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BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - A major project to bring more healthcare jobs and another medical option to the rapidly growing town of Bluffton cleared a key hurdle.

Novant Health is one step closer to building its own hospital along Buckwalter Parkway.

Following its final development plan meeting with the Town of Bluffton, the proposed facility is nearing its groundbreaking phase.

The multi-million-dollar medical facility will join other recent additions to Bluffton’s medical corridor, including a recently opened Novant Health Emergency Room building and a Beaufort Memorial medical facility currently under construction.

Meeting the demands of a growing community

Bluffton’s population growth is driving the demand for expanded local healthcare infrastructure.

According to Town of Bluffton Director of Growth Management Kevin Icard, residential space in the town is nearly built out.

“We’re at about 80% developed residential uses in the town,” Icard said.

Town planners specifically designed the Buckwalter Parkway corridor to accommodate higher-density development, focusing heavily on medical services.

“We’ve specifically designed that from a land use standpoint to facilitate those uses and accommodate it,” Icard added.

Inside the plans for the new facility

The planned Novant Health Bluffton Medical Center will be located near the intersection of Lake Point Drive and Buckwalter Parkway on a currently wooded plot of land.

Once cleared, the site will be transformed into an over 130,000-square-foot, $320 million full-service medical facility. Key details of the project include:

During the final development plan meeting, the project addressed minor technical adjustments.

“These were just some small formalities addressing a couple of things,” President of Novant Health Coastal Carolina Medical Center Matthew Conrad said.

Other than some stormwater fixes to the plan and fine-tuning a couple of other details, the project is nearly ready to start clearing the plot of land.

“We’ll get that turned back in, and we should hopefully have our permits here soon to be able to get moving,” Conrad said.

Commitment to close-to-home care

For hospital leadership, the investment is about ensuring residents do not have to travel long distances for critical healthcare.

“Having to leave these communities and cross bridges and go to other towns for a level of care is frankly unacceptable,” Conrad said. “So, this is our commitment to this community to be able to invest in it, so people can get care close to home and where you live.”

Conrad emphasized that the facility is designed for both immediate needs and long-term regional development.

“There is a significant need in this community today, and there will be significantly more need in the next 5, 10, 15 years in this region,” Conrad said. “It’s an investment for now and the future.”

Expanding footprint, employee support

Novant Health already has an established footprint in the Lowcountry, owning and operating Hilton Head Medical Center and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville.

To support its expanding workforce in the region, Novant Health is currently working on a workforce housing project on Hilton Head Island to assist current and future employees.

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Residential builder Tri Pointe Homes announced Thursday that it will build 76 single-family homes in the final phase of Bluffton’s New Riverside area.

Plans submitted to the town of Bluffton show the company will build a new gated community on the neighborhood’s last parcel, referred to in plans as New Riverside Parcel 5A South.

Home designs are currently in development, according to a press release from Tri Pointe, but the builder said it anticipates homes will be “expansive,” or as large 3,600-square feet with two or three-bay garage options. The gated neighborhood will also have trails connecting to Bluffton’s newest venue, New Riverside Barn Park.

Home construction is expected to begin in late 2027, and sales are expected to begin in 2028.

Located south of the intersection of Highway 170 and May River Road near Pritchardville, the New Riverside area continues to see massive growth near Bluffton’s high-end private residential Palmetto Bluff community.

In the Thursday press release, Robert Norton, Tri Pointe Homes Coastal Carolinas Division President said, “This acquisition is an important milestone for our division, because it represents one of the last new home opportunities in Bluffton.”

This Tri Pointe’s third foray into the Lowcountry market. In 2025, the company announced developments in Beaufort and a development near Bluffton’s Promenade.

South Carolina had the fastest percent growth in the U.S. between 2024 and 2025, growing by 1.5%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates. Jasper County is the fastest-growing in the country, population-wise; its population grew by 6% between 2024 and 2025.

New Riverside is located in Beaufort County near the border with Jasper.

In February 2024, Tri Pointe Homes announced an exclusive collaboration with Emmy-winning TV host Bobby Berk. Berk is probably best known for his breakthrough role as a design expert on the Netflix series “Queer Eye.”

It’s unknown if Berk’s designs will be available at the New Riverside property. “Tri Pointe is still developing plans for the community’s home designs,” a spokesperson for the company wrote in an email.

Tri Pointe, founded in 2009 during the 2006 to 2012 U.S. housing market crash, was recently purchased by the Tokyo-based conglomerate Sumitomo Forestry in a roughly $4.5 billion all-cash deal operating in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Bluffton wants community input on a new, 10-year master plan for Old Town Bluffton.

The Town of Bluffton will host a public meeting for community input at the Rotary Community Center on Oct. 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Called the 2027 Old Town Master Plan, it will outline Bluffton’s vision and goals for Old Town, according to a news release. It hopes to complete the plan during the first half of 2027.

Bluffton created its for Old Town in 2006 with the help of more than 300 community members. Now Bluffton wants to determine how to preserve Old Town’s character while continuing to invest in it, according to the news release.

The 2006 master plan

Old Town’s original master plan was created through what Bluffton calls a “seven-day charette” with the involvement of more than 300 community members. The plan was adopted in June 2006 and established 12 major initiatives and 34 goals related to them.

Most of the goals were achieved, according to the news release, including the development of seven parks, adding 100,000 square feet of commercial space and the preservation of several historic homes and buildings. The plan also brought $70 million in private investment into Old Town and 100,000 annual visitors, according to a 2020 review of the 2006 master plan.

The 2027 master plan

Bluffton planners will look back at the success of the 2006 master plan and the challenges that have arisen from them to create the new master plan. Old Town has become a desirable place to live in, visit and do business, but continued growth has raised concerns about eroding Old Town’s unique character, according to the news release.

The goal of the 2027 Old Town Master Plan is to create a 10-year vision for the district. Bluffton plans to do this by reviewing existing policies, gathering community input and using planning expertise. The plan will guide Bluffton leaders on how to balance investment in Old Town and preservation of its character.

What input is Bluffton looking for?

Bluffton wants to hear from residents, business owners and people who care about Old Town, according to the news release. Here are some questions Bluffton leaders are asking:

Input will help guide the vision of the 2027 master plan, and Bluffton recognizes how vital community engagement in the 2006 master plan was to its success, according to the news release. If you can’t attend the meeting but want to contribute your thoughts, Bluffton asks that you email your comments, ideas and suggestions to Charlotte Moore, principal planner for the town, at cmoore@townofbluffton.com.