Daniel Island and Carnes Crossroads
August 8, 2006: Our speaker was Matthew Sloan, Executive President of Daniel Island Company, which has been key to the positive development of Daniel Island over the last 10 years. His experience as a Development Consultant beforehand helps him and his partner guide the Island’s development to create an atmosphere that is unique and the environment of the Southeast. He shared with the group how Daniel Island has progressed in the last 10 years and what is in-store for future development both on and off the island.
Daniel Island creates a sustainable lifestyle using a small town experience to make a unique environment in the middle of a city, such as Charleston. Recently it was named the Leading Smart Growth Development in the Southeast, which was only one of many awards.
He shared the results of their master plan after 10 years. It has created a truly unique lifestyle where nearly 2,200 households reside in a community with a unique “southern Lowcountry” architectural feel. In order to take advantage of the access the Mark Clark Expressway created to Daniel Island in 1993 the two partners created a partnership with Crow Holdings. Both firms continue to have an interest in Daniel Island and future developments.
The Daniel Island Company’s philosophy of development includes a seamless integration of different social economic groups to create a unique tapestry that forms a community. There has been a special focus in creating a pedestrian friendly downtown for Daniel Island. The unique feel, architectural style, and design of Daniel Island has created a community that is one of the top home selling communities in the Southeast. It is projected that 15,000 people will be living on Daniel Island by the year 2015. Real estate has appreciated significantly on Daniel Island over the last few years. The typical residence ranges from $600,000 to over a million dollars.
The Daniel Island Company is moving north and developing another area with a lower price point and significant open space. The Carnes Crossroad area provides the development of a unique opportunity of 4 miles of highway frontage which will be a life style rather than a builder driven development. This allows not only the development of a residential neighborhood with trails, parks, and protect areas, but also the commercial and retail aspects that are essential to a community.
While Daniel Island’s growth has been significant, a large explosion of growth will take place outside of I-526 boundary. This area of growth will create a new population center in Moncks Corner/Summerville areas, which in the near future, is projected to have 100,000 homes. The area will have an unparallel use of greenways along with a system of lakes to enhance the natural beauty of the area. There will be an emphasis on streetscape with a mixture of both larger and smaller homes. The first residents in this area are ready to move in late 2006 or early 2007. Daniel Island Company is working with the city of Goose Creek with the goal of creating a new downtown which will have a similar look and feel of Daniel Island.
Matt shared the unique approach that created the success of Daniel Island Company from its architecture to the attraction of being the home of a professional soccer team, a top national tennis event, and even a national golf tournament this fall. Matt showed us the innovation his company used to address the needs of the community that enhanced the beauty of the Lowcountry.
Submitted by Wayne Outlaw