DI PSYCHIATRIST ST. GERMAIN SMITH TO BECOME MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF HEALTH CENTER
Daniel Island Psychiatrist Dr. Katherine St. Germain Smith has been hired as Medical Director of the Charleston/Dorchester Community Mental Health Center in West Ashley. Because the new position is a full time opportunity, Dr. St.Germain Smith will be closing her psychiatric practice on Daniel Island, where she has worked with children, adolescents and adults.
The Charleston/Dorchester center is a state facility that serves the mental health needs of our community for unfunded patients with chronic mental illness. The center treats schizophrenia, bipolar, depression and anxiety and is a provider for both Medicaid and Medicare.
DI BUILDER BLACKMON SET TO DELIVER HOME ON PIERCE ST.
Daniel Island Builder Lee Blackmon, now on his own, is set to deliver his first Daniel Island home next month, as he puts the finishing touches on the Drummond home at 1730 Pierce St., in Smythe Park. Blackmon has been building on Daniel Island for years – first with Simonini Builders, then with New Traditions – but earlier this year he launched his own enterprise in the name of Southeastern Custom Homes & Renovations. Currently, Blackmon has three new Daniel Island homes under development (among them, a 7,400 SF 16-month build at 477 Creek Landing St.) and has recently completed a sizable renovation on the island.
Blackmon has been a home builder in the Charleston area for 14 years and built the first home in Daniel Island Park. He was Simonini’s Charleston builder from 1999-2005, then joined New Traditions in 2005 as their custom home builder. He attributes his success, even in this down economy, to his three core values: 1. Service to his clients; 2. Quality workmanship (i.e., proper materials and finishing techniques); and 3. Value – that is, being a "good steward of your money." He said that square foot charges vary dramatically, from $165/SF to $350/SF, based on materials and sophistication of the build-out.
Blackmon pointed to several factors which make this a favorable time to build. Key among them: 1. Lumber costs are at a 30 year low; 2. Labor costs are down, substantially; and 3. He can hire the most talented trades (given the relatively light work load in the area).
BELLE HALL SHOPPING CENTER: MAJOR CHANGES UNDERWAY
Major changes are taking place at the Belle Hall Shopping Center, with the center recently welcoming, or set to welcome, three new restaurants (Fuji Sushi, Beef ‘O Brady’s, Rio Grande); an expanded Coastal Cupboard; an educational retail store and a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise. The Belle Hall Shopping Center, run by American Asset Corp., a Charlotte based real estate firm, currently has over 60 stores.
Gerry and Germaine Ward plan to open a Great Harvest Bread Company store in the space previously occupied by Cold Stone Creamery, and Gerry Ward said they’re hoping to open before Christmas but "it’ll probably be January." This will be the first restaurant venture for the Wards. By trade, Gerry is a cabinetmaker, but he said that "it was time to do something different." Gerry said that he and his wife "used to live near a Great Harvest in Utah" and they always liked the concept – fresh ingredients, no stabilizers, no preservatives, grinding their own wheat every day. Gerry said that Great Harvest is "huge out West" but that there’s currently only one store in South Carolina – in Greenville.
Coastal Cupboard has begun offering cooking classes at its upgraded Belle Hall store. Owner Brad Pitner said that Coastal Cupboard now has 3,300 square feet of space, up dramatically from the 1,800 square feet that they occupied for the last five years. Part of the expansion involved installing a full residential kitchen, and Pitner plans to focus on the home cook. "From day one, customers asked us if we offered cooking classes," said Pitner, who is thrilled with the opportunity to have a demo kitchen on hand – "it looks like someone’s home," he explained. Pitner said he extended his lease for five years. They held their Grand Opening for the new space on November 14.
Daniel Island resident Kim Pagliarini relocated her educational store (named "Teach") to Belle Hall Shopping Center some weeks back, after having operated on Ben Sawyer Blvd. for roughly three years. The store offers educational and learning materials for public school teachers, home school teachers and parents.
Beef ‘O Brady’s, which had been closed for roughly three months, reopened this week (on Monday, Nov. 30) under new management. New owner Stan Klein currently operates a Beef ‘O Brady’s in Summerville, SC. The menu includes wings, burgers, appetizers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and a kid’s menu.
Fuji Sushi is a family-run restaurant, and their first in the Charleston area (the family runs Chinese and Japanese restaurants in North Carolina). Fuji Sushi opened earlier this fall and offers a classic Sushi Bar along with Teriyaki Noodles (Japanese and Korean) and Bento Boxed lunches. They are located across the street from the bagel shop in Belle Hall Shopping Center.
Jamie Fuerte plans to open "Rio Grande," a traditional Mexican restaurant, hoping to duplicate his success in the West Ashley area.
