September 18, 2019

4 Min Read
Gramling Brothers Proposes Self-Storage Facility to Replace Mount Pleasant, SC, Strip Mall

Update 9/18/19 – With a 6-3 vote, the town council approved to annex the Peach Orchard Plaza site on West Coleman Boulevard at Broadway Street. The property had been classified as a “doughnut hole,” land surrounded by town limits but not in the municipality. Proponents of the decision noted the town could gain $300,000 a year in extra property taxes from new development, according to a source.

The council also changed the height limit of future developments by adding a tiered-structure approach and altered the land use. Buildings 45 to 55 feet are now permitted along the street. In addition, future developments must incorporate 60 percent commercial use at the street level. A development can contain self-storage units above the ground-floor businesses, but the design must be approved by the town’s design-review board.

Gramling Brothers was satisfied with the town’s decision. “We felt like it was a win-win—for us and the town,” Harper said.

5/16/19 – The Mount Pleasant Town Council was expected to discuss on Tuesday whether to sell Orchard Peach Plaza to Gramling Brothers for its self-storage project. The planning committee has already approved the plans, according to a source.

The 2-acre property would be sold for just over $2 million. If the purchase is approved, the developer plans to upgrade the parking area, sidewalks and street frontage. The project would also need a recommendation from the Charleston County Commission before going before the Charleston County Council for final approval.

9/25/18 – Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie has indicated the city will fight the Broadway Street Self Storage project planned for county land on Coleman Boulevard. “Our citizens, like me, are really disappointed that someone is planning to put a storage facility on Coleman Boulevard,” Haynie told the source. “I’ll just say, we’ll pull out all the stops to do what we can because this is the main street of Mount Pleasant, and this is not consistent with what Mount Pleasant looks like.”

Among the businesses affected by the project would be Shem Creek Music Center, which has operated in the plaza since 1971. The retailer is considered by some residents to be a local icon and has been visited by several celebrities, including Darryl Hall, Bill Murray and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, according to music teacher Eddit Bush, who’s taught at the store for nearly 20 years.

“This store has been here for decades, and to see it go away for a storage facility makes zero sense to me,” Bush told the source.

Haynie contradicted an earlier report about the approval process, telling the source he didn’t expect the project to go before the county council because the use is already compatible with zoning.

9/20/18 – Gramling Brothers Real Estate & Development Inc. is proposing to build a self-storage facility in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on the site of an existing strip mall. The company recently submitted a site plan to Charleston County for Broadway Street Self Storage, a 35,928-square-foot project that would replace Peach Orchard Plaza at 423 W. Coleman Blvd. The development might even carry over to two additional lots at 415 W. Coleman Blvd., which currently houses an automotive business, according to the source.

The 10,000-square-foot strip mall, built in 1971, is home to about 12 small business. It’s outside of the city limits and falls under the county’s zoning requirements. Gramling owns another nearby property at 409 W. Coleman Blvd., which is expected to become a Vicious Biscuits location, the source reported.

Gramling hasn’t made a decision about building height, though it could pursue a three-story structure, which would be allowable, according to Mikell Harper, vice president of business development. Final decisions are forthcoming, as the company is still seeking county approval, he told the source.

Based in Charleston, S.C., Gramling specializes in commercial and residential projects. The company is “committed to preserving the natural and social qualities of the area through smart, responsible land development,” according to its website.

Sources:
ABC News 4, Mt. Pleasant Mayor Against Proposed Self-Storage Facility on Coleman Blvd.
The Post and Courier, Storage Building Planned for Mount Pleasant Strip Center Site
Count on News 2, Storage Units Might Be on the Way for Peach Orchard Plaza
The Post and Courier, Mount Pleasant Annexes Parcel Off Coleman Boulevard Where Storage Units Could Rise

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