Roof Repair in Mount Pleasant, SC

Published: Oct. 21, 2024 at 1:50 AM PDT|

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Monday marks the first day of early voting in South Carolina, so Charleston County voters can now cast their ballots at any of the seven different early voting locations.

Over 100,000 early voters are expected in Charleston County alone, which would be record-high numbers amid a recent law change, according to the Executive Director of the Charleston County Board of Elections, Issac Cramer.

“We do anticipate early voting to break records for Charleston County because of the excitement in the voters. They want to cast their ballots, it’s a presidential election, and also [for] the convenience,” Cramer says.

In 2022, the Early Voters Bill passed allowing early voters to cast their ballots without a reason, making this the first major election that the law will be in effect. Only a valid photo ID is required to check in.

“The Early Voters Bill that passed in 2022 gives all voters in Charleston County the ability to cast their ballot without an excuse, in person, early… We are trying to get the message out that they don’t need a reason anymore. If they just want to vote early, they can,” Cramer says.

Acceptable forms of photo ID include a South Carolina driver’s license, a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card, a South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit, a South Carolina voter registration card with photo, a United States military ID and a United States passport.

Cramer encourages people to vote early because it’s the easier option since voters get to choose the location, time and date that they would like to vote, rather than being constricted to 12 hours on election day and only going to an assigned polling place.

“We’ve got a lot of great feedback about our vote centers across the county, and we want our voters to know that they can vote at an accessible location, we offer curbside at every one,” Cramer says.

Early voting is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and will last until Nov. 2. CARTA will not be offering free rides to the polls during early voting, but they will be on election day.

Early voters can vote at any of the seven following locations:

To find early voting locations anywhere in the state, click here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Updated: Oct. 2, 2024 at 5:03 PM PDT

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - If you’ve been out on Shem Creek, you may have noticed some noise and the appearance of tall scaffoldings and metal scraps.

These are the building blocks for a dock and shrimp processing building repair project on Haddrell Street. This is the home base of Tarvin Seafood, a shrimping company that has provided the domestic delicacy to Lowcountry businesses since 2011.

“They take a lot of pride in the product and they make our product look better,” owner Cindy Tarvin says. “They’re rebuilding the back half of this building and the dock surrounding it. When it’s completed, it’ll be a really nice space.”

The town of Mount Pleasant purchased the property after noticing the dock was deteriorating and causing safety hazards.

Leaders described the metal building as rusted, the dock wood uprooted and unevenly spaced. The building and dock are estimated to be around 60 years old.

“It was important we didn’t close them down to rebuild the dock,” Deputy Director of Engineering and Development Services Kevin Mitchell says. “It’ll help with the seafood processing itself and preserve the historical character of what the creek was all about.”

The phased project is estimated to be around $4 million. It started in the spring of 2024 with the repair of a nearby ramp and dock, and now it is in the second phase. Leaders say this is the most complicated as it involves the cementing and full rebuild of both dock wood and the metal building itself.

It would extend the building out to the water, several feet away from where it currently sits.

The group says their goal is to return the dock and processing center to its former glory, so the finished product will aim to look exactly as the original setup.

“It is going to benefit whoever’s here. whether it’s us or a future owner. It’s the last space on the creek large enough to anchor a fishing fleet,” Tarvin says. “That’s the important part. Not that it’s helping Tarvin Seafood, but it’s helping the creek.”

The project is expected to be finished within the next four to six months.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

With Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler naming Charleston the No. 1 vacation destination in the world year after year, developing Patriots Point demanded a clearly defined master plan, according to Ian Duncan, development director of the Bennett Hospitality Group. Having updated sketches of the vision for the project continuously over the last 10 years, Duncan said the plans for a blend of commercial and residential properties that have been in place since 2011 have since evolved into an upscale, world class mixed-use 6.2-acre development called Seafair Village, located within the 30.32-acre Patriots Annex development.

Additionally, Jake Carter, planner for the Town of Mount Pleasant, shared that the site as it exists today consists of the current entrance drive to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, parking lot area and existing underground utilities adjacent to the critical line against the Cooper River. According to Duncan, the Bennett Hospitality Group is collaborating with the USS Yorktown to ensure that the first phase will not interfere with operations at Patriots Point.

“As the Yorktown brings thousands of visitors each year, we have been working closely together to make sure we are good neighbors,” Duncan said.

Working hand in hand with high-profile and seasoned Atlanta-based Rabun Architects, Duncan said that Phase One of the long-term project includes a top-of-the-line resort boasting a three-story hotel with 105 rooms, as well as an adjacent 12 cottages, each of which are outfitted with a kitchenette, living room and covered porch. Amenities will include a pool, bar, spa, fitness facility and conference center. Further, outdoor areas incorporating gazebos, tiki huts, fire pits, open areas with views of the harbor, marinas and the Battery along with parks and an interactive fountain resembling the pineapple at downtown Charleston’s Waterfront Park will lend a family dynamic to the property.

Additionally, high-end boutiques and restaurants will give Seafair Village a vibe like that of Kiawah’s Freshfields Village, Wild Dunes or Nexton. And as Duncan said, due to its convenient location, Seafair is geared to become the heart of Mount Pleasant where residents and visitors can bike or drive. With convenient perimeter parking, a vacation or day trip to Seafair will offer something for everyone, whether hiking a waterside trail connecting to Hog Island, kayaking, playing a round at the Patriots Point Links course, relaxing during a massage, taking a harbor cruise or spending the day shopping while lingering to enjoy dinner.

“It’s so exciting to see the plans coming to fruition,” Duncan said. He added that this fall, before ground can be broken for construction of the hotel and cottages, a land disturbing activity, work on the first phase of the Seafair Village development will require the enormous endeavor of verifying existing conditions, including but not limited to topographic, tree, storm drainage facilities and all exact vertical and horizontal locations of all existing utilities. Duncan estimated that this intricate work, along with building the hotel and cottages, will take approximately 12-18 months to complete Phase One to the Bennett Hospitality Group’s high standards, with the grand opening slated for some time in 2026.

The next steps, according to Duncan, will include Bennett Hospitality finalizing landscaping, as well as interior packages with Atlanta-based Design Continuum, Inc.’s lead designer Karen Jenkins, who is in the preliminary phases of conceptualizing the coastal contemporary look that will pull neutral colors from the outdoors to mirror surrounding nature. As Duncan said, this streamlined and timeless style fits beautifully with Mount Pleasant’s vernacular.

Future phases include developing hundreds of thousands of additional square feet allocated for upwards of 500 hotel rooms, a conference facility, boutique second-story office spaces, residential components, as well as a sports and entertainment venue.

“This project is already attracting national attention,” Duncan said, adding that market demand will ultimately determine final plans for other long-term phases of Seafair Village. “I’ll still be drawing for several months,” Duncan said with a chuckle. “In fact, I’ll never stop drawing.”

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