Commercial real estate brokers in West Ashley, SC

After some last-minute funding maneuvers, Charleston approved the terms of a construction contract for a long-awaited bike and pedestrian bridge connecting downtown and West Ashley.

It now awaits federal approval before the mayor can sign off on it and work can begin.

As construction firms submitted proposals for the project this summer, local leaders became aware that their most recent cost projections were insufficient.

That’s when the estimate ballooned from $42 million about a year ago to about $74 million today. As a result, city officials had to secure more funding from county, state and federal agencies. In addition to dipping into the city’s hospitality tax funds, the Medical University of South Carolina chipped in too.

In total, the city’s contribution to the project via hospitality tax funds stands at $13 million.

Construction bidders attributed the higher-than-expected cost projections to rising interest rates, as well as increased labor and material costs. The winning bid came in at $73.8 million.

City leaders had considered scaling the project back when the new estimates were calculated but Councilman Mike Seekings said South Carolina Transportation Secretary Christy Hall was determined to find additional help from all levels of government to bring the project across the finish line.

“Secretary Hall put her money where her mouth is,” he said.

With Hall’s help securing an additional $30 million committed from various agencies, the city was able to move forward with a contract with civil contractor, Superior Construction.

Charleston City Council voted 11-1 on Sept. 26 to authorize the mayor to sign off on the contract once it gets approval from the Federal Highway Administration. Councilwoman Caroline Parker voted against the authorization and Councilman William Dudley Gregorie was absent.

If all goes according to plans, the contract will be signed within the next few weeks and design work can begin. Signing the contract locks down a “guaranteed maximum price” from the contractor, which can only fluctuate within a certain percentage of the total project cost. Any additional overrun would need special approval from City Council.

Design is expected to take about one year and construction about three years, said Jason Kronsberg, Charleston parks director and the project manager for the effort.

There should only be minor disruptions to road and boat traffic during construction, he added. It will tie into the existing West Ashley Greenway and cross the Ashley just south of the U.S. Highway 17 vehicular bridges.

Despite the cost estimate struggles, city leaders struck an optimistic tone saying that the project will be transformative for the city.

Editorials

“It’s a game changer,” Kronsberg said. “Its a significant infrastructure project that will be just as successful as the Ravenel Bridge bike and pedestrian lane when it was first implemented ... If you build it, they will come.”

Councilman Peter Shahid, who is running for mayor, said the project is not only a recreational amenity but also an important piece of the city’s transportation network. It will provide commuters who travel on foot or ride bikes a safe crossing to the city’s employment hub and also could relieve some traffic on the existing vehicular bridges in the same area.

Three new places to grab a meal on the go or dine in are opening across the Charleston area over the next week or so and another plans to open by the end of January.

In Mount Pleasant, a Pawleys Island-based business wants customers literally to “get carried away” over a dining venue opening soon.

Get Carried Away, with its well-known Palmetto Cheese pimento cheese brand, will roll into the former Wild Wings Cafe space in Moultrie Plaza Shopping Center at 644 Coleman Blvd. tentatively on Jan. 11 with a soft opening, according to owner Brian Henry.

The cafe and market is awaiting one final inspection before it opens, according to David O’Donnell, part of the management staff overseeing final details. Stocking is expected to take place over the weekend.

The outside area, called The Perch, will be open for casual eating and drinking and will offer full service in late winter or early spring.

The site’s prepared to-go food offerings include Lowcountry boils, tomato pies, chicken salad, 18 different casseroles, dips, spreads, appetizers, pies, grab-and-go items, sandwiches, salads, soups, daily specials, steaks, chicken, pork, seafood, bread and everyday grocery items such as milk, eggs, butter and produce, craft beer and wine.

Hours will be 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. When The Perch opens with full service, the business will be open until 9 p.m. Henry also is considering opening on Sundays during the summer.

On the way

On Johns Island, a proposed mixed-used development includes dining and shopping venues, office space, residences and a hotel.

Developer New Leaf Builders wants to build three restaurants totaling 8,500 square feet, a 2,450-square-foot retail area, 7,500-square-foot office building, a 55,000-square-foot hotel and 65 residential units at 2935 Maybank Highway in a new development called Jubilee.

Business

The 13.3-acre site sits behind property owned by Church of God of Prophecy and extends to Cane Slash Road. It is near Wildts Battery Boulevard.

The developer is asking the city to review the planned unit development before it is submitted to the Planning Commission.

Landing soon

In North Charleston, the long-awaited Chick-fil-A restaurant at Charleston International Airport will open soon after a monthlong delay from the originally scheduled opening date in early December.

The fast-food venue is set for a soft opening on Jan. 11 before a ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 18 for the official launch.

The new restaurant is unique at CHS because it provides access to ticketed passengers and non-ticketed visitors and airport workers. The main service counter is on the post-security side of the terminal while a service window will be available on the pre-security side in the Central Hall area under the dome.

Now serving

In Nexton near Summerville, Page’s Okra Grill has begun serving to-go items only at its newly built restaurant at 142 Brighton Park Blvd.

The dining room, located near the former food truck site off Rose Drive, is not open yet to the public while employees undergo training, according to the restaurant’s Facebook posting. In-house dining is expected to begin over the next week or so.

With its main operation on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, Page’s also has a food truck in Moncks Corner and operates Hushpuppies Seafood Co. on North Main Street in Summerville.

Coming soon

A new hamburger-focused restaurant will open soon in North Charleston.

Smashley’s Burger Bar plans to open in late January at 5401 Netherby Lane, between Urban Nirvana and Accent on Wine off Dorchester Road.

Owners Victor and Ashley Valdivieso, who also have Victor’s Lab food truck, will offer several differently prepared all-beef burgers, chicken items, vegetarian offerings, zucchini chips, fried cauliflower, Latin fries, empanadas and various rice bowls. Beer, seltzers, ciders, soft drinks and tea also will be available.

Hours will be 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 10 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday. The restaurant will be closed on Sunday.

What’s cooking?

A bakery that’s been in the works for a couple of years is making its way through the city of Charleston review process again.

Mae’s Sweets With Soul wants to build a single-story building with a drive-thru on a 1.83-acre site at 3919 Savannah Highway, east of Rantowles Creek.

Real Estate

Owner Lillie M. Smalls first presented plans to the city in August 2022. A planning department committee recently considered the proposal but asked that the plans be revised and returned.

Cleaning up

Another new car-cleaning business recently opened in the Charleston area.

Tommy’s Express Car Wash can be found at 3680 Ashley Phosphate Road in North Charleston. One other location is coming to the city near Tanger Outlets, while three will be located in the Summerville area: at 1509 Trolley Road, 1319 N. Main St. and 1581 Central Ave., according to the company’s website.

Danielle and Brent Sweatman understand the complicated relationship between sobriety and the food and beverage space. The couple, who have worked in the industry for years, are two years sober.

“We knew how it feels to be uncomfortable with limited options and wanted to change that,” said Danielle, who with her husband Brent, opened Sweatman’s Garden — a sodary and fondue Lounge at 90 Folly Road Boulevard in the South Windermere Shopping Center.

Brent said they chose the location for a few reasons.

“We live in West Ashley and have been living in Byrnes Down for about five years. Because we love our community, we wanted to provide a cool hangout spot close to home for both drinkers and non-drinkers.”

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According to Brent, he and his wife were happy to fill a much-needed niche in the community.

“There are so many young people in the area that are becoming part of the sober curious movement and it was important to us to provide an inclusive space for the people that would want to take advantage of it,” he said.

And with the rise of mocktail culture, their timing couldn’t be better. According to research conducted by NielsenIQ, the non-alcoholic beverage sector is expanding rapidly as alcohol consumption declines, with popularity soaring over the past five years — a trend driven by Gen Z and millennials.

An Instagram-worthy experience

When the couple moved into what was Florence’s Lowcountry Kitchen, they were presented with a tabula rasa, enabling Danielle, as she says, “to go wild.”

She transformed plain, white walls into ones with a dark green hue and festooned them with dozens of thriving plants. Quirky and colorful seating areas are Instagram-worthy, like the attractive curved yellow couch which faces tufted lilac chairs and is separated by a ‘70s-era coffee table.

“We set them up to appear like little living rooms,” said Danielle, adding that she loves maximalism and color. “I was inspired by an art-deco, 70s funky vibe,” she said.

The offerings

Brent is no stranger to libation creation, having helped open the King Street Diner known as the Rarebit featuring homemade ginger beer, tonic, sodas and bitters.

“We’re doing 12 different taps, featuring our tonic and ginger beer and additional playful, fun stuff when it comes to our sodas, like plum rose citrus and a delicious habanero fresca sweetened with monk fruit, which is currently getting a lot of love, along with our root beer,” said Danielle.

For an additional $5, customers can add their choice of alcohol, or a cannabis-based infusion to their sodas. Sometimes customers opt for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in the same evening.

“I’ve seen some of them take a non-alcohol root beer break from drinking,” said Danielle

The couple also decided to offer a limited menu featuring fondue.

“We’re serving savory fondue, like Mediterranean and beer cheese and also offering sweet options like white chocolate and milk chocolate,” said Danielle, explaining that she loves cheese and chocolate, but that they also wanted to make the menu a fun, interactive experience that doesn’t take staff too much time to create. For now, the business employs a total of seven staff members.

As for the future, Danielle said they are working on finding their bearings at the moment. “We were intentionally a little mysterious about being open to see what worked and what didn’t, but we may consider live entertainment in the future, if all goes well,” she said.

Stefanie Kalina-Metzger is a contributing writer for SC Biz News.

Looking for Charleston’s best Chinese food? Sure, there’s plenty of Chinese-American spots to choose from, but where can you get something worth your money? From a restaurant with dishes from all over Asia to spots dedicated to Sichuan, there’s a small range of establishments offering Chinese cuisine, but they pack in a lot of flavors in the Lowcountry.

Look here for our top picks.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

North Charleston restaurant Jackrabbit Filly is like if someone said, “Make Chinese-American comfort food, but make it chef-y.” Owners Shuai and Corrie Wang opened the restaurant after years of running acclaimed food truck Short Grain. The menu has touches of Chinese and Japanese. There’s Sichuan dry pot, Mama Wang’s fried rice with lap cheong, and a highly-sought-after chirashi bowl. The restaurant recently added a dim sum brunch.

Looking for a dim sum dinner or lunch in the Lowcountry? Hit up Dragon Palace on Daniel Island for pork buns, shu mai, dumplings, and sesame balls. The interiors are retro fancy with ornate wood carvings and plenty of red. Dragon Palace also offers classics like chow mein, cashew chicken, and egg drop soup.

King BBQ offers Chinese barbecue with a Carolinas influence. The menu centers on smoked meats — five-spice duck, char siu ribs, ginger scallion kielbasa, and rotisserie chicken — and all the ways to serve those proteins — on a sandwich, rice, or noodles. Don’t miss the crispy shrimp toast sliders.

Downtown restaurant Beautiful South serves American-style takeout Chinese classics like General Tso’s chicken and Mongolian beef, but there’s also Cantonese roasted meats and Hainanese chicken. Try one of the inventive cocktails, such as the Love Your Enemies, which is a tequila and mezcal milk punch with a hint of oolong tea.

Eastside Chinese spot Hot Mustard may not be winning any culinary awards any time soon, but the restaurant’s takeout and delivery game is on point. Compared to other Americanized Chinese restaurants, Hot Mustard seems the most generous with the portions and the meat-to-noodle ratio. The pork lo mein or the sweet and sour chicken are reliable choices. This is eat-out-of-the-box-type of Chinese food — best served while sitting on the couch, watching Netflix, and in your pajamas.

Downtown restaurant Xiao Bao Biscuit (XBB) has been around since 2012. The kitchen draws from different regions across Asia and delivers on some solid Chinese choices. The mapo tofu is some of the best in town, and the dumplings always satisfy. XBB is usually packed with lively customers looking for Asian comfort foods. Starting during the pandemic, the restaurant began offering takeout.

If you haven’t heard of Old Li’s Restaurant on Savannah Highway in West Ashley, it might be because fans of the Chinese establishment would rather keep it a well-guarded secret. The can’t -miss menu item is the crispy Peking duck, but the oyster pancakes, dumplings, and squirrel fish are worth ordering as well. Old Li’s is BYOB, so plan accordingly.

James Island Sichuan restaurant Kwei Fei has enough peppercorns and punk-rock sensibility to keep any dinner interesting. Owners David Schuttenberg and Tina Heath-Schuttenberg moved from New York to Charleston for another restaurant project, but when that didn’t pan out, the culinary community lucked out when they decided to bring Sichuan flavors to town.

The restaurant usually full of locals enjoying lamb dumplings, spicy noodles, and tingly beef to the soundtrack of loud rock and funk music.

North Charleston restaurant Jackrabbit Filly is like if someone said, “Make Chinese-American comfort food, but make it chef-y.” Owners Shuai and Corrie Wang opened the restaurant after years of running acclaimed food truck Short Grain. The menu has touches of Chinese and Japanese. There’s Sichuan dry pot, Mama Wang’s fried rice with lap cheong, and a highly-sought-after chirashi bowl. The restaurant recently added a dim sum brunch.

Looking for a dim sum dinner or lunch in the Lowcountry? Hit up Dragon Palace on Daniel Island for pork buns, shu mai, dumplings, and sesame balls. The interiors are retro fancy with ornate wood carvings and plenty of red. Dragon Palace also offers classics like chow mein, cashew chicken, and egg drop soup.

King BBQ offers Chinese barbecue with a Carolinas influence. The menu centers on smoked meats — five-spice duck, char siu ribs, ginger scallion kielbasa, and rotisserie chicken — and all the ways to serve those proteins — on a sandwich, rice, or noodles. Don’t miss the crispy shrimp toast sliders.

Downtown restaurant Beautiful South serves American-style takeout Chinese classics like General Tso’s chicken and Mongolian beef, but there’s also Cantonese roasted meats and Hainanese chicken. Try one of the inventive cocktails, such as the Love Your Enemies, which is a tequila and mezcal milk punch with a hint of oolong tea.

Eastside Chinese spot Hot Mustard may not be winning any culinary awards any time soon, but the restaurant’s takeout and delivery game is on point. Compared to other Americanized Chinese restaurants, Hot Mustard seems the most generous with the portions and the meat-to-noodle ratio. The pork lo mein or the sweet and sour chicken are reliable choices. This is eat-out-of-the-box-type of Chinese food — best served while sitting on the couch, watching Netflix, and in your pajamas.

Downtown restaurant Xiao Bao Biscuit (XBB) has been around since 2012. The kitchen draws from different regions across Asia and delivers on some solid Chinese choices. The mapo tofu is some of the best in town, and the dumplings always satisfy. XBB is usually packed with lively customers looking for Asian comfort foods. Starting during the pandemic, the restaurant began offering takeout.

If you haven’t heard of Old Li’s Restaurant on Savannah Highway in West Ashley, it might be because fans of the Chinese establishment would rather keep it a well-guarded secret. The can’t -miss menu item is the crispy Peking duck, but the oyster pancakes, dumplings, and squirrel fish are worth ordering as well. Old Li’s is BYOB, so plan accordingly.

James Island Sichuan restaurant Kwei Fei has enough peppercorns and punk-rock sensibility to keep any dinner interesting. Owners David Schuttenberg and Tina Heath-Schuttenberg moved from New York to Charleston for another restaurant project, but when that didn’t pan out, the culinary community lucked out when they decided to bring Sichuan flavors to town.

The restaurant usually full of locals enjoying lamb dumplings, spicy noodles, and tingly beef to the soundtrack of loud rock and funk music.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - After months of her son being chronically sick, which even led him to temporarily stop walking and talking, one West Ashley woman wants to warn people about the effects of living with mold.

Mold test results allege this is exactly what former tenant Lauren LaMantia experienced while living at The Heyward Apartments.

“There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing something is wrong with your kid and there’s no one that will help you,” LaMantia said.

LaMantia and her son Leo moved into The Heyward apartments in West Ashley in 2020. What began as off-and-on colds, led to a sickness that wouldn’t go away for Leo LaMantia last spring.

Lauren LaMantia says he had constant mucus, an oozing eye and he even eventually stopped walking and talking. He was diagnosed with three different viruses and pneumonia in his right lung.

A specialist recommended getting an environmental test in their apartment, which is when she hired The Mold Girl, LLC and GSL Engineering.

She explained what The Mold Girl, LLC recommended.

“[An employee] said, ‘Based on how I feel after being here and testing, I wouldn’t keep my family here for another day,’” LaMantia said. “So, that night we packed up and we left.”

She took the topical tests to The Heyward management, who then hired a vendor to remediate the area and clean invasively, which she claims only exacerbated the problem.

“It was worse, obviously, than what was just topical,” LaMantia said. “And those spores got thrown out into the air, into the air ducts and contaminated all of our belongings.”

When the two initial companies came out to test again, the results were worse than before.

GSL Engineering’s air quality test says anything higher than a five requires an investigation. The apartment’s levels were 7.7.

In The Mold Girl, LLC’s test, there were a variety of molds found, with some of these also showing in the 95th percentile in Leo’s urine sample.

“When I told the complex that, they considered this matter closed and that they had denied any allegations with my initial concern with sending a vendor out there to fix it,” LaMantia said.

She says The Heyward offered to terminate the lease, under one condition. She was asked to sign a waiver of liability, a confidentiality agreement and a non-disclosure form. When she refused, she had to pay nine more months of rent in an apartment she couldn’t live in.

“Between moving, medical, rent, legal counsel - just consultations - it’s between $40,000-$50,000 out of pocket,” LaMantia said.

The Heyward’s attorney, Thomas Howard, sent this statement in response to the allegations:

Due to privacy concerns, it is our policy not to comment on specific questions regarding any resident. We are aware of the resident’s complaint to which our community representatives promptly investigated and responded. We contest the resident’s portrayal of the facts and our corresponding actions. At Heyward, the safety and well-being of our community residents are paramount, and we treat all concerns with utmost seriousness. Heyward has been nationally recognized in the country for resident experience placing in the Elite 1% ORA Power Rankings (34th nationally) by J Turner Research. The ORA® Power Ranking is based on the relative strength of over 140,000 communities assessed by J Turner Research, a prominent consulting firm that monitors resident satisfaction. This accomplishment reflects the hard work and positive impact of our onsite management team which remains dedicated to providing the best possible environment for all of our residents.

Since moving out, LaMantia says she still experiences memory loss and is on more antibiotics now than she has been in the last ten years. She wants to warn other renters about the dangers mold could present.

“I just hope that people get out of that place,” LaMantia said. “...It’s just a breeding ground for mold... And they have no idea that they’re going to breathe in these terrible things and that could permanently damage them.”

She recommends if anyone is feeling symptoms no matter where they live, to get your place tested.

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