Pressure Washing in Summerville, SC

The operators of the long-awaited Publix at Nexton have finally set an opening date.

The Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer confirmed it will welcome shoppers Feb. 12 starting at 7 a.m. — an announcement preceded by months of speculation from local residents.

When one recently asked in the "Welcome to Summerville" Facebook channel, the answers were a mixed bag.

"Spring?" "I was initially told that it would open last November." "February. But keeps getting pushed back."

The store at 1274 Nexton Parkway was originally expected to open in mid-2024 to serve the developing 5,000-acre Nexton community, eventually home to roughly 19,000 residents. But the timeline kept getting pushed with little word from the grocery store chain or Branch Properties, the developer.

Signage for the 48,387-square-foot Publix went up four months ago, but neighboring tenants have shared that permitting and water problems bubbled over into 2025, keeping all their doors shuttered indefinitely.

Now with water hooked up, Ryan Delman will open his newest Jersey Mike's franchise nearby. Also, Publix can stock its shelves — a process that takes about 30 days once permitting is completed.

“We look forward to bringing the Publix difference to our new customers and being active members in this great community,” the supermarket operator said in a written statement.

Jersey Mike's and the grocer will be joined by restaurants Catrina’s Cantina, Woodhaven Pizza, Ruby’s Bagels, Indian restaurant Naan Appetit, and Dulce Churros, Ice Cream and Cocktails. Other tenants in the development include Swamp Fox Agency, The Packie Wine and Spirits, Noire Nails, Basecamp Fitness, Heartland Dental and Fifth Third Bank.

Leasing is 100 percent full. One Nexton is a mixed-use development on 23.66 acres at the northeast corner of Brighton Park Boulevard and Nexton Parkway. The first phase features 32,000 square feet of retail space and two corner outparcels, as well as 351 apartments.

In the midst of Publix’s construction, rival chain Harris Teeter opened across the way at 1269 Nexton Parkway in mid-May.

Snow days could be on the way for some parts of South Carolina, while most of the state will just be bundling up against sub-freezing temperatures.

A cold front moving into the Palmetto State this weekend will see temperatures in the 40s during the day, dropping into the 20s at night across the state, according to the National Weather Service.

The chance of precipitation increases early next week, but temperatures are expected to be well above freezing by then.

High temperatures in Charleston are expected to drop from near 60 on New Year’s Day into the 50s on Jan. 2 with lows in the 30s, the NWS reports. From Friday into Saturday, highs could be in the 40s with a hard freeze expected when overnight temperatures dip into the 20s. Temperatures are predicted to climb back into the 50s over the remainder of the weekend and into early next week.

Temperatures are expected to drop again late next week as a second round of arctic air moves through the Southeast. It's that second cold front that could mean snow for parts of the Upstate and Midlands.

"Judging by pattern recognition, that is definitely a possibility," Patrick Moore, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service's Greenville-Spartanburg office, said about a winter storm.

Moore added that "you need two ingredients to get a winter storm" — cold air and a storm system.

"Indications are that we're going have plenty of cold air," he said. "So the next problem is, will we get a storm system that will come along while we've got the cold air? That's been our problem the last couple of seasons, that we haven't had that overlap."

A model from the NWS Climate Prediction Center puts portions of the Midlands under a "slight risk of heavy snow" in early January amid low temperatures. Those areas include Irmo, Lake Murray and Blythewood, with a 20-40 percent chance of heavy snow from Jan. 7-13.

"There's a lot of uncertainty out that far," NWS Columbia meteorologist Emily Carpenter said. "It does look like there's probably going to be a pattern shift towards some cooler weather, some below normal temperatures, possibly some freezing temperatures early next week."

Lowcountry meteorologist Dave Williams added additional caution in a Facebook post, saying any forecast that far out is a "guess at best."

Nevertheless, chief meteorologist Chris Justus at WYFF television in Greenville wrote on Facebook that he would be "VERY surprised" if we didn't see snow at some point through January.

"We're going to be so cold that if we make it through that pattern, as active as things are going to be, if we make it through without any precipitation, I would be shocked," he said in a video.

Even without snow, the upcoming freezing temperatures come as South Carolina has enjoyed relatively warm weather for December, with highs pushing 70 degrees. It also comes on the heels of heavy rain in some areas and three tornadoes that touched down near Columbia.

It’s not unusual for temperatures to change suddenly, said Rachel Gross-Zouzias, a NWS meteorologist in Wilmington, N.C., which covers the Myrtle Beach area and other parts of the Pee Dee.

“We do fluctuate a bit, which is quite normal,” she said.

As for the weekend, Gross-Zouzias advised people to prepare for freezing temperatures by bringing their pets inside, insulating pipes and following other cold weather safety tips on the NWS website.

Reporters Lauren Leibman and Abby Ann Ramsey contributed.

A South Carolina town is “booming” with jobs — and people interested in moving there, a new report finds.

So much so, the town now ranks as the nation’s No. 1 hottest suburb. Summerville, near Charleston, topped a list of places where job growth and desirability are “well above national averages,” according to a Nov. 19 news release.

But Summerville wasn’t the only place in the Palmetto State to earn a high spot in the rankings. Conway landed at No. 2, and Bluffton was No. 6.

“The coastal South reigns supreme for its suburbs where people want to move in, and where far fewer residents considering a move-out,” the website moveBuddha wrote in its report, adding that all the top 10 places are within about a two-hour drive from beaches.

To create the list, the moving resource website studied more than 500 cities across the country. It narrowed the places to suburbs, defined as “any city in each metropolitan region that was not the single, primary (first) city listed in a ‘metro’ name,” a spokesperson told McClatchy News via email.

Using search data from its website and figures from the U.S. government, moveBuddha discovered that 43 suburbs met the criteria of having year-over-year job growth “better than the national average” and a high ratio of people interested in moving in compared with those wanting to leave. Each of those suburbs also was evaluated for home values based on Zillow real estate data, results show.

Summerville, a roughly 25-mile drive northwest from Charleston, is home to about 50,000 people. It reigned supreme after it was found to be the most attractive suburb, with a ratio of “3.76 people searching to move in for every resident looking to leave.”

“Summerville’s popularity among prospective movers may be due to the incredibly strong job growth in the metro area — 4.2% between August 2023 and 2024,” moveBuddha wrote. “Known for its red-brick historic district, farmer’s market, and community events like the Flowertown Festival, Summerville is also one of just three suburbs in the top ten with an average home value under $400K.”

Two other South Carolina towns ranked among the nation’s “booming” suburbs, putting the Palmetto State in a tie with Florida for having the most cities in the top 10. Also joining Summerville on the list were Conway — in the Myrtle Beach area — and Bluffton, near Hilton Head Island.

“The Charleston area’s popularity boom is benefiting the local economy,” moveBuddha wrote. “Between May 2023 and 2024, South Carolina added over 5,500 construction jobs to manage the growth. But the 80K+ jobs added in total point to an economy that’s fueled by more than just construction, helping establish South Carolina as a prime destination for new residents.”

After Summerville and Conway took the top spots in the rankings, here are the nation’s other top five “job-magnet” suburbs:

SUMMERVILLE — Summerville reminds Nico Romo of what Charleston used to look and feel like 15 years ago.

The city of more than 50,000 is growing, with another 47,000 residents expected to move to the area by 2030. But its leaders are approaching those changes thoughtfully, Romo said.

“They want to continue developing the area without destroying it,” he said.

Part of that work includes restoring historic buildings like the one at 117 W. Luke Ave., home to Romo’s new wedding venue and café.

Food

The Kersey House will open in January with a daytime menu of French-inspired cuisine. Romo, owner of popular local restaurants NICO Oysters + Seafood, Bistronomy and Laura, hopes to host his first private event at the 300-plus-person capacity venue shortly after.

Renovations of the 112-year-old property were led by Christopher Karpus of Karpus Design, who worked to maintain and accentuate the structure’s historical features.

“You want to really show as much respect as you can for what has been,” Karpus said. “That’s why you invest in a property like this.”

Romo hopes to capitalize on the flourishing wedding industry in the Charleston area, the second-most-popular destination to get hitched in the U.S. The two-story Kersey House features a ballroom, bar and brand new kitchen on the first floor, where Romo’s team will prepare food for weddings and other private events.

Guests are greeted by two large verandas and a tribute to his wife's side of the family, the Kerseys. The venue's four grand parlor rooms feature original heart pine floors, fireplaces and other special design details.

The second story, framed by a wraparound porch, is home to bridal suites, where members of the wedding party can change and freshen up. The inside of the home can hold about 100 guests. Outside, a covered area with azaleas, hydrangeas and its own bar expands Kersey House’s capacity to nearly 400, Romo said.

Important to the chef was maintaining the character of the building, whose renovated rooms are named after members of the Kersey family. Karpus helped him achieve those goals while bringing the property up to present day building codes.

“The challenge (was) connecting all of that together while maximizing the use of the property,” Karpus said. “It was kind of a puzzle really.”

The café side of the business, which will open 11 a.m.-8 p.m., brings a new lunch and dinner option to Summerville. Its opening menu will feature French onion soup, a pickled shrimp salad, baked escargot with brioche, a croque monsieur and a signature burger with white cheddar. Larger plates include steak frites, mussels, duck confit and risotto with bay scallops.

The opening of Kersey House marks a return to the event space for Romo, who worked for Patrick Properties Hospitality Group for more than a decade. During that time, he launched the kitchen and culinary programs at Lowndes Grove, the group’s Wagener Terrace wedding venue. He also helped curate philanthropic events, which he intends to make part of the programming at the Kersey House.

Nico Romo Hospitality Group isn’t the only Charleston-based, restaurant-focused hospitality company to recently step into the wedding space. The forthcoming wedding venue at 94 Stuart St. in Charleston is a new concept from the minds behind Bodega, Uptown Social, Share House and the upcoming neighborhood tavern By The Way.