Co-Working Space Near Nexton, SC

Sep 2020

Initially, it was difficult for many people to envision. After all, the map showed only thousands of acres of timber tracts surrounding Summerville, but Dexter Rumsey saw it coming. He knew the tract which would ultimately become Cane Bay Plantation on Hwy 176 was under contract, he understood proximity to Interstate 26 offered access and visibility, and he realized there would be demand for land to develop in the years to come.

Now, everyone can see the success of the Nexton community, located between I-26 and Hwy 176. Thousands of homes, dozens of businesses, schools and medical facilities — Nexton has indeed become the “next town” its name signifies, with room for future growth. And commercial real estate leader NAI Charleston has been part of it from the beginning, active in the sale of land for neighborhoods, banks, restaurants and other amenities that serve those who live there.

“At first, people didn’t understand it. It was a timber tract with very poor access,” says Rumsey, partner at NAI Charleston, who found the land when searching for large development sites. “There were only service roads accessing the Sheep Island tract, but I knew what the Cane Bay developer was planning and thought, ‘Well if that project is in the works on Hwy 176, then this tract with interstate frontage is a no-brainer.’ The rest is history.”

The result was a $21 million deal with Crescent Resources, who worked with Berkeley County to record a Development Agreement with entitlements for “The Parks of Berkeley” on the Sheep Island tract. MeadWestvaco was the original seller but ultimately purchased the property back from Crescent and commenced with an aggressive campaign of building roads and installing utilities for what would become the Nexton community.

NAI Charleston’s land brokerage continued beyond the original sale to Crescent, later representing WestRock (formerly MeadWestvaco) in parcel sales totaling over $47 million in closed deals at Nexton, with more still in the works. “The land was originally affordable, and you had the infrastructure in place,” says Thomas Boulware, Partner and Broker-in-Charge at NAI Charleston. “Being right off I-26, with 17-A and highways 176 and 78, you had a lot of access. The foresight of Berkeley County to adopt a Development Agreement allowing the necessary infrastructure and zoning expedited the entire process. We were able to create a place and a community for people looking to move into our market.” NAI Charleston facilitated the land sale for Nexton Square on 17-A and for the future Nexton Town Center between Brighton Park Blvd. and Sigma Drive. Today, the Nexton development continues to grow under the ownership of Newland Communities with plans for years to come.

Residential and retail

With the Atlantic Ocean to the east and protected lands to the north and south, such as the Francis Marion National Forest and ACE Basin, the growth of the Charleston area has always been limited. With Mount Pleasant approaching capacity and outer West Ashley’s drainage issues, growth has been funneled in one direction — up the I-26 corridor, toward Summerville and beyond.

“It’s the most logical direction for growth,” continues Rumsey. “In a pure development model, you follow the transportation route, and we only have a semicircle. We have developers asking us all about land for homes and industrial uses from Ridgeville to St. George and I-95, including areas I never thought would have received that attention.”

That growth, fueled by industrial linchpins like Volvo in Ridgeville and DHL in St. George, has helped make Nexton more centralized. With new residents comes a demand for more supporting businesses — like Carolina Ale House, Rainbow Child Care, CPM Federal Credit Union, Cambria Hotel, a self-storage facility, and other businesses that NAI Charleston has helped introduce to the community.

“As residential starts filling in, retail is going to follow,” says Will Sherrod, a veteran broker at NAI Charleston. “You've got large developers that are looking at parcels close to the interstate — not only the Harris Teeter site that has been public knowledge, but there's also another proposed grocery group looking in the same area. There are multiple convenience store groups that are interested in parcels along Nexton Parkway on both sides of the interstate.” NAI Charleston currently represents the owner of approximately ±100-acres planned for mixed-use development along Nexton Parkway/North Maple, south of I-26.

Although much of Nexton’s commercial development has clustered around U.S. 17, Nexton Parkway offers the potential for further expansion. “It's probably going to be smarter and not as congested as North Main Street,” Sherrod says. “I think it will be a welcome shift. You'll see some of these larger retailers potentially explore the Nexton Parkway side. Post-COVID-19, we’ll have to see what big boxes are looking at in terms of expansion, but I think you’ll see continued growth of retail along that side of the interstate.”

Access is key. The Nexton interchange on I-26, which opened in 2018, was in Crescent’s plans from the start. “They worked hand-in-hand with Berkeley County to adopt a development plan that laid out a long-term set of guidelines for commercial, multifamily, and medical hubs within those 4,500 acres,” Rumsey says. The Nexton Parkway interchange on I-26 was on the master plan back in 2006. Ultimately, it came to fruition 12 years later, reducing congestion on Hwy 17-A and providing direct access to entitled land with utilities.

Accessibility and affordability

The owners of Carolina Ale House saw the potential as well. When they decided to expand to Nexton, they wanted a site with parking that could accommodate 150 cars. “They said, ‘This is going to be the hottest restaurant we have in our portfolio of restaurants throughout the Carolinas,’” Rumsey recalls. NAI Charleston brokered the land for $2.1 million and later sold the Starbucks next door and an adjacent ±1-acre parcel to the same owner. This parcel is currently offered for ground lease as a future bank site.

It was a similar situation for First Citizens Bank, which had searched for two years to find the right spot in the area. When they found Nexton, they bought not just the land for their branch, but an entire 12-acre parcel which sits across the street from a proposed Harris Teeter. “We've had a tremendous amount of interest in it,” says David Grubbs, partner at NAI Charleston. “They've been very methodical about the development of the rest of the 12 acres because they want complementary and compatible uses.”

Jim Rozier, late former Berkeley County supervisor, had a vision to create a commercial base to reduce taxes on homeowners, and he was deeply involved in multiple development agreements for the area. The collaboration of the county, the accessibility of the land, and the opportunities yielded from potential land entitlements allowed Nexton to become a reality. The development has come a long way from that initial $21 million land deal, resulting in a vibrant mixed-use community at the center of the Lowcountry.

Contact NAI Charleston at (843) 720-4944 about any of their available properties at Nexton, or visit their website at NAICharleston.com for further information.

The master-planned Nexton community will soon become a medical destination for Berkeley County.

Medical University of South Carolina has proposed a $130 million hospital within the Summerville community. The 128-patient bed facility will include four operating rooms, eight labor and delivery rooms, diagnostic testing and imaging, and emergency services, MUSC Health Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Bacik said.

“A large percentage of our current patients originate from Berkeley County, and this is going to really allow our patients to have access within our communities,” Bacik said. “It’s not a surprise to anyone that the growth has outpaced some of the infrastructure.”

MUSC has asked the state for approval to build the community hospital through a certificate of need.

The build is expected to take two and a half years.

Nexton’s Vice President of Operations Brent Gibadlo said a hospital offers a service to the surrounding areas and residents because health care options have become a growing priority for homebuyers.

“There are certain basic things that are important for everyone that don’t change,” he said. “Certainly good schools if people have children and then good health care options. So having a world-class hospital in close proximity is always a wonderful compliment to a community."

Downtown Charleston’s MUSC campus will remain the hub for the educational hospital, while the Nexton campus will book end it with satellite campuses and ambulatory services in between, Bacik said.

“We’re full downtown, and we need to make sure that we can continue to have access to those more acute patients,” Bacik said. “It’s really about getting the patients the right level of care at the right place.”

The need for a community hospital in Berkeley County is critical, said Dr. Dave Zaas, CEO of the Charleston division of MUSC. The hospital’s co-location in Nexton will help with the area’s continued growth.

“That is a lot of our strategy not just in tri-county but around the state,” he said. “Not only delivering the highest quality ... but more convenient and ideally at a lower cost. I think that drives our ambulatory growth as well as our statewide strategy.”

Gibadlo said Nexton is just starting to explore the possibilities with MUSC and its idea of community health care, of being more proactive and going out into the community to initiate health and wellness programs. Preventative care could then decrease the need for hospital visits.

“We’ve had conversations with MUSC on how to incorporate some of those programs into Nexton,” Gibadlo said. “That’s everything from community gardens to community fitness programs to even potential opportunities for some of the coordination between MUSC and some of the companies at Nexton.”

Other suggestions include incorporating companies’ health care programs through MUSC and creating wellness programs employees can participate in.

Bacik is already excited for both caregivers and patients because she believes the best care is delivered conveniently to patients, many of whom come from across the state.

“A lot of our patients and staff travel to the peninsula today to receive care or to care for our patients ... so if they could receive care 30 minutes closer, that’s a benefit for the communities as well,” Bacik said.

Gibadlo is going on 13 years at Nexton and said there is has another 13 or 14 years left in the business plan. He still remembers those early years, though, sitting in a Welcome Center trailer praying that builders and homebuyers would think outside the box.

Convincing people to give Nexton a chance was hard a decade ago given the location.

Over time, Gibadlo has found that if he pushes the envelope to create value, the innovation is well-received.

“I think the potential for Nexton is really evolving continuously. What we used to think was possible we’ve exceeded now. Maybe we can take it another step,” he said. “A hospital was something we only dreamed about 10 years ago. Now that’s happening.”

Nexton now receives calls almost daily from groups, retailers and home builders who want to create something exciting at the community. Gibadlo said the biggest challenge is prioritizing. If he reacts to every call, he risks losing focus of the long-term vision that Nexton is systematically moving through.

“At the same time, you have to be flexible enough that if you get a call, like from MUSC, you change track a little bit because that’s a great opportunity,” he said.

A community with a master plan allowed Gibadlo and his team to be deliberate about adding a hospital. They could look at the map of the 5,000 acres to find a plot that was accessible, wouldn’t disrupt homeowners with traffic and had surrounding space for businesses the hospital could bring in. Gibadlo believes they will come.

As an educational institution, MUSC’s research and development could lead to job opportunities and potential spin-off businesses, he said.

Together, Gibadlo and his team’s vision for Nexton stem from a love for the region. He knows, however, that with any growth, there will inevitably be challenges. The objective then is to figure out how to make those obstacles positive.

“We look at it and say hey, we can create this employment center in the Charleston region, take some of the pressure off downtown, 526, everyone commuting and bring some of the great things that people love about this region from a quality of life and bring them to another location that can spread them out a little bit,” he said. “Maybe we can play a small role in helping this region continue to be a great place to live. At the heart of it, that’s what motivates us every day.”

Newland, the developers behind the master-planned Summerville community, are being acquired by Brookfield Residential, a company headquarterd in Calgary, Canada. The acquisition won’t affect any current plans, including the groundbreaking of Downtown Nexton.

By Teri Errico Griffis

Brookfield Residential has agreed to acquire Newland, the developers of Nexton, an award-winning master-planned community in Summerville.

Along with the acquisition of the management company on June 1, Brookfield Residential is also acquiring the 5% general partner’s equity interest in 15 of the 20 master-planned communities that Newland is currently developing. Brookfield is headquartered with corporate offices in Calgary, Canada.

Brookfield Residential’s Managing Partner, Real Estate and President, Development Adrian Foley said the investment allows the company to expand as a “large-scale provider of lofts to third-party builders” and potentially expand the Brookfield Residential homebuilding brand.

“The acquisition of Newland adds phenomenal master-planned communities to our portfolio in exciting new markets that are experiencing tremendous growth and a lack of supply of new homes,” Foley said. “It will round out our existing development capabilities making us one of the few companies that has the breadth of resources, capital and operational talent to successfully scale in this area of the market.”

The company said the acquisition broadens’ Brookfield Residential’s footprint across the country and leverages Brookfield Properties’ development capabilities into new markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle-Tacoma, Portland, Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington, in addition to Summerville.

Newland is U.S. real estate land development company with 50 years’ experience in real estate developments.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to team up with Brookfield Properties’ development group,” Newland Executive Chairman Bob McLeod said. “This acquisition will provide more opportunities for the continued development of additional mixed-use masterplans well into the future as well as give us significant additional vertical development opportunities. We are looking forward to becoming part of the Brookfield team.”

A spokesperson for Nexton said the acquisition won’t affect any of the current developments, including the $300 million groundbreaking of downtown Nexton.

The urban-inspired mixed-use development will be situated on nearly 100 acres between Sigma Drive and Brighton Park Boulevard, a Nexton release said. Plans include retail, dining, hospitality, residential, service, office and commercial options within walking distance of Nexton’s residential neighborhoods.

In total, 110,000 square feet of office space will be available for lease.

Construction on Downtown Nexton will occur in phases throughout the next few years with the first stage including multifamily units and a mixed-use building that has ground-level retail beneath loft apartments.

The project is developed by New Jersey-based Sharbell Development Corp., a mixed-use developer with more than 37 years experience in the industry.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C., July 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terwilliger Pappas, one of the Southeast’s premier multifamily property developers, is nearing completion on Solis Nexton, adding to its roster of 32 complete properties. Under the company’s marquee Solis brand, the newest property features 320 apartment homes in the Nexton neighborhood of Summerville. The project team includes Summit Contracting, Group 4 Architecture, Cline Design Associates, Seamon Whiteside and management company, Lincoln Property Company.

Welcoming home its first residents on July 29^th, Solis Nexton offers contemporary finishes such as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, custom kitchen islands with sleek shaker-style cabinetry and modern hardware. Solis Nexton’s extensive amenity list includes a saltwater pool, expansive fitness center and yoga studio, local hot and cold brew coffee on tap, community dog park and pet spa, and a business center brimming with work from home opportunities. The community is located just steps from Nexton Square, placing residents moments from Nexton’s premier attractions such as Hall’s Chophouse, Taco Boy, Poogan’s Porch, and Page’s Okra Grill.

“Solis Nexton will provide our residents the full complement of amenities found in all of our Solis communities while honing in on the signature neighborly spirit of Nexton,” said Tom Barker, Regional CEO of Terwilliger Pappas. “Positioned minutes from top employers, schools, conveniences, entertainment, and walkable to all the perks of Nexton Square, living at Solis Nexton puts residents at the pulse of the Nexton community, and we are excited and honored to be the newest addition to the neighborhood.”

Lincoln Property Company will serve as the management company and has already begun pre-leasing apartment homes at Solis Nexton. Lincoln currently manages 11 active communities in the Charleston area and is thrilled to be working with Terwilliger Pappas and the Nexton team on this project. “We are looking forward to welcoming the first members of the ‘inner circle’ here at Solis Nexton later this July,” said Danielle Lombardi, Business Manager at Solis Nexton. “This community is truly a place to enjoy the brighter moments and we’ve really perfected the resident experience to be one that is second to none in the Summerville submarket.”

To explore the collection of studios, one-, two- and three- bedroom offerings at Solis Nexton- visit: 6000 Front Street | Summerville, SC 29486 or call to schedule your tour today: (854) 300-4913. You may also visit the community online and explore virtual touring options at: www.solisnexton.com.

For more information on Terwilliger Pappas or its 32 properties, please visit www.terwilligerpappas.com.

About Terwilliger Pappas

Founded in 2013 by J. Ronald Terwilliger and Peter A. Pappas, Terwilliger Pappas develops best-in-class multifamily apartment communities in the Southeast’s most appealing submarkets. Terwilliger Pappas communities are identified by their marquee brand, Solis, and reflect the company’s elevated design emphasis resulting in the highest quality communities for residents, investors, and partners. Terwilliger Pappas is based in Charlotte, with regional offices in Raleigh and Atlanta.

About Solis Nexton

Solis Nexton is a vibrant community in the heart of the award winning, master- planned Nexton community. Enjoy our contemporary aesthetic, ideal amenities, and neighborly atmosphere while just steps away from renowned restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. At Solis Nexton, you’ll live a bit brighter. Welcome home.

About Lincoln Property Company

Lincoln Property Company was founded in 1965 by Mack Pogue as a builder and operator of high-quality residential communities. Headquartered in Dallas, Lincoln focuses on real estate investment, construction and development, in addition to property management. In 2019, Lincoln Property Company’s residential division formed a strategic partnership with Cadillac Fairview (CF), a globally focused owner, operator, investor, and developer of best-in-class retail, office, residential, industrial and mixed-use assets. Wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, CF manages in excess of $36 billion of assets across the Americas, Asia, and the United Kingdom, with further expansion planned into Europe. Lincoln is currently the second largest multifamily manager in the United States with more than 210,000 units under management. For more information about Lincoln Property Company, please visit www.lincolnapts.com/business-services.

Media Contact:Tom BarkerTerwilliger Pappastbarker@terwilligerpappas.com919-585-5191

New bank branch in Nexton

First Citizens Bank has opened a new full service, 4,500-square-foot branch in the Nexton development at the corner of Nexton Parkway and Cross Park Drive, at 107 First Citizens Way, Summerville.

In addition to a staffed lobby, the full-service branch features a drive-through, ATM service, ample parking and a night depository. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“Our new Nexton office is a significant investment in our community and a prominent addition to our bank. It symbolizes our long-term commitment to our customers in Nexton, Summerville and the surrounding area,” said area executive Reeves Skeen. “It also gives our customers even greater access to our products and services at this growing location. We’re excited about continuing to provide our special brand of relationship-focused banking at this new facility for years to come.”

The branch plans to hold a grand opening ceremony in January.

First Citizens operates 20 branches in the greater Charleston area and 130 locations across South Carolina.

Local store celebrates anniversary

A Summerville-based electrical supplies store has celebrated 25 years in the community.

City Electric Supply (CES) is a family owned business located at 320 E. Fifth N. St. It held a special event for the anniversary on Dec. 9 that included prizes, special promotions, raffles and food.

“Knowing that I opened this branch for City Electric Supply in 1996 and had the opportunity to help make it grow, it feels good to be a part of such an amazing celebration,” said branch manager Archie Winningham. “I want the customers to know just how much they mean to us here at City Electric Supply Summerville.”

Vendors were also on site to discuss the newest products, give demonstrations and answer any questions customers had.

Get fit in Goose Creek

Planet Fitness held its grand opening in Goose Creek on Dec. 17.

The fitness business is located at 214 Saint James Ave. and is open until midnight every day for workouts. Business operating hours are between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The company markets itself on creating a workout environment where everyone feels accepted and respected. Goose Creek Planet Fitness manager Taylor Vega said the location has certified trainers ready to help customers feel welcomed, whether they’re first-time gym users or fitness veterans. As of Dec. 16, the business had 500 members.

Planet Fitness has more than 2,000 locations around the country and outside of it, according to its website.

In a normal-looking Summerville subdivision at a normal-looking house, there is a not-so-normal garage. What’s inside that garage and the things that come out of it are even more abnormal.

Whether it is the skeleton bride-and-groom draped from the water heater, a one-eyed zombie staring from atop a storage container or the fake human skin with protruding faces fashioned into a lampshade, they are all the creations of Robert Kelly, founder and owner of DarkSeed Creations, small company specializing in horror culture and special effects.

“Right now, I’m primarily working on Halloween masks for people who are ordering stuff at the last minute,” Kelly said on a sunny October day in his driveway. “All the masks that we do are all sculpted; I sculpt them out in clay ahead of time and then they are casted. Everything we do is in house.”

It is almost always Halloween for Kelly, who said he usually starts working on orders for masks in mid-July.

“We don’t sell box-store masks,” he said. “You’re paying for something that you can only get from the individual artists who created it because we do everything from the floor up.”

Kelly sells most of his masks and other horror-themed items through his website, darkseedcreations.com, and he and his wife, Tara, also own an oddities and curiosities auction house. He often travels around the country attending oddities shows.

“I am, by trade, a special effects artist,” he said. “But we also deal in oddities and curiosities. Independent artists do a lot with the haunt industry and individual haunted attractions and stuff like that. We did a lot of work for the one in North Charleston and Carolina Screams. We did a ridiculous amount of work for them this year. I mean, it’s always Halloween for us. In the oddities community, we deal a lot with collectors and people who are a little bit more on the macabre side of things.”

Kelly said while oddities and curiosities is itself a sub-genre, within it there are individual niches.

“There are people who only collect antique sideshow items or old circus stuff,” he said. “There’s people who only collect old medical supplies or osteology or human bones and things of that nature. We travel the country and do the world oddities and curiosities expos. We do several large horror conventions and oddities conventions. We go and set up and sell our stuff and teach some classes and things like that.”

DarkSeed Creations is unique in the oddities community, Kelly said, because where most people search for the items they want, he creates them.

“We were able to kind of, for lack of a better term, offer our own flavor,” he said. “People get things from us they don’t and can’t get anywhere else.”

DarkSeed was a side business that grew into Kelly’s full-time job. He worked for DAK Americas for almost 14 years in its laboratories and wastewater treatment facilities.

“I started doing this on the side,” he said. “It reached the point where I was making more money and spending more time here than I was at work. When DAK started closing, they offered a round of layoffs and I took it. That was almost three years ago.”

Kelly said he and Tara do a lot with local charities, such as Scares that Care, and they are the co-founders of the SC Horror Show in Columbia.

“It is the first and only horror convention in South Carolina,” he said. “It’s right over by the university. We had a little over 6,000 people there last time. It’ll be running again next year.”