Coligny Redevelopment

Exciting ideas discussed at the Coligny Redevelopment Meeting at Town Hall

Please read full article featured in the Island Packet…

Tour Hilton Head Island in 36 Hours by The NY Times

Hilton Head Island and the surrounding areas couldn’t possibly be in the spotlight more than it has been in the past several months with being voted #8 of the Top 10 Islands in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and one of the top 10 Family Beaches as referenced by The Hilton Head Island – Chamber of Commerce. With all of this being said, spending 36 hours on Hilton Head Island, just doesn’t seem like enough time to capture all of the amazing treasures, but The NY Times has proved us wrong and decided to feature an article on the “36 Hours in Hilton Head Island, SC.” This is a must read!http://tinyurl.com/ko4f32c

Exciting Changes at the Shelter Cove Mall and Waterfront Park

Exciting changes are under way at the new Shelter Cove Mall and Waterfront Park! Construction is in progress.We will continue to post up to date photos of the project, but in case you missed all the details please see below.

In June of 2012, the Town of Hilton Head unanimously backed the plan presented by Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial Real Estate to redevelop the Shelter Cove Mall into Shelter Cove Towne Centre - a vibrant part of the Hilton Head Island economy and community culture. Demolition of the existing building began in January 2013 and by February 12^th; the Town of Hilton Head Island gave final approval to Wood+Partners, Inc. and architectural firms MSTSD, Lee & Parker, Tom Crews Architects on their design for the mixed use project. Boasting 295,000 SF of retail and restaurant space anchored by Kroger and Belk, 210 luxury apartments, and  a 5-acre linear waterfront park,  the rejuvenated area will provide both residents and vacationers with a unique outdoor shopping and residential experience in a park-like atmosphere.  

  

Other than providing enjoyment of the Broad Creek and ideal waterfront event space, a new waterfront park will offer residents and visitors walking and biking trails which connect Broad Creek to Burke’s Beach and other existing trail systems on the island. Phase one of the development is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2013. 

Atlanta Beltline

Atlanta Beltline, a 25-year, $3 billion project, more than 640 acres of land, acquired and tens of millions dollars raised.  By the end of the project, more than 22 miles of modern streetcars, 1,300 acres of new parkland, and 33 miles of bike and pedestrian trails will make Atlanta more sustainable, livable, and inclusive place. 

Area golf courses hope to tee up new success
The number of rounds played between 2006 and 2011 declined by about 20 percent, according to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, now area golf courses are finding new and inventive ways to increase revenue. Private clubs, such as Sea Pines Country Club are now opening their doors to non residents. Another option is reducing rates. “Making golf cheaper to get more people playing is a worthy trade-off, according to Cary Corbitt, president of the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association and director of sports and operations at Sea Pines. "We're trying to build value rather than trying to go after rate -- because rate is not everybody's friend," Corbitt said. Once the volume increases, price can follow suit.

http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/05/12/2500411/area-golf-courses-hope-to-tee.html#storylink=cpy

Patrice Hanulak, ASLA and David Malcolm, ASLA, of Wood+Partners Inc, gave a graphic presentation of Earth Day and explained the history and importance of this environmental holiday.

An article in Sustainable Cities Collective has identified the new Fourth Ward Park, in Atlanta, a project by Wood+Partners Inc, as a major Green Infrastructure. Green Infrastructure is a concept originating in the United States in the mid-1990s that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning.

Harbour Town Marina Dreding Project

Harbour Town Marina

Harbour Town Marina is economically important to the marine, sport, fishing, tourism, and golf industries of Hilton Head, particularly for the Heritage Golf Tournament. It is imperative that state and federal agencies support the Harbour Town Marina. Dredging Harbour Town is essential to allow this key destination to maintain its role as HHI’s primary destination.

Another round of major renovations is in store for Sea Pines Resort, including another new clubhouse.

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/03/18/2426136/25m-sea-pines-renovation-plan.html#storylink=cpy

Thank you to the Island Packet for their excellent coverage of several WPi projects happening at Sea Pines Resort. Click HERE to read the full article.

WPI Lands Cover of Landscape Architect

We are thrilled one of our projects, Atlanta's Historic Fourth Ward Park, is the cover story in the current issue of Landscape Architect! Read more at the following link: http://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/114761/51

Shelter Cove Mall Revived

In June of 2012, the Town of Hilton Head unanimously backed the plan presented by Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial Real Estate to redevelop the Shelter Cove Mall into Shelter Cove Towne Centre - a vibrant part of the Hilton Head Island economy and community culture. Demolition of the existing building began in January 2013 and by February 12^th; the Town of Hilton Head Island gave final approval to Wood+Partners, Inc. and architectural firms MSTSD, Lee & Parker, Tom Crews Architects on their design for the mixed use project. Boasting 295,000 SF of retail and restaurant space anchored by Kroger and Belk, 210 luxury apartments, and  a 5-acre linear waterfront park,  the rejuvenated area will provide both residents and vacationers with a unique outdoor shopping and residential experience in a park-like atmosphere.  

 Unlike the mall structure, which had turned its back on the Broad Creek, the transfigured land use moves the River Street off the marsh, making way for Hilton Head’s first public Waterfront Park. The planned Main Street runs perpendicular to 278, subdivides the property into a walk-able, pedestrian scale shopping center, and provides views to the marshes of Broad Creek from the Highway 278.  Because Shelter Cove Towne Centre is centrally located on the island, new civic open spaces will serve as prime locations for community events such as concerts, festivals, and firework displays.  Other than providing enjoyment of the Broad Creek and ideal waterfront event space, a new waterfront park will offer residents and visitors walking and biking trails which connect Broad Creek to Burke’s Beach and other existing trail systems on the island.

Phase one of the development is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2013. 

 

Sustainable Seafood

Weighing the shrimp off the boat.

To say the Lowcountry of South Carolina is famous for its Southern and Gullah inspired cuisine is nothing short of an understatement. Open the pages of any gourmand magazine or flip to the cooking channel and you are likely to see a segment on the gastrointestinal delights to be had in our coastal home.  We are very fortunate to have an abundance of locally caught seafood available to our restaurants and home chefs alike. There is simply nothing like eating oysters and shrimp fresh off the boat, and if you haven't experienced a Lowcountry Boil or an Oyster Roast yet, well... you just haven't lived!

So we were especially happy to hear that the Waddell Mariculture Center, which serves as a a field experiment station for marine chemistry, fisheries management and supports recreational and commercial fishing and the local seafood industry, is headed toward a record year in funding. One of Waddell’s key concerns is how to encourage more sustainable production as a way to reduce the nation’s dependency on imported seafood.

Hot Oysters!

The facility, which sits on 1,200 acres at Victoria Bluff and welcomes more than 3,000 visitors a year in addition to its operational duties, is badly in need of repair. Intricate systems of tanks, pumps, ponds and drains are ailing, as are skylights, walls and ceilings.The facility’s large garage doors also need to be replaced.

State budget writers are on track to send the research facility $1.2 million, a $903,000 emergency jolt to fix the most severe structural problems, and a recurring $353,000 for operations.

To us, that sounds like a tasty investment in our local & national economies, as well as sustainability.

Read more in the Island Packet HERE

Top photo by Doug DuCap Food and Travel via Flickr Creative Commons.

Bottom photo by thelxepeiakat via Flickr Creative Commons.