February 26th, 2009 by Currie
The City of Charleston is offering a workshop on March 5 to help small businesses navigate landlord-tenant and lending issues.
The workshop is the first in a series called “Weathering the Economic Storm,” developed to help local businesses address problems caused by the economic downturn.
The March 5 workshop, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the American Theater, 446 King St., will provide information on how small businesses can cut operating costs and find sources of short-term money.
Three speakers will discuss how to work with a landlord on lease issues, work with a commercial lender on existing loans and seek additional financing through the Charleston Local Development Corp. or other sources. Following the short presentations, members of the audience can ask questions.
Speakers for the first workshop are:
- Jeff Vinzani of Nexsen Pruet, who will speak on landlord-tenant issues.
- Gary White of Wachovia/Wells Fargo, who will talk about commercial lending.
- Cindi Rourk from the Charleston Local Development Corp.
Mayor Joe Riley recently announced plans for the workshop series as part of a local economic stimulus plan. Topics will address concerns that city officials have been hearing over the past several months from local business owners, lenders, property owners and other constituents.
Each workshop will be unique, with a panel of local professionals speaking on specific issues, city officials said. The city’s Business Services Office, the mayor and Comcast Business Services are hosting the first workshop.
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February 25th, 2009 by Currie
Spring, Cannon to be converted to two-way streets
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Spring and Cannon streets will soon join the list of one-way Charleston streets converted to two-way traffic, City Council agreed Tuesday at the urging of neighborhood residents.
The action came at a meeting in which William Dudley Gregorie was sworn in, having won a special election for the District 6 seat.
“This journey is not complete, for in November I have to run again,” said Gregorie, who is filling the unexpired term of former Councilman Wendell Gilliard. The seat is up for election to a four-year term this fall.
Among Gregorie’s first votes was the Spring and Cannon streets conversion to two-way traffic, which he and other council members supported. The city, at the urging of neighborhood associations, has been converting some streets to two-way in order to slow the traffic in mostly residential areas.
“Spring and Cannon are the spine of our neighborhood and run the extent of our neighborhood,” said Claire Xidis, speaking for the Cannonborough/Elliotborough Neighborhood Association. “They are treated like highways, but there are residences and businesses on those streets.”
Xidis said 86 percent of those at an association meeting supported the conversion, and about 200 people signed a petition calling for the change.
“This did not happen overnight, and the neighborhood really, really needs to see this happen,” said Councilman James Lewis.
Sections of King, Wentworth and Beaufain streets were previously switched to two-way traffic, along with parts of Rutledge and Ashley avenues. After Spring and Cannon streets, Coming Street could follow.
Councilwoman Yvonne Evans said the earlier two-way conversions have “been working beautifully.”
The city expects to put the street work out for bid after some final revisions to the plan, which involves street beautification and changes to parking, signage, and street markings. The city spent about $77,000 converting a section of Rutledge Avenue to two-way traffic.
In other business, the council gave final approval to changes in the city’s sidewalk dining regulations aimed at increasing the number of eateries putting tables on city sidewalks wide enough to allow the practice.
The changes eliminate a fee of up to $9 per square foot for using the sidewalk, eliminate a security deposit, and extend operating hours until midnight, or the closing time for the business, whichever is earlier.
Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.
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February 25th, 2009 by Currie
last night at the City Council Meeting the conversion of the one way traffic on Spring and Cannon to two way traffic was approved!
2 way traffic approved last night at City Council
Surprisingly there was no opposition to the conversion of traffic from one way to two way on Spring and Cannon Streets. Despite the fact that this has been in the works for several years, the fact that it has finally come is a real boost for the fledgling commercial district. There were loads of people in the room to show the City Council the overwhelming support for the change and as soon as the lower King St. street scaping is complete the City promised that the work is next on their list. Just as an aside the City Council Meeting is without a doubt an eye opening experience that every citizen should have at least once. A great way to keep tabs on your tax dollars.
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February 25th, 2009 by Currie
In the February 18 issue of the Charleston City Paper, Erica Jackson interviewed Chris Price of the PrimeSouth Group. (Click here for the complete article)
“Is King Street losing its luster? I don’t think so whatsoever,” says Chris Price, co-founder and principal at the Prime South Group.
“…All the tenants that are leaving Upper King Street … look what they’re being replaced with. They’re being replaced very quickly with higher-end, better-funded retailers and restaurants. Artist and Craftman is being replaced by Halls Chophouse, a high-end steakhouse. Wonderland’s space is already home to SIG, a bathroom and kitchen fixtures store that has moved from West Ashley. And Abmey & Company was replaced with SieMatic, a German-based kitchen outfitter. Other businesses joining the area include a restaurant called Shine and Mac & Murphy, a paper company.
“When you lose a wonderful tenant and a fine two-story arts store, and you replace that with a first-class chophouse, Halls Chophouse, the level of tenant has dramatically increased.
“Let me give you an example,” Price says. “Halls. It’s a mom and pop operation, banking with a local bank, using a local contractor. They are locals, they live here. That’s what people do not see. They see a new steakhouse coming in and they think, it’s some rich guys from New York. But that’s not the case. They are local people. It’s not a typical chain store coming in and losing the local flavor, the local identity. And that is phenomenal.”
Price predicts that the upscale design trend will continue to take over the area.
“It’s not just Upper King Street, it’s downtown Charleston, it’s the region,” he says. “People are coming to Charleston to shop for things they can’t get anywhere else … It’s becoming more of a destination shopping/design area and that’s wonderful for the community as a whole.
“I love the diversity up here,” he adds. “You can eat, you can shop, you can go and design a new kitchen for your home, and you can have that glass of wine, or you can go to the ballet and walk out and go to Chai’s to have a nightcap. It’s just a very unique environment that needs to be built upon.”
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February 25th, 2009 by Currie
LOWCOUNTRY INNOVATION CENTER OPENS ON NAVY YARD
By: Molly Parker
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Feb. 24, 2009
Lead Dog LLC owner Alan St.Clair believes the new high-tech business center he just opened in North Charleston could lead to the creation of 100 new jobs with average salaries of at least $70,000.
The company announced recently that it has officially completed the Lowcountry Innovation Center at the Navy Yard in North Charleston. St.Clair said he is looking to locate about 15 businesses in the 40,000-square-foot renovated structure on the former Navy base. The building is aimed at fostering the Lowcountry’s high-tech industry, St.Clair said, allowing the region to compete for high-paying jobs against other Southeastern cities such as Savannah, Raleigh and Charlotte.
As a past member of the Charleston Digital Corridor’s board, St.Clair said he has seen the need for this type of affordable creative space.
He has already located one business there called Myconostica Ltd., a United Kingdom-based medical diagnostic company that specializes in rapid and highly specific tests for life-threatening fungal infections.
The Lowcountry Innovation Center is a first-of-its-kind building in the region designed specifically to serve as incubator space for creative industry firms and knowledge-based companies, he said. St.Clair is renting offices in the renovated building ranging from 800 to 8,800 square feet. The cost is about $15 per square foot. Since announcing the building’s completion, St.Clair said he has received inquiries from 10 businesses seeking details about the space. The offices are located in a Navy building originally constructed in 1943.
St.Clair said he imagines a host of companies from a variety of fields will share the building. Those workers will share ideas and insight, and lend a creative and sympathetic ear to one another in the coffee break room, he said.
“When you bring a Web site designer and an architect and a microbiologist into one building, you never can be sure what you’re going to get,” St.Clair said. “They will sit down and talk about their problems even across fields. They will all have a great set of skills that complement each other.”
St. Clair said he was able to keep the costs down — he is renting space at about 30% below market value — by employing efficient building practices such as high-impact windows, compact florescent bulbs, a low-flow water system, LEED certified dry wall and paint, and local plantings that do not require irrigation.
St. Clair, who has developed similar buildings on a smaller scale in downtown Charleston, says that the Lowcountry Innovation Center offers free parking, office spaces that allow on-site presentations, and a quality space at a lower cost, thus meeting the demands of company expansion and contraction as needed.
Other Lead Dog LLC projects include properties in peninsular Charleston, including 525 King St., for upscale retailer Maine Cottage and Bill Huey & Associates Inc., a local architectural firm; 392–394 Meeting St., for the Charleston Digital Corridor, Charleston School of Law and KHAFRA Engineering Consultants, an Atlanta-based, multi-disciplinary firm.
Reach Molly Parker at 843-849-3144.
http://charlestonbusiness.com/news/26665/print
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February 24th, 2009 by Currie
If you love to live downtown and have a business then you should consider purchasing 53 Cannon. The layout is perfect for a live/work situation and I should know, because I operated an art gallery out of the space for several years before taking the plunge into real estate. If you enjoy summer parties on the lawn and listening to the creaking of the timber bamboo in the wind or picking my very own backyard bananas for daiquiris then you will love 53 Cannon St. Add those features to a three block walk to upper King St, and three doors down from Sugar Bakeshop, oh and I should probably also mention the fact that the house was expertly renovated by an award winning design builder who restored almost all of the original plaster walls and moldings including incredibly ornate ceiling medallions. This house is too good to be true, and when I had a party here, the biggest problem was that there were too many people in attendance.
Downtown Charleston Commercial/ Residential Home for Sale
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February 18th, 2009 by Currie
This post is is courtesy of A New Leaf Studio:
Victory! Elation! New beginnings, of the earth, organic – A New Leaf Studio…
Dorky… yes, I know – but yesterday on my way to work I was ecstatic to see the fruits of last fall’s guerrilla gardening project continuing to bless Spring Street. The daffodil bulbs that the 25+ participants of the guerrilla gardening party in October planted are now in bloom!A little bit of bright yellow in the plant wells along Spring Street adds happiness and hope of good things to come. Something we can all probably use right now in the midst of tough economic times and at the end of a long winterGreg Watkins, of Islandscape Landscaping, and I got so excited by the daffodils that we began discussing our next Guerrilla Gardening adventure. Stay tuned for something fun this spring!
In the meantime… Next time you are driving down Spring Street in the Elliotborough neighborhood of Charleston, SC – check the plant wells between Coming and Rutledge Streets for little pockets of yellow love.
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February 17th, 2009 by Currie
In a new analysis of the DIRECTIONS Travel Performance/Monitor, among cities visited by couples the following were rated as providing the best value-for-the-money, according to D.K Shifflet and Associates, the leading U.S. consumer travel research company.
- Charleston, SC
- Williamsburg, VA
- Asheville, NC
- Nashville, TN
- San Diego, CA
“While Charleston comes out on top, a common thread among these cities that make the top 10 value list is their significant offering of free or nearly free cultural exhibits, galleries, walking tours, and reasonably priced romantic dining” noted Cheryl Schutz, DKSA’s VP of Account Services. She further points out that “Flowers are nice, but a romantic getaway to one of these high value cities can generate a lasting memory and still be within a couple’s budget.”
King Street in Charleston has every value offering possible in the DKSA list including the free exhibits at SEWE and theFarmer’s Market in Marion Square, our lovely art and antique galleries, world-class shopping, evening strolls down King Street and dining that can’t be beat.
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February 17th, 2009 by Currie
The city of Charleston has scheduled workshops this week to define the diversity and architectural character of a few neighborhoods. These appraisals will guide the city as far as its future preservation efforts. A workshop on Old Windermere and Byrnes Downs will be held from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday at St. Andrews School of Math and Science, 30 Chadwick Drive. A workshop on the Cannonborough-Elliottborough neighborhood will be held from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum, 68 Spring St. For more information, call 724-3783.
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February 15th, 2009 by Currie
The Cannon/Spring commercial corridor is the natural progression/extension of upper King St. Therefor it is always exciting to hear about events we can walk around the corner to, and this one sounds so interesting.
In conjuntion with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and McCradys Charleston Pops performance, Neuvo Tango with Pablo Ziegler on February 21st, you can tango down King Street! Watch for more on this fun event, as the stores and restaurants of Upper King Design District feature dancers fromLunatango and some great Tango music.
When it comes to tango, Pablo Ziegler is the authority. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and having performed with Astor Piazzolla for ten years, Latin Grammy winning pianist Pablo Ziegler artfully blends classic tango rhythms with jazz improvisations. Don’t miss Ziegler with his guitar and bandoneon players. Playful, sensual and romantic – grab your sweetheart for the perfect date!
Thanks to Charleston photographer Gerardo Leccese for the beautiful tango image.
Hopefully soon events like this one will turn the corner and dance up Cannon and Spring!
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February 13th, 2009 by Currie
Feb. 17th, 4:00 p.m. at City Hall (80 Broad St.) – Public Hearing on the two-way conversion of Spring and Cannon Streets. This is the rescheduling of the hearing that was abruptly rescheduled by the City in January. If this is an important issue to you, you should plan to attend this hearing and comment.
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February 11th, 2009 by Currie
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February 6th, 2009 by Currie
On Wednesday I met some friends at Lana Restaurant www.lanarestaurant.com on the corner of Cannon St. and Rutledge Ave. to catch up on much needed gossip. The neighborhood restaurant famous for delicious mediterranean food is now also a hopping happy hour spot for the locals. Great tapas and a wine special ($10 Carafe!!!) is all it took for me to visit at least weekly. The atmosphere is always friendly and the perfect combination of casual and upscale. The gossip was mainly about two new businesses moving onto Cannon: Charleston Paper Co. and Blossoms Events, more to come…
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February 3rd, 2009 by Currie
Yet another business has opened in the neighborhood and it’s a good one! We really needed a great little take out deli. These guys did a really nice job on the space too. Here are the menu highlights: 3 Salads: House, Greek and Chef small $5.99 large 6.99. Pizzas 14″ $9.99 add toppings for $1.99 each. Subs in three styles: Panini Pressed (yum!) Wraps or Classic 7″ $6.99 or 14″ $8.99. Free Delivery call 843-727-4530. I will let you know what I think of the food after I have tried it!
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April 11th, 2009 at 4:37 am
Your site looks fantastic, however, I am extremely surprised that there is no mention of D’Allesandro’s Pizza anywhere.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I’d love to feature D’Allesandro’s you guys are legendary!