Wedding & Event Venue Near Mt. Pleasant, SC.

MOUNT PLEASANT — A national specialty outdoor gear retailer plans to move into a former supermarket space in the state’s fourth-largest city, bringing its third outpost to South Carolina.

Recreational Equipment Inc., or REI Co-op, announced June 6 it will take over the 21,535-square-foot space GreenWise Market that Publix vacated in 2020 in Indigo Square Shopping Center off U.S. Highway 17. The company plans to hire about 50 workers.

Washington-based REI plans to open in the fall and stock an assortment of apparel, gear and expertise for camping, cycling, running, fitness, hiking, paddling, climbing and other outdoor activities. It also will include a full-service bike shop staffed by certified mechanics.

The self-proclaimed largest consumer cooperative in the nation offers members who join a range of benefits, including a used gear trade-in program, discounts on experiences, rentals and shop services, a share of the co-op’s annual profits based on qualifying purchases and other perks.

REI also partners with nonprofits to help maintain local trails and public lands.

In South Carolina, the co-op has invested nearly $184,000 in South Carolina-based land agencies and nonprofit partners since 2017. Recent recipients include Anne Springs Close Greenway, Conestee Foundation Inc., Friends of Harbison State Forest, Friends of Paris Mountain, Friends of Sesqui and Palmetto Trail-parent Palmetto Conservation Foundation.

The recreational equipment and gear retailer will be positioned about two miles north of competitor Dick’s Sporting Goods, which opened in 2015 near Highway 17 and Bowman Road. Other East Cooper businesses that could be affected by the newcomer include Haddrell’s Point Tackle & Supply, Henry’s Sporting Goods, Timeout Sport & Ski and Half-Moon Outfitters.

Billy Richardson of Play It Again Sports said REI’s entry into the market may help his business more than hurt.

“We have one category that crosses with REI, and that’s bikes,” Richardson said. “The majority of ours are lower end of $400 or less, and theirs are probably mostly boutique brands. I don’t think it will cross over too much with us, and it might help our business with people doing more trade-ins.”

Beezer Molten, CEO of Half-Moon Outfitters, said REI’s move into the region wasn’t unexpected.

“Anytime a big competitor moves into your marketplace, you are going to have some concerns,” Molten said. “I’m not surprised, not alarmed and not particularly worried. ... If you are intentionally trying to build a business, you try to come in under a big-box retailer and that requires more thoughtful urban infill decisions.”

REI also will be vying for business with big-box outdoor rival Sportsman’s Warehouse near Tanger Outlets in North Charleston.

In Mount Pleasant, the company is expanding to an affluent, fast-growing town with a population approaching 100,000, a median household income of about $105,000 and a median sales price for a single-family home of $820,000 as of April.

REI’s two other stores in the Palmetto State are in Greenville and Columbia.

The chain was founded in 1938 when a group of 23 climbing friends, united by their love for the outdoors, decided to source quality and affordable gear for their adventures. The retailer now has 175 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia and employs 15,000 workers.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD)- Dirty hallways, smelly staircases and overflowing trash dumpsters are some of the issues that a family at The Boulevard apartments in Mount Pleasant are complaining about.

The family moved into their unit in February and noticed the issues shortly after.

“I just makes me feel very upset,” said Isla Clair, who lives at the complex. “We are paying a higher amount of rent to live here.”

Stains, urine, trash, vomit, dead bugs, and standing water can be found in the hallways according to Clair. Her family has gotten sick frequently since moving in.

“It made us sick just smelling it. It gave us headaches. It made my mother very nauseated,” said Clair. “It is constantly trashed around here. There’s a lack of maintenance that cleans up.”

Outside of the buildings, the trash dumpsters are overflowing.

“I do not see a trash truck very often here,” said Clair.

There is also a lack of security. According to Clair some of the exterior doors are not locked.

“Anyone can come in from the street, open the door and access our apartment building,” said Clair.

On the sidewalks along Coleman Boulevard there is more trash that poses a safety risk.

“There’s broken glass on the sidewalks where we walk our dogs,” said Clair. “I’ve even seen small children around here which concerns me as well with the glass on the ground.”

Clair and her parents are reaching a boiling point and say that The Boulevard’s management has been ignoring their service requests.

“They seem to blow us off. They seem to sweep it under the rug whenever we complain. When we let them know of an issue they say that they’re going to take care of it then they don’t,” said Clair.

Other livability issues are present at the complex. When the Clairs moved in, many of their appliances malfunctioned and the family has not had cold running water in their unit.

If the complex’s management does not power wash the halls and clean up the trash then the Clairs will find another place to live.

“I want them to look into the issues here or we are going to look into cutting our lease,” said Clair.

Even with rising gas prices and population increases on the coast, state officials insist South Carolina is prepared to execute an evacuation, should a severe storm occur here this season.

An evacuation order hasn’t been issued for the coast since wind, surge and flooding from Hurricane Dorian in 2019 caused widespread damage in the state. At that time, Gov. Henry McMaster formally mandated approximately 830,000 residents of multiple coastal counties to leave their homes.

The state’s population has increased by 1.4 percent since July 2021 to 5,190,705 people, recent census data shows. Most of the growth took place in areas closest to the state’s biggest cities.

In terms of coastal municipalities, Bluffton added 3,457 more people in the last year, North Charleston grew by 1,701 residents and 1,527 people moved to Mount Pleasant.

In the Charleston area, there’s about a 48-hour maximum window needed to clear the area in the event of a severe storm, according the Kim Stenson, director of the S.C. Emergency Management Division.

The clearance time was last updated in 2019 to account for an increase in population then. And Stenson said the state will probably go through the process again soon to update evacuation planning timelines.

This month, state agencies tested hurricane evacuation plans that call for reversing traffic on major highways to speed departures from the coast. Since 2016, McMaster has called for lane reversals three times.

Eight coastal counties in South Carolina are divided into a number of evacuation zones. During smaller storms, it might only be necessary to evacuate people living in zones closest to the coast. And in stronger storms, some of the more inland zones might need to be evacuated.

The SCEMD has made it easy for people to learn which zone they reside in. The agency’s website now includes a feature where people can enter their address to learn their zone.

Evacuation zones are based on how far inland storm surge could reach. It is possible to be in a FEMA-declared flood zone but not in a hurricane evacuation zone.

Flood zones are based on riverine flooding, and evacuation zones are more concerned with modeled storm surge, said SCEMD hurricane program manager Leah Blackwood.

“The greatest cause of loss of life and property is storm surge,” Blackwood said.

But even when there’s a mandatory evacuation, Stenson said the SCEMD has discovered that about 20 percent of the people along the coast do not evacuate.

“If they stay in the evacuation zone and there’s a large impact in terms of power outages and roads blocked, they’re not going to have any services down there,” Stenson said. “They’re not going to be able to go to the hospital very easily if they hurt themselves, and that sort of thing.”

If transportation is the cause for people staying home during hurricanes, the state has a solution. State officials have executed a Critical Transportation Needs Plan only twice, but it is meant to help people with no other way to get to emergency shelters during hurricanes and other severe storms.

When needed, the SCEMD will contract buses to bring people from disaster-prone areas to other parts of the state. The North Charleston Convention Center is a rally point for buses to deliver people in Charleston County. From there, they go to shelters further inland, Stenson said.

The SCEMD suspects about 10,000 people in the Charleston area could take advantage of this service.

“The two times we’ve done it before, no one’s really taken advantage of it, “Stenson said. “It just hasn’t been a real need.”

For those who have reliable transportation, emergency officials recommend a half of tank of gas be kept in vehicles in case they have to evacuate from Charleston to Columbia.

More than 250 locations have been identified as shelters in the state, including in parts of the Upstate. Many are staffed by the American Red Cross and the Department of Social Services.

In the last nine years, about 8,000 people have gone to emergency shelters, Stenson said. So there’s usually plenty of room at them during storms.

Transportation and shelters are available for those who choose to evacuate. But regardless of whether people leave or stay put during a storm, the SCEMD is encouraging all residents to prepare their homes.

People who don’t live in an evacuation zone could still see the effects of a hurricane making landfall. It is important to make sure insurance coverage includes damage from rain, wind and flooding. Roofs should also be inspected and shutters properly installed, SCEMD said.

With the current supply chain issues, getting the necessary items before a storm might be a bit of a challenge.

“So now’s the time to kind of start collecting those things — your emergency supply kit — over time and keeping it stocked throughout hurricane season,” said Derrec Becker, a SCEMD spokesman. “That way, you’ll have enough for your family to survive on for at least three days or preferably for a week or more.”

The SCEMD has compiled a 2022 Hurricane Guide that includes more preparation tips including information about evacuation routes, emergency alerts and important contacts, among other things. Find it online at hurricane.sc.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - The town of Mount Pleasant will preserve one of the last shrimping docks on Shem Creek through a $2.5 million appropriation endorsed by Senator Lindsey Graham.

Mount Pleasant purchased this dock back in 2019 to help maintain and ensure safe conditions for shrimpers. They are currently going through the first phases of approval for this project.

The plan is to approve the structures that are holding the docks up and once that is done, they want to reconstruct the area around the dock to make it safer for local shrimping companies. Mount Pleasant leaders say their top priority is to ensure the safety of the shrimpers, so they can continue their business.

“They are certainly going to be noticeable to those people using those docks as a working dock day in and day out,” Assistant Town Administrator Christiane Farrell said. “So, for them, this ensures continued business in support of the shrimping industry, which is really kind of the town’s purpose when we purchased these. We had the opportunity to buy this property several years ago. It was to show continued support for that industry.”

Farrell emphasizes that the safety of its shrimpers is a top priority.

“They receive a lot of wear and tear,” Farrell said. “Tides are coming in and out. It’s the mouth of the creek. They had a lot of deferred maintenance prior to us taking ownership and were really in need of repair. It’s important to us, the town, the town council to keep those docks operational and continue to support the shrimping industry.”

Tarvin Seafood is the business that sits right on this dock. Over the years, they have had to make minor repairs to the dock themselves, but they say they fear that if a big storm comes, the dock will be gone.

Cindy Tarvin, one of the owners of Tarvin Seafood, says she is eager for the plan to get approved.

“I think if the town desires to keep a maritime community of working waterfront, then I think it’s probably one of the most important things they need to do,” Tarvin said. “Whether it’s for us, Tarvin Seafood, or any other entity that would be managing that would be running a dock and a fishing business out of it.”

The town still needs approval from a few more senators before they can officially get their money. They hope to start the dock reconstruction by the beginning of 2023.

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A Mount Pleasant retail center where a new outdoor gear store plans to open will soon see a new restaurant. Two other new dining spots are in the works across the Charleston region as well.

Pasture & Grain plans to open in July at 1701 Shoremeade Road in the Indigo Square Shopping Center on U.S. Highway 17 where national sporting goods retailer REI announced this week plans to open in the fall in the former GreenWise Market grocery store space.

The restaurant is taking over the space vacated in May by Blaze Pizza, which closed after three years. A sign on the door says Blaze is relocating, but the new site is not mentioned, and a company representative did not respond for comment.

Pasture & Grain owner and chef Ira Hill said the 2,800-square-foot venue will serve American fare priced from $8 to $18. Meats, vegetables, grains, hot and cold sandwiches, salads and toast with spreads are on the menu. Sous chef will be Brandon Brown.

The shopping center also saw the recent departure of gastro pub Bull & Finch, which closed in May after nine months.

What’s cooking?

Two other restaurants also are on the way to the Charleston area.

In Cainhoy, a new venue by Florie’s Dining Group is planned for 1937 Clements Ferry Road, Unit B, beside Dog & Duck restaurant and bar.

“My concept has changed since I purchased the place in January,” said Brannon Florie. “Honestly, I’m still between two concepts. The space is small, so I am trying to make the best use of the space and still capitalize on what we are missing out here. I’ve lived on Clements Ferry for about eight years now.”

He’s leaning toward calling it Po Boy — Southern Refuge and Bar.

Florie doesn’t have an opening date, but he is eyeing the end of summer for a launch.

Florie’s Dining Group includes Pier 41 and The Basement in northern Mount Pleasant and Florie’s at Commonhouse Aleworks in North Charleston.

Florie said he’s considering a couple of other concepts for the northern side of the Charleston area but has nothing to announce.

Also on the way is a new restaurant in a former Pizza Hut in Goose Creek.

Pho Bowl LLC recently applied for a beer and wine license at 142 St. James Ave., Suite D, beside Food Lion supermarket. An opening date has not been announced.

Driving costs

South Carolina drivers can count on doling out even more more for the already-exorbitant cost of gasoline, starting in July.

The state’s gas tax will rise by 2 cents a gallon next month, the last of six annual increases passed by the General Assembly in 2017 to help pay for road, bridge and infrastructure construction.

The 2-cent tack-on will boost the tax to 28 cents per gallon.

Drivers in the Palmetto State are paying an average of $4.54 a gallon as of June 8, according to online fuel information provider GasBuddy. That’s up $1.76 from last year at this time. The national average is $4.97 per gallon, up $1.90 from one year ago.

The higher price of fuel is partially the result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prices were already rising before the war.

Now serving

Toast! All Day is now open with a second location in downtown Charleston.

Charleston Hospitality Group recently opened the sixth Toast location in the Lowcountry at 453 King St. in the former Monza pizzeria, which closed in February after a 13-year run.

Along with Southern comfort food offerings, the restaurant has incorporated the original wood-fired ovens to offer pizza as well. The menu also features seafood baskets, salads and sandwiches, as well as drink specials and artisan coffee selections.

The other downtown Toast is at 155 Meeting St. Two others are in Mount Pleasant, with one each in Summerville and West Ashley.

The restaurant group also includes Eli’s Table, Queology, John King Bar & Grill, all in Charleston, and Honky Tonk Saloon in Ladson.

Relocated

Skatell’s Manufacturing Jewelers of West Ashley has moved to a new location.

The jewelry store is now at 821 Orleans Road after moving from 1798 Ashley River Road, according to owners Nan Butler and husband Jason, who also own the store in Mount Pleasant.

The scoop

Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor will host the grand opening of its new location in West Ashley on June 10 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an ice cream special all day.

Officials will snip the ribbon at 11 a.m., and small cups of ice cream in 32 flavors will be offered all day for 99 cents at the new restaurant at 1319 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. in Ashley Landing Shopping Center.