Hey Hey, Charleston! I’m just gonna say it, and throw all superstition caution to the wind: cool weather is here to stay.

Kudos to Ginger S. of James Island who jumped on our “Where Are We” segment last week! She guessed correctly our photo was of Battery Jasper at Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island.

In today’s newsletter:

• Team behind redevelopment of Mount Pleasant Towne Centre must feel like Charlie Brown. Just when a field goal seemed possible, there’s Lucy. 🏈

• Playing golf doesn’t always require green grass and searching through the woods for your ball. Now you can play indoors. 🏌️

• ICYMI. A new app, a new brewery and more. 🍺

Friday 70° / 52° ☀️ 💧1%

Saturday 74° / 56° ☀️ 💧3%

Sunday 75° / 57° ☀️ 💧5%

Friday, October 18

• 2024 Charleston Jazz Gala | 6 - 9:30 PM | American Theater, 446 King St, Charleston | Join us for the 2024 Charleston Jazz Gala at the American Theater, a benefit for the jazz education and outreach programs of Charleston Jazz. Prepare to be swept away by the sounds of jazz vibraphonist and four-time Grammy Award nominee and Blue Note Records recording artist, Stefon Harris, and our Charleston Jazz Academy students.

• Voices of Carolina | 6:30 - 8 PM | Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon Street, Charleston | The ZD Experience is proud to present Voices of Carolina, a two-day tribute concert celebrating legendary musicians of Western North Carolina, powered by City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs. The goal of this event is to raise funds for artists and arts communities in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene. This tribute will honor musical icons born or deeply rooted in Western North Carolina, whose groundbreaking contributions have shaped American music.

• Movie Night in the Park | 7 - 8:30 PM | Daniel Island Waterfront Park, 1 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island | Families and friends are invited to bring lawn chairs and beach blankets to Waterfront Park for a movie night under the stars, featuring the Disney film, “Lilo & Stitch”. Arrive early and enjoy yummy bites from food vendors, The DIME, CoHog, and Holy City Popcorn. Moviegoers can enjoy 10% off their purchase of pizza at The DIME from 5-8 pm. This is a free event and open to the public – no registration required! All food vendor products are available for purchase.

Saturday, October 19

• Fall Food Truck Festival | 12 - 4 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | This free event will feature a lineup of your favorite food trucks on our five-acre field along the Noisette Creek. Family friendly Come on out for a Fall day, listening to live music by Molly Durnin while you enjoy food truck bites and refreshments, featuring seasonal and signature craft cocktails, with beer, and mocktails also available.

• Pony Up for CATR Family Funfest | 3 - 6 PM | Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding, 2669 Hamilton Road, Johns Island | Join us at the farm for Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding's Pony Up Family Funfest! Kid-friendly games, Pony Parade, a cake trot, spin-to-win game with fabulous prizes, and the chance to win a sporty golf cart! Enjoy a delicious dinner from the Foxes Fried Food Truck and dessert from Maria's Pink Box. Don't miss this fun afternoon under the roof in support of CATR's talented herd of therapy horses!

• JI Haunts Presents: Nightmare at The Rickhouse | 7 - 11 PM , 1750 Signal Point Rd, Charleston | The Rickhouse, a soon to open 14,000 square foot event space on James Island by Cannon Distillery is being haunted by the creative team at JI Haunts for 16 nights in October. “The Nightmare at The Rickhouse” will scare, spook, and startle you as you walk through the some of the best known horror movies. The entire event is indoors, so not even the weather can stop the scares; rain or shine, the thrills will be divine.

  Charleston favorite Roti Rolls will be scaring up some tasty treats.

• The Big Bounce - Adults Only Sessions (ages 16 & older) | 7 - 8:15 PM | Woodland Nature Reserve, 4279 Ashley River Road, Charleston | The Big Bounce America, the world's most extraordinary inflatable theme park, combines the largest bounce house on the planet with multitudes of activities for all ages. Come and experience an unforgettable moment of amazing, family-friendly fun!

Sunday, October 20

• Children's Day Festival 2024 I 12 PM | Park West Recreation Fields, 3499 Turgot Ln, Mount Pleasant | Enjoy carnival rides, giant inflatable slides, live entertainment, and many other activities! Admission and all activities are free. Free parking is available at Cario Middle School and Charles Pinckney/Laurel Hill – shuttles run all day or simply use the cut-through and enjoy a nice short walk! Concessions available for purchase.

• Super Freak: The Rick James Story I 3 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Dr, North Charleston | The stage bursts to life in the gritty streets of Buffalo, the backdrop for the arrival of the King of Punk Funk, Mr. Rick James. Standing 5'11" with his iconic braids and leather-clad body, Rick's flamboyant and unruly stage persona takes center stage.

• Harlem Globetrotters 2024 World Tour I 7 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center | Don't miss your chance to be a part of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters global tour as they take the court with moments of extreme basketball innovation and unparalleled fan FUN! See the Globetrotter stars LIVE as they DRIBBLE, SPIN, SLAM, and DUNK their way past their relentless rivals, the Washington Generals!

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

REDEVELOPMENT

Mount Pleasant Towne Centre Asked To Try, Try Again

If there’s one thing I learned in 31 years of leasing retail space, it’s to get comfortable—REALLY comfortable—with space taking a long time to get leased.

There’s a number of reasons for this. One is the amazing complexity of the contract. The retail lease is the most complex contract in real estate.

There’s no “form” retail lease, like there is, for example, when you buy a home in South Carolina. That contract is 9 pages.

In the world of shopping center space and urban storefronts, the average lease is probably 60-70 pages. And each property owner develops their own form.

Or if you’re a national retailer and possess that leverage, you can require the landlord to use YOUR form. 😳

And if apartment leases run for 1 year and office leases go for 3 to 5, retail leases are generally 10 years. Publix, Home Depot or any other “anchor” retailer? Count on a 20-year lease term with six renewal options of 5 years each.

Retail space itself is also a completely unique and different animal. If I’m a CPA and I need to lease 1,500 square feet in an office building, it really doesn’t matter whether I end up on the 3rd floor, or south-facing or near the restrooms.

In retail, it matters if I’m on the corner of King and Beaufain or 50 feet off.

For these and plenty other reasons we don’t have time for, suffice it to say retail space takes a REAAALLLLLY long time to lease.

This is why I laugh out loud, spill my coffee and require clean up when I read questions posted like this one.

Mount Pleasant Towne Centre Owners Asked To Come Up With A New Plan

I have no business relationship with Continental Realty Corporation. I’m not their agent, nor is any possible representation on the horizon.

I do know them from working in the same business and operating in Maryland—the company is headquartered in Baltimore.

I’ve also known a few of their principals for years. I have a ton of respect for the company and the people I know.

They are sophisticated, respected and super-experienced commercial developers and investors. Who also happen to be committed to the communities where they own properties.

Which is why I was…surprised when I read this article reporting the Town of Mount Pleasant is sending them “back to the starting line”.

Charlie Brown’s Pal And Nemesis, Lucy

For our younger readers who might not know who the heck Charlie Brown and Lucy are, they’re well-loved characters from a comic strip called Peanuts that originated…in the 1950’s.

In A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, there’s an iconic scene where Lucy agrees to hold the football while Charlie Brown practices his kicks. Kid never got it.

See above.

Kinda how I’d feel if I were the folks from Continental Realty, months and months after presenting plans and attending meetings and listening to input.

Then being told, essentially, to “ummm, start over and make it better”.

Retail Space Is A Living, Breathing Animal

More than any type of real estate, retail space must constantly be cultivated and cared for. It’s public-facing and if successful, visited by thousands of customers every month.

Continental Realty is really smart to be proactive in addressing the likely exits of Regal Cinema, Belk and Belk For Men. 

I’ve written before about the struggles in the movie theater industry.

And while Belk has been in business a long time, they’ve struggled to deal with generations-long trends moving shoppers from department stores to specialty retailers (Old Navy, Lululemon, etc.).

It’d be really nice to have certainty about new retailers willing to lease those spaces when they go dark. It doesn’t work that way.

Those are huge spaces, and challenging to lease. And hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail space has been delivered in the Charleston area since the Towne Centre opened, bringing new competition to the marketplace.

Even given the attractiveness of the Towne Centre—and the terrific job Continental Realty has done maintaining the property and keeping it a well-loved destination—there simply may not be viable retail uses that can thrive in those spaces.

I’ll be keeping tabs on this one.

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

THE BAYS GOLF CLUB IS OPEN IN MOUNT PLEASANT

Your INDOOR Front & Back Nine!

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Imagine this…

Three local families with young kids get away for a short vacay in Myrtle in January, have fun in the (cool) sun and hatch up a plan to start a business that involves their collective love of golf.

Then they go out and execute that plan in record time—see above story and how long it takes to negotiate and sign a retail lease and open in a bricks-and-mortar space.

That’s exactly what the owners of The Bays Golf Club pulled off. They opened close to 3 weeks ago on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant.

I visited The Bays on Wednesday, and even though I’m not a golfer—although I may soon be 🏌️—I was blown away by how well-designed the club is. And being a tech geek, the Trackman technology!

Becca Berton, one of the 6 owners, sat down and provided more background on this really cool new concept:

Tell me more about how y’all met.

The Bays is owned by three local families who met through our children’s preschool. All of us have young children and shared a desire to create a flexible, accessible space for golf enthusiasts like ourselves.

How did you decide to open this kind of business? What is it about your background that's going to make The Bays a resounding success?

 As experienced business owners and busy parents, we realized how difficult it was to find time for hobbies like golf, which can take up an entire day. We wanted to create a space where people could enjoy golf on their own schedule—whether it’s after bedtime, before work, or during a lunch break. We poured ourselves into this project personally, handling all of the design in-house, with a strong focus on creating a true community space and a welcoming clubhouse feel right in our neighborhood.

 We’re also thrilled to have a golf pro who joined our team, Rich Hubbard, who knows our Trackman technology inside and out. While we are largely a self-serve facility, Rich handles all our member onboardings and is often available onsite to assist our members. This level of service sets us apart from other golf simulators while preserving our vision for a fully flexible 24/7 access model.

 With our passion for golf, understanding of sophisticated training technology, and experience in running businesses, we’re confident that The Bays will be a resounding success.

What is The Bays? What do you offer? What's your "secret sauce"?

The Bays is a 24/7 golf facility that combines state-of-the-art technology with an elevated clubhouse atmosphere. We offer four bays—three semi-private “social” bays and one fully enclosed privacy bay—equipped with industry-leading Trackman simulators trusted by PGA pros. Our “secret sauce” is the blend of high-quality golf experiences and the flexible, comfortable environment we’ve created. Whether you're here to play, relax, or even work, The Bays is designed for a seamless and enjoyable experience.

 Who are your ideal customers?

Our ideal customers are first and foremost golf lovers who value flexibility and convenience and want to work on their game. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned golfer, we’ve created a space for everyone—from individuals looking to hone their skills, to groups of friends wanting a fun, social experience. We also have designated Family Hours where kids can come and play games on our Trackman simulators. These games are designed to help them build early golf skills while having fun.

Business professionals can take advantage of our business-friendly amenities, including a fully enclosed privacy bay to entertain clients or host meetings. We have a soundproof phone pod, available ad hoc or by reservation, for those who need to step away for a private or quiet conversation.

Members can come in to play poker or mahjong at our card table, relax in our member lounge with BYOB wet bar, enjoy gameday on any of the 7 TVs throughout the space, and even reserve the space for special events. There’s truly something for everyone.

How did you decide on Mount Pleasant as your location to open The Bays?

Mount Pleasant felt like the perfect place to open The Bays because it’s a vibrant, growing community that values both recreation and relaxation. With its strong connection to golf culture, particularly in the Lowcountry, we knew this location would resonate with locals who appreciate the sport’s heritage. We wanted to bring something new and modern to complement the area’s existing offerings, and Mount Pleasant is the ideal backdrop for that vision. We also live right around the corner, so we’re passionate about making this a neighborhood clubhouse!

What else should local residents know about you and The Bays?

We want local residents to know that The Bays is more than just a virtual driving range—it’s a community space where you can come to unwind, gather with friends, or even handle business meetings in our privacy bay. From the personalized design touches to our family-friendly approach, we’ve put our hearts into making The Bays a space where everyone feels welcome, regardless of their golf experience. We're here to help you enjoy golf at your convenience, on your terms, with the best technology available!

Find out more about The Bays Golf Club HERE.

ICYMI

🍽️ New market and deli to open soon downtown at Spring & Ashley. Daniela’s Downtown will be helmed an industry expert who’s worked at Uncork wine bar most recently .

📱 New loyalty restaurant app rolls out in CHS. Blackbird is the name, and Charleston is the 3rd market in the country.

🍻 Charles Towne Fermentory opened their 3rd CHS brewery on James Island. The brewery is kid-friendly, too.

🇫🇷 New cocktail lounge that channels south of France opens on Upper King. La Cave opened yesterday.

🥐 CHS is blessed to have a very accomplished pastry chef. This French native creates pastries for some of CHS’s highest-end places, and has quite an Instagram following, too .

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FEEDBACK

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