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With plans to develop a new collection of townhomes in Nexton, this addition marks Brookfield Residential’s first project in South Carolina, according to a news release.

Brookfield Residential is an internationally backed organization with more than 65 years of homebuilding experience, the release stated. Operations extend across the United States with major developments in more than 15 markets and over 65 active housing communities.

The homebuilder is an affiliate of Brookfield Properties, which currently has a sizable footprint in the Carolinas including 3,500 active employees and $4.8 billion assets under management, the release stated. Assets include logistics, hospitality and retail operations, notably Columbiana Centre, a high-quality retail mall.

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“We are delighted to join the Nexton community and add to the diverse array of housing options” said Gregg Hughes, senior vice president, Housing and Operations for Brookfield Residential, in the release. “Nexton has a vibrant, charming personality and we’re hoping these new townhomes reflect the community and serve the needs of today’s homebuyer.”

Located in Nexton’s Midtown neighborhood, Brookfield Residential’s entry-level townhome collection will feature 1,600 square feet on two finished levels of living space with prices starting in the mid-$300,000s, the release stated. The townhomes will offer three-bedroom layouts with an option for two primary suites. Interiors will include open floor plans and designer kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

Pre-sales will begin mid-summer with a model residence opening later this year.

Midtown also includes the Midtown Club, featuring a resort-style pool, fitness center and indoor and outdoor flex spaces available to members of the Nexton Residential Association, the release stated. The neighborhood also will feature food trucks, movie nights and social events.

Nexton, which got its start in 2013, is a lifestyle-driven destination that blends live, work and play by offering conveniences such as state-of-the-art schools, modern infrastructure, 20 miles of trails and 2,000 acres of green space, the release stated. Nexton has currently sold over 2,600 homes.

With the addition of Brookfield Residential, Nexton’s builder program now features 10 builders that also includes Ashton Woods, Centex, David Weekley, Del Webb, Homes by Dickerson, New Leaf, Pulte Homes, Saussy Burbank and True Homes, according to the release.

Nexton announces swift leasing on Publix-anchored mixed-use center

Leasing and development are progressing at One Nexton, a Publix-anchored mixed-use development situated on 23.66 acres at the northeast corner of Brighton Park Boulevard and Nexton Parkway in Summerville.

Developed by Branch Properties and Charlotte-based Crosland Southeast, the community’s first phase, expected to be completed this fall, features 32,000 square feet of retail space as well as two corner outparcels and 351 Class-A apartments. The retail shop spaces are 100% leased, with confirmed retail tenants such as Catrina’s Cantina, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Swamp Fox Agency, The Packie Wine and Spirits, Roper St. Francis, Dulce Churros, Ice Cream and Cocktails, Heartland Dental, Woodhaven Pizza, Ruby’s Bagels, Noire Nails, Basecamp Fitness, Naan Appetit and Fifth Third Bank.

Upon the full buildout of its multiple phases, One Nexton will offer its green space for year-round programming and activities and additional parks and trails connecting to the greater community. All of these are walkable and bikeable to the 7,500 homes in Nexton.

“One Nexton seamlessly epitomizes all that our community strives to accomplish by creating a dynamic and vibrant environment for residents to live, work and play,” said Brent Gibadlo, senior vice president of development at Nexton. “By prioritizing thoughtful commercial and residential additions, we can fulfill the desires and needs of our residents while cutting down on commute times and improving quality of life.”

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Less than a mile from the nearest major commuting route along Interstate 26, One Nexton will provide approximately 150,000 square feet of shopping and dining space throughout its multiple phases. Future phases include a hotel, office space, and additional retail and services.

“We are thrilled to welcome a strong mix of local and national retailers to One Nexton,” said Jesse Shannon, president and chief investment officer at Branch Properties. “Upon completion later this year, the center is poised to become the premier retail hub for the ever-growing Summerville community.”

Charlotte-based Shook Kelley was selected as One Nexton’s master designer, Charleston-based SGA Narmour Wright Design is the multifamily architect, and Alpharetta-based Hiscutt & Associates Inc. is the phase-one retail architect.

Jeff Yurfest, executive vice president with TSCG, is responsible for One Nexton’s outparcel and retail leasing activity. Greystar manages the multifamily real estate component.

As the Charleston area continues to grow and attract more residents, so does the need for food and the vendors who provide it.

No fewer than 12 new grocery stores are in the works across the Lowcountry, including plans to tear down and replace one store on site and relocate two others.

Around Charleston, the population boom — now expanding at an average net daily rate of 36 residents, according to the latest update — keeps fueling competition among supermarket chains that are angling to be as close as possible to the proliferating housing enclaves that keep their cash registers ringing.

That's about 13,300 new residents each year spread across Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, with many of the newcomers settling on the fringes of the growing region, especially in large-scale developments in Goose Creek, Moncks Corner and Summerville.

The three counties saw a 20 percent population surge over the past decade to a combined 830,000 residents, according to the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.

Competing grocery chains closely analyze the numbers to decide where to set up shop.

By one measure, a general rule for a full-service supermarket of 40,000 square feet or more to be viable is to have 10,000 residents, or about 4,000 rooftops, within a 20-mile radius. If there's competition in the market, the required number of residents is higher and vice versa for an area with no rivals.

Berkeley bound

Near Summerville, North Carolina-based Harris Teeter and competitor Publix of Florida are building stores on Nexton Parkway, across the street from one another, to serve the developing 5,000-acre Nexton community, eventually home to nearly 19,000 residents.

Both are set to be completed this year in the Berkeley County development, with Harris Teeter set to open in the spring and Publix likely welcoming customers by mid-year, according to Nexton spokeswoman Cassie Cataline.

On the opposite side of Nexton, Lowes Foods of North Carolina plans to build a new supermarket on North Creek Drive, across the street from the Cane Bay development.

It will anchor a retail center on the corner near fast-food restaurant McDonald's. Look for an opening possibly in 2025, according to property owner and Charleston businessman Eddie Buck.

A little farther to the east, Publix also plans to anchor a corner shopping center at U.S. Highways 176 and 17A in Carnes Crossroads, a 2,300-acre mixed-use housing development that could accommodate about 11,000 residents at full buildout. Like Lowes Foods, it is expected to open in 2025, according to a Publix spokesman.

Cartload of competition

Southwest of Summerville, another Publix could begin construction in 2025, based on bidding documents last fall that show a 51,454-square-foot store slated for a 10-acre site on Beech Hill Road, across from the planned 8,000-home Summers Corner community.

The 7,200-acre mixed-use community with schools and shops has about 1,200 homes sold and another 250 under construction, according to Jason Byham, division president at Lennar, the homebuilder that bought the tract for more than $26 million in 2018.

In Mount Pleasant, three new grocery stores are in the works.

The Fresh Market of North Carolina plans to take over the 26,000-square-foot site discount grocer Lidl abandoned before moving in at Bowman Place Shopping Center at Bowman Road and Johnnie Dodds Boulevard.

The Greensboro-based grocer took over the remainder of the 15-year tenant agreement Lidl signed three years ago with the option for 15 additional years, according to a document filed in the Charleston County land records office.

Fresh Market has not announced an opening timeframe.

Business

On the northern end of the East Cooper town of nearly 100,000 people, discount grocer Aldi leased several acres at U.S. Highway 17 and KOA Campgrounds Road for a second Mount Pleasant location.

Aldi plans to build a 23,000-square-foot store on the land next to South Morgans Point Road after signing a lease last spring for 20 years with the option to renew up to 25 years. Construction has not begun, and the no-frills grocer has not announced a projected opening timeframe.

Also in the works is a new Trader Joe's. The California-based, German-owned chain recently confirmed its plans to open a second store in Mount Pleasant. The site was not announced, but the grocer is looking at part of the former Bi-Lo supermarket site in Sweetgrass Corner Shopping Center near Highway 17 and the Isle of Palms connector.

On James Island, German-owned Aldi recently leased 22,000 square feet in the former Bi-Lo supermarket on Folly Road.

Retail

The company's seventh Lowcountry store will sit next to Planet Fitness and likely open in 2025 "if not earlier," according to Mark Hoffman, director of development for New Jersey-based Garden Communities, which has owned the 4.5-acre retail center since 1994.

Building bigger

Three existing supermarkets are set to be replaced.

On Daniel Island, Publix wants to demolish its longtime store on Seven Farms Drive and build a 50,472-square-foot store and pocket park it in its place in the same location, according to plans presented to the city.

The new construction will replace the existing 29,618-square-foot supermarket that was built in 2002 as the only grocery store allowed on Daniel Island under an agreement with the developer of the master-planned community.

Construction likely won't start until 2025, and it will take 12-18 months to build the new store, according to Publix spokesman Jared Glover.

The grocer hasn't announced interim plans for shoppers while the replacement is being built. The nearest option for shoppers is across the Wando River — a Harris Teeter five miles away on Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant. Publix has another store about 7 miles north in the Point Hope development off Clements Ferry Road.

In West Ashley, plans are making their way through the city review process to relocate Publix from a free-standing building at Ashley Landing Shopping Center to a newly constructed site on the eastern side of the main retail center where Big Lots and Dollar Tree currently operate.

The property owner has not projected a relocation timeframe, and the future of the current Publix site has not been determined.

Finally, plans are in the works to build a new Harris Teeter supermarket up to 65,000 square feet on part of a 50-acre parcel adjacent to Freshfields Village Shopping Center between Kiawah and Seabrook islands.

The larger grocery store will replace the existing site in Freshfields. It's part of a planned 160,000-square-foot retail center that will connect to Freshfields off Kiawah Island Parkway.

The new supermarket probably won't materialize until 2027 as plans are still to be finalized, according to Chris Corrada, a principal with the development firm Riverstone Properties of Richmond, Va., which owns the parcel to be developed.

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While Charleston's population is booming with new transplants, the Summerville and Goose Creek areas are developing just as quickly to accommodate the area's growth.

Summerville is located roughly 45 minutes from Downtown Charleston, serving as the ideal location for folks who want to move close to the city without being directly in the middle of the excitement.

Goose Creek is only 35 minutes from Downtown Charleston and is seeing a demographic of young families who hope to live near the city while finding affordable housing and nearby employment.

In recent years, both Summerville and Goose Creek have expanded with the development of several master-planned communities that offer housing, lifestyle, retail, dining, outdoor recreation and so much more. These areas have also developed several new businesses, restaurants, workspaces and corporate offices.

As Goose Creek's economy grows and thrives, many new projects and ventures are on the horizon in this Charleston community, specifically in Carnes Crossroads.

According to Post & Courier writer Barry Waldman's piece about new development in Carnes Crossroads, Carnes is now co-owned by Lennar Builders and Boston-based Freehold Communities, with approval to build about 4,500 homes.

This community is technically only a quarter built, with new projects on the way, such as the concept of "agrihood," a working farm and community gardens. Professional farmers will grow and supply produce, herbs and flowers to the community.

In September 2022, the city of Goose Creek announced a plan for growth in the community, including a walkable space for restaurants, offices and a green lawn for town events. Soon, this multi-planned community that is currently primarily residential with some outdoor amenities will expand to be more similar to larger communities like Cane Bay and Nexton.

While there are currently a few dining options available, like East Bay Deli, Steel City Pizza Co., and Mi Fiesta, plenty more options will be coming soon as well.

As for business development in Summerville's large Nexton community, according to Warren L. Wise for the Post & Courier, Atelier Downtown Nexton is a new project coming soon to Nexton, planned by an affiliate of New Jersey-based Sharbell Development on 7.5 acres on Brighton Park Boulevard off of U.S. Highway 17A.

Located in the Nexton community, the project will include multiple two-story buildings up to 18,000 square feet. Office, service and commercial space will be for sale or lease.

In addition, The Hub in Nexton is expanding. This project is a collection of office and commercial buildings under development on Nexton Parkway and Brighton Park Boulevard, and new expansions will include commercial tenants Lombardi's Pizza Kitchen, The Co-op Frosé & Eatery, The Backyard Biergarten, Lowcountry Yoga and children's gym KidStrong.

Big things are also happening over at Cane Bay Plantation in Summerville. Buck Investments, led by Eddie Buck, recently paid $13 million for nearly 45 acres on the northwest corner of the future Fair Winds Boulevard intersection at U.S. Highway 176. The buildout of this section will happen over the next four years.

Cane Bay has also been selling multiple large parcels of land for new housing developments as it expands, and the community is now roughly the size of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

More growth and business developments are coming quickly for these three large, multi-planned communities that are shaping up to be more like cities in their own right.

The master-planned Nexton community will soon become a medical destination for Berkeley County.

Medical University of South Carolina has proposed a $130 million hospital within the Summerville community. The 128-patient bed facility will include four operating rooms, eight labor and delivery rooms, diagnostic testing and imaging, and emergency services, MUSC Health Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Bacik said.

“A large percentage of our current patients originate from Berkeley County, and this is going to really allow our patients to have access within our communities,” Bacik said. “It’s not a surprise to anyone that the growth has outpaced some of the infrastructure.”

MUSC has asked the state for approval to build the community hospital through a certificate of need.

The build is expected to take two and a half years.

Nexton’s Vice President of Operations Brent Gibadlo said a hospital offers a service to the surrounding areas and residents because health care options have become a growing priority for homebuyers.

“There are certain basic things that are important for everyone that don’t change,” he said. “Certainly good schools if people have children and then good health care options. So having a world-class hospital in close proximity is always a wonderful compliment to a community."

Downtown Charleston’s MUSC campus will remain the hub for the educational hospital, while the Nexton campus will book end it with satellite campuses and ambulatory services in between, Bacik said.

“We’re full downtown, and we need to make sure that we can continue to have access to those more acute patients,” Bacik said. “It’s really about getting the patients the right level of care at the right place.”

The need for a community hospital in Berkeley County is critical, said Dr. Dave Zaas, CEO of the Charleston division of MUSC. The hospital’s co-location in Nexton will help with the area’s continued growth.

“That is a lot of our strategy not just in tri-county but around the state,” he said. “Not only delivering the highest quality … but more convenient and ideally at a lower cost. I think that drives our ambulatory growth as well as our statewide strategy.”

Gibadlo said Nexton is just starting to explore the possibilities with MUSC and its idea of community health care, of being more proactive and going out into the community to initiate health and wellness programs. Preventative care could then decrease the need for hospital visits.

“We’ve had conversations with MUSC on how to incorporate some of those programs into Nexton,” Gibadlo said. “That’s everything from community gardens to community fitness programs to even potential opportunities for some of the coordination between MUSC and some of the companies at Nexton.”

Other suggestions include incorporating companies’ health care programs through MUSC and creating wellness programs employees can participate in.

Bacik is already excited for both caregivers and patients because she believes the best care is delivered conveniently to patients, many of whom come from across the state.

“A lot of our patients and staff travel to the peninsula today to receive care or to care for our patients … so if they could receive care 30 minutes closer, that’s a benefit for the communities as well,” Bacik said.

Gibadlo is going on 13 years at Nexton and said there is has another 13 or 14 years left in the business plan. He still remembers those early years, though, sitting in a Welcome Center trailer praying that builders and homebuyers would think outside the box.

Convincing people to give Nexton a chance was hard a decade ago given the location.

Over time, Gibadlo has found that if he pushes the envelope to create value, the innovation is well-received.

“I think the potential for Nexton is really evolving continuously. What we used to think was possible we’ve exceeded now. Maybe we can take it another step,” he said. “A hospital was something we only dreamed about 10 years ago. Now that’s happening.”

Nexton now receives calls almost daily from groups, retailers and home builders who want to create something exciting at the community. Gibadlo said the biggest challenge is prioritizing. If he reacts to every call, he risks losing focus of the long-term vision that Nexton is systematically moving through.

“At the same time, you have to be flexible enough that if you get a call, like from MUSC, you change track a little bit because that’s a great opportunity,” he said.

A community with a master plan allowed Gibadlo and his team to be deliberate about adding a hospital. They could look at the map of the 5,000 acres to find a plot that was accessible, wouldn’t disrupt homeowners with traffic and had surrounding space for businesses the hospital could bring in. Gibadlo believes they will come.

As an educational institution, MUSC’s research and development could lead to job opportunities and potential spin-off businesses, he said.

Together, Gibadlo and his team’s vision for Nexton stem from a love for the region. He knows, however, that with any growth, there will inevitably be challenges. The objective then is to figure out how to make those obstacles positive.

“We look at it and say hey, we can create this employment center in the Charleston region, take some of the pressure off downtown, 526, everyone commuting and bring some of the great things that people love about this region from a quality of life and bring them to another location that can spread them out a little bit,” he said. “Maybe we can play a small role in helping this region continue to be a great place to live. At the heart of it, that’s what motivates us every day.”