments. Woodfield Development nears completion of The Ames, featuring 304 market rate apartments, and broke ground on The Radler, which includes 324 market-rate apartments. • Serendipity Labs, an established brand of co-working and flexible office facilities, celebrated the grand opening of its second Charleston location in Nexton in May. • The Pickle Bar: A new restaurant, retail and recreation concept that combines the growing popularity of pickleball with a bar and restaurant opened in November. • Dayfield Park, new commercial properties featuring office space and residential options, as well as retail and service providers broke ground in September. Tenants include The Goddard School daycare, HYLO Fitness, GoDog, Stretch Zone and Pinnacle Bank. • One Nexton, a Publix-anchored commercial center, broke ground with plans to include a bank and neighborhood-serving retail and dining.

RESIDENTIAL Nexton continued to provide a variety residential offerings and amenities to cater to all lifestyles and preferences, including:

• 492 homes sold in four residential villages including Del Webb Charleston, North Creek Village, Brighton Park Village and Midtown. • Nexton celebrated the 2,800 total home sale milestone. • Brookfield Residential was added to the community’s builder program and introduced their new townhome collection. • Builder Ashton Woods unveiled a new 55+ neighborhood of homes called Hammock Walk, featuring 100 villa-style homes in its first phase. The neighborhood celebrated the grand opening of its first homes and model home in December.

CIVIC • Nexton Middle School, a new fifth through eighth grade Berkeley County middle school, broke ground in December with a planned opening in 2026.

AWARDS + ACCOLADES Nexton received several national and regional accolades for demonstrating its commitment to forward-thinking design and innovation:

• Awarded the Grand Aurora Award in the category Residential Housing Community of the Year – Masterplan. • Awarded the Multi-Housing News Excellence Award in the category Development & Design: Mixed-Use. • Awarded a 2023 Best in American Living Award by The National Home Builders Design Committee for The Villas at Nexton in the category Single-Family Community For Rent. • Recognized as #38 of the 50 top-selling master-planned communities in the U.S. by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors, based on year-end 2023 home sales.

LOOKING AHEAD As Nexton closes another successful chapter, the community continues to set the industry standard for master-planned communities across the U.S. The following can be expected from the Nexton in 2024:

• Page’s Okra Grill opened in January 2024. • Additional homebuilder, Stanley Martin will join the Nexton community as well as new with a new collection of townhomes and condos to Brighton Park. Existing builders are adding new floor plans to Nexton’s Midtown neighborhood. • Brookfield Residential’s model townhome and first homes will open to the public in February. • Del Webb Nexton will break ground on its expanded amenity package with the addition of indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, a large gymnasium and restaurant. • Harris Teeter and Publix grocery stores will open. • Dayfield Park, a new commercial property featuring office space and residential options, as well as retail and service providers, will open. • Downtown Nexton: The first phase of the Lofts and Atelier Downtown Nexton will be completed in 2024. • Berkeley County Park will open in the summer of 2024.

Purchase of Solis Nexton Apartments Brings Company's Total Number of Properties in South Carolina to Eight

Community Contributor

West Shore, a multifamily real estate investment firm, announces its acquisition of Solis Nexton, a new luxury apartment community located in the award-winning Nexton master-planned community in Summerville, South Carolina. This marks the Boston-based company’s eighth acquisition in the state. The company’s other properties in South Carolina include Vantage at Wildewood, Town Center at Lake Carolina, and Arcadia’s Edge, all in Columbia, Sweetwater Apartments and 17 South Apartments, both in Charleston, Riverwalk Apartments in Rock Hill, and Reserve at Mill Landing in Lexington. West Shore now owns and operates 45 properties with over 14,000 units in seven states.

“We are pleased to have acquired Solis Nexton, our third property in the Charleston market,” said Steven P. Rosenthal, Chairman of West Shore. “This property is in a sought-after location surrounded by world-class businesses, retail, and dining options, providing a terrific living experience for our residents.”

Located in the heart of Nexton Square, the 320 spacious apartment homes sit on 11 sprawling acres and offer a resort-style pool, dog park, pet spa, entertainment lounge, state-of-the-art fitness center, private yoga and spin studio, and electric charging stations.

“Solis Nexton offers residents modern apartment homes in an ideal location with access to all-inclusive amenities,” said West Shore President, Lee Rosenthal. “The community is near several other West Shore properties, allowing us to leverage our knowledge of the area.”

Solis Nexton Apartments is located at 6000 Front Street in Summerville, South Carolina and is now leasing. To learn more, visit www.solisnexton.com.

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