Pressure Washing in Huger, SC

The city is closer to adding another large-scale apartment complex in an area with a hotel under construction and a proposed student housing development.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — While some developers are looking to put more student housing in Columbia, one group hopes to bring an upscale young professional approach to the Vista.

Todd Daily has lived just off Huger Street for the past two years. He said since moving in, the area has been continually growing, with a new hotel and apartment complexes popping up in the neighborhood.

"There has been a new development, from student housing to lower-end hotels here in the city and then other business entities on both sides of the river," he said.

After a Thursday Columbia Planning Commission meeting, that trend seems to continue. Developers received a stamp of approval from the commission for a 250-unit market-rate apartment complex.

Ryan Solo is the president of development for Silver Hills, the company proposing this change. He presented these rendings to the commission on Thursday.

He said the complex "will have a really nice pool courtyard, clubhouse. Everything in terms of parking for the residents will be in a parking garage, so there won't be any impact on the adjacent neighborhood for parking purposes."

In an area with a hotel and a student housing complex in the works, Solo said this project aims to attract older residents and young professionals.

"There's been a lot of student housing developed in this area, and not really much in the way of multi-family, traditional rental projects. That's what we're offering here," he said.

The project received support from the planning commission, receiving unanimous approval. According to District IV Councilman Peter Brown, it follows a trend throughout the city to bring in more residents and provide options for people to live downtown.

"We're putting together a business-friendly, a zoning-friendly, a welcoming atmosphere in Columbia," he said. "We want people to come here, and we want to work with them. We want to help them. 'collaboration' is the word of 2023 in the Midlands."

Daily said he's excited about the prospect of higher-quality housing in the Vista and hopes the development continues.

"Being able to walk to restaurants, even stores from a retail standpoint, and other establishments would be great, wouldn't have to be national brands," he said. "I think the city needs to continue to encourage people to make an investment business-wise."

The site's next step is to go before the Design Development Review Commission for another approval. That is scheduled for Sept. 21.

The Richland County Council voted Tuesday to unanimously approve financial incentives for a $100 million housing development at the former SCANA bus storage site on Huger Street.

Huger Flats, previously identified by the county as Project Wichita, will take up nearly 6 acres at 1409 Huger St. across from The Nine student apartment complex, at the gateway to downtown Columbia’s Vista.

The apartment development plans to include sidewalks, a pocket park and a 643-space parking garage, according to county documents.

During the council’s first vote on incentives for the project in March, it was proposed as an $90 million investment. The updated $100 million plan makes the development one of the most expensive housing developments in the city.

The nearby CanalSide development remains the highest with over $100 million invested into apartments at the old South Carolina Penitentiary site.

The new Huger Flats location is one of the most prominent and valuable undeveloped properties in downtown. It has been empty since 2008 when SCANA tore down the old bus barn.

The land was first developed in 1902 as an SCE&G manufactured gas plant, which left coal tar as a byproduct. The apartment development plan currently estimates that required environmental remediation of the area will cost over $1 million. Other large costs include building the parking facility and modernizing and burying electric lines.

Huger Flats also plans to relocate and modernize stormwater and sewer mains, add green spaces and improve the roadway.

There is an estimated total of $22 million of public infrastructure improvements related to the development.

The project is to be developed by Atlanta-based Stratus Property Group, according to county documents. Jeff Koon, a representative from Stratus Property Group said the company is working with stakeholders in the area and is looking forward to proceeding with the project.

“It’s good to see some reinvention of the area on the way,” Koon said. “We’re looking forward to that being kind of a connecting piece between existing properties.”

As a part of the approval, the company agreed to rent apartments at a rate affordable to residents earning between 80% and 120% of the Columbia area median income.

In exchange for the company’s $100 million investment, it will get a 50% property tax break for 15 years.

There have been other attempts to redevelop the site in the past, including a 2016 pitch to build a supermarket and apartments, but none have been unsuccessful. The site sits beside another notable vacant property, the former Kline Iron and Steel Co. property at the corner of Huger and Gervais streets, where multiple development proposals also have faltered over the years.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023, 10:28 AM.

The State

Sydney Dunlap is a reporter at The State covering general news. She attends the University of South Carolina, where she is the editor-in-chief of the university’s student newspaper, The Daily Gamecock. Her writing and photography have won awards on both the local and national levels.

HUGER, S.C. (WCSC) - With just over a hundred homes expected to be built in Huger, some residents worry the lack of proper infrastructure will just be one of the factors that will cost the area its small, hometown feel.

Berkeley County says these homes are coming along Cainhoy Road near Cainhoy Elementary School. Construction has already been approved for the Royal Cokeland development, which will be 49 homes, and the county is still in the stages of approval for the French Quarter Preserve, which will be 57 homes.

“It’s a rural community and we would like to see it stay that way,” lifelong Huger resident Richard Coen said.

Another Huger native, Vincent Holback, and Coen say they have watched Cainhoy Road become a hazard over the years. Cainhoy Road had over 200 collisions from 2011 to 2020, according to the State Department of Public Safety.

The agency has not yet responded to a request for more up-to-date accident information.

“We see growth coming that we aren’t able to sustain because of the infrastructure not being developed along with the growth,” Holback said.

Holback says the lack of proper infrastructure in this area to keep up with the homes is the top concern. He says he sees constant traffic coming from the Nucor Steel production company and Cainhoy Elementary during rush hour.

“There are senior citizens here that drove up and down this road all their lives,” Holback said. “And some of them are afraid to leave home after 3 o’clock in the evening because of the traffic and the speed of the traffic.”

Although the county says these subdivisions will have at least 20% of their area dedicated to wetlands, conservation is also at the forefront of concern.

Coen says the growth does not need to take over.

“It’s going to destroy an area that’s so sensitive and is such an incredible asset for Berkeley County,” Coen said.

Although there’s no stopping what’s already under construction, the two say they just want the county to look out for the ones who already live here.

“I have nothing against growth as long as you bring the growth and do the infrastructure along with the growth,” Holback said.

Coen praises Berkeley County for prioritizing greenspace as part of their 1% sales tax.

“They’re very receptive to all of the efforts regarding the private lands, conservation easements, property rights,” Coen said. “But the property rights are the people who live here.”

Berkeley County public information officer, Jenna-ley Jamison, provided this statement in response to the concerns:

The County routinely works with the state to help improve various roadways, intersections and other transportation infrastructure around the County. The County passed a moratorium on development earlier this year. Also, the 2022 One Cent Sales Tax Referendum that was passed in November 2022 has a Greenbelt Preservation component which addresses setting aside property, easements, natural resources, agricultural, landscaping and protecting scenic corridors while improving road infrastructure.

In addition, with Cainhoy Road being state-maintained, the South Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for the infrastructure. They have not provided a statement.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Charlotte-based Nucor Corp. is expanding again. The steel company will invest $425 million and add 50 full-time jobs at its South Carolina manufacturing facility.

The news comes less than a month after Nucor said it would invest $200 million over five years on a modernization project at the same sheet and beam Berkeley County mill.

Nucor’s latest expansion will add a galvanizing line to expand the manufacturing of corrosion-resistant products at the 1455 Old Hagan Ave. in Huger plant, according to a news release from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s office Tuesday. Huger is near the South Carolina coast, about 30 miles north of Charleston.

It will be Nucor’s eighth wholly-owned galvanizing line, according to a company news release Tuesday. Nucor is one of the largest manufacturers of steel and steel products in North America.

The new South Carolina flat-rolled galvanizing line will have an annual capacity of about 500,000 tons and be able to produce galvanized steel up to 72 inches wide, Nucor said. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

“Anytime a longtime existing industry commits to an expansion, that’s positive proof that a lot of people are doing things right,” Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb said in a statement.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $400,000 grant to Berkeley County to help with site preparation costs, according to McMaster’s office.

Nucor also received job development credits from South Carolina and the state’s utility provider, Santee Cooper, provided a grant to Berkeley County to help cover the costs of facility upgrades related to the expansion, according to a company news release. Nucor and Berkeley County also entered into a fee-in-lieu of tax agreement.

Nucor Steel Berkeley has 975 employees, according to the company.

Nucor’s Board of Directors also approved a galvanizing line to be constructed in the western U.S. with details to be announced later, according to the company.

Nucor Steel Berkeley is among a growing list of expansion moves by Nucor over the past year.

▪ Last month, Nucor said it will build an air separation unit to supply industrial gases to the steelmaking sheet and beam mill at the same Berkeley mill. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

▪ In early August, Nucor said it is adding a $100 million melt shop to its Kingman, Arizona, bar mill. It will create 140 full-time jobs with an average salary of $85,000. The project is expected to take two years.

▪ In June, Nucor completed its $3 billion acquisition of C.H.I. Overhead Doors from KKR & Co. Inc. C.H.I. manufactures overhead door products for homes and businesses, as well as rolling steel and rubber doors for commercial and industrial customers.

Also in June, Nucor agreed to acquire Summit Utility Structures and a related company, Sovereign Steel Manufacturing, producers of metal poles and other steel structures for utility infrastructure and highway signage.

▪ In April, Nucor shared a $350 million expansion plan to add 180 jobs at its third rebar micro mill in Lexington, N.C.

The same month, Nucor said it is investing $15 million in NuScale Power, a developer of small modular reactor nuclear plants.

Nucor also acquired steel racking manufacturer Elite Storage Solutions for $75 million with locations in Monroe, Georgia; and Chandler, Arizona.

▪ In January, Nucor said it will build a $2.7 billion sheet mill in Mason County, West Virginia, with capacity to produce 3 million tons of steel each year.

▪ Last fall, Nucor said it would add a blast and prime line at its $1.7 billion steel plate mill under construction in Brandenburg, Kentucky, and create 400 jobs. The project is expected to open later this year.

▪ In August 2021, Nucor acquired two insulated metal panel brands from Cary-based Cornerstone Building Brands for $1 billion, the Observer reported. The deal added 830 employees from seven Cornerstone manufacturing sites, three offices and a product center.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022, 10:48 AM.

The Charlotte Observer

7043585198

Catherine Muccigrosso is a business reporter for The Charlotte Observer. An award-winning journalist, she has worked for multiple newspapers and McClatchy for more than a decade.

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.- (Thursday, January 16, 2020) — Berkeley County Roads & Bridges crews expect to complete five Dirt-to-Pave (DTP) road projects by January 2020. The roads, all located in Huger, were identified in the 2014 One-Cent Sales Tax Program.

These five road projects total a distance of about one mile. They include Radford Lane, Tracy Road, Mary Street, Hunt Drive, and Frances Street. Substantial construction on these projects began in early July 2019.

Berkeley County is designing and constructing many of the DTP road projects in-house, expediting project timelines and cutting costs. While the design plans for these latest five roads were outsourced, the County’s Roads & Bridges Department completed the construction and paving work.

The County’s Dirt-to-Pave program paves dirt/gravel roads, often in rural communities. The County established the Dirt-to-Pave Program in the 2008 One-Cent Sales Tax referendum with 29 dirt/gravel roads totaling 21.5 miles. The 2014 One-Cent Sales Tax Program, which County voters passed through a referendum that same year, identified a total of 59 dirt/gravel roads, totaling about 12.6 miles. A total of $17 million has been allocated for the 2014 projects.

Through both One-Cent Sales Tax Programs, there have been more than 18 miles of roads paved in the County.

The One-Cent Sales Tax Program has been a great success story for the County. Completing Dirt-to-Pave road projects is a top priority for my administration, as well as County Council. By doing much of the work in-house, it’s been a huge cost-saver. Berkeley County citizens should be commended again for approving the penny-tax program. Thanks to this decision and the commitment by our taxpayers, our County roads are continuing to improve and enhance overall quality of life for our citizens. -Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb

The remaining 54 DTP roads from the 2014 One-Cent Sales Tax Referendum are listed below. Plans for these roads are being developed and prepared for paving. The roads, and their locations, are listed in alphabetical order, NOT the order they will be paved.

1. Arquat Lane (Strawberry) 28. Jelly Rolls Road (Cordesville)

2. Ballentine Street (Moncks Corner) 29. Junior Lane (Strawberry)

3. Barnyard Road (Macedonia) 30. Kale Street (Moncks Corner)

4. Berry Road (Strawberry) 31. Marvel Oak Circle (Ladson)

5. Bridle Lane (Whitesville) 32. McElveen Avenue (Moncks Corner)

6. Britt Drive (Jamestown) 33. Memory Lane (Whitesville)

7. Cannon Court (Whitesville) 34. Millwood Loop (Jamestown)

8. Caroline Drive (Cross) 35. Morrison Drive (Goose Creek)

9. Cherrywood Drive (Jedburg) 36. Oaklawn Drive (Strawberry)

10. Childsbury Drive (Cordesville) 37. Old Parker Road (Sandridge)

11. Christ Temple Road (Strawberry) 38. Orvin Street (St. Stephen)

12. Churchhill Road (Pimlico) 39. Osprey Drive (Cordesville)

13. Collins Hill Lane (Cainhoy) 40. Paslay Drive (Goose Creek)

14. Constitution Avenue (Huger) 41. Ranch Drive (Moncks Corner)

15. Countryside Way (Jedburg) 42. Rebecca Lane (Strawberry)

16. Crawdad Court (Cordesville) 43. Sanders McNeil Road (Cordesville)

17. Crest Lane (St. Stephen) 44. Schurlknight Road (Alvin)

18. Dewey Drive (Whitesville) 45. Sheriff’s Lane (Moncks Corner)

19. Fall Street (Whitesville) 46. Steelshed Land (Jamestown)

20. Felix Lane (Summerville) 47. Striper Avenue (Pimlico)

21. Four Acre Lane (Whitesville) 48. Telfair Road (Whitesville)

22. Galloway Court (Whitesville) 49. Tiger’s Den Lane (Strawberry)

23. Georgiana Drive (Cross) 50. Tom Conley Park Road (Ladson)

24. Greenleaf Drive (Jamestown) 51. Tuxbury Farm Road (Wando)

25. Harlock Drive (Moncks Corner) 52. Upton Road (St. Stephen)

26. Heyward Lane (Moncks Corner) 53. View Street (Cordesville)

27. Jasper Lane (Sandridge) 54. Water Pointe Avenue (Jamestown)

Earlier this month, the County Roads & Bridges Department started construction on Kale Street and Ballentine Street, both located in Moncks Corner, and anticipate completing these projects by late spring/early summer 2020.

For all information on Berkeley County Government news and services, visit www.berkeleycountysc.gov.

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– Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office –