The Point Hope Blueprint

Once a quiet stretch of forest and marshland off Clements Ferry Road, Point Hope is now emerging as one of Charleston’s most ambitious master-planned communities.

 

“We’re 9,000 acres, and that’s big,” said Matt Sloan, president and CEO of the DI Development Company, which oversees the Point Hope and Cainhoy developments.

 

Sloan and other key leaders behind the development spoke to an audience at a Berkeley Chamber of Commerce presentation in Point Hope on May 20 to provide an inside look at what’s built, what’s coming, and what the community will look like in the years ahead.

 

THOUSANDS OF HOMES

Point Hope is approved to build up to 18,000 homes, although Sloan anticipates closer to 11,000 to 12,000 units over the next 15 to 20 years.

 

With Daniel Island “essentially sold out” and Mount Pleasant under a “development moratorium,” Sloan said Point Hope will quickly become the “next best place” for homebuyers.

 

So far, Point Hope includes around 250 homes in its first neighborhood, called First Light, which is located next to the trio of Philip Simmons public schools, and 62 homes have been built in the Hopewell neighborhood, which sits behind the Publix-anchored Point Hope Commons shopping center.

 

Also underway is Del Webb at Point Hope, a 55+ active adult community, which will bring more than 750 homes to the area, starting from the $500,000s. The first phase of 200 homes will begin early next year.

 

A proposed neighborhood, Restore at Point Hope, will be located off Clements Ferry Road opposite Point Hope Commons. The Restore community will offer hundreds of units for senior housing, including active adult, assisted living, and memory care residences. The community is going through the city-approval process, and as of now, no construction date has been announced.

 

Although thousands of single-family and multifamily homes are slated to join the area, Sloan said not all of the 9,000 acres set aside for Point Hope will be used.

 

“For reference, Daniel Island is 4,000 acres,” Sloan said. “Of our 9,000 acres here (in Point Hope), over 50% are wetlands, so half of this area will stay undeveloped.”

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

When home sales began in 2020, prices in Point Hope started in the mid-$300,000s. Today, the average price exceeds $750,000.

 

Affordable housing is a key focus for Point Hope.

 

“Ten percent of all multifamily housing in Cainhoy is deed-restricted as workforce housing,” Sloan said, targeting those earning 80–120% of the area median income. “We exceeded our 5% goal on Daniel Island. Here, we doubled it to 10%. So it’s here, and we’re getting it done.”

 

A for-sale workforce housing neighborhood, also located in the Restore at Point Hope, is expected to break ground next year, with $300,000 homes geared toward single-parent households.

 

SHOPPING CENTERS

In addition to the fully leased Point Hope Commons marketplace, two other nearby commercial hubs – The Goddard and The Gates – are expanding.

 

The Goddard, developed by Woodfield Partners, is located across from Point Hope Commons and includes 16,000 square feet of retail space. The Goddard recently welcomed its first tenant, 16 Handles, a frozen yogurt shop, which will open at the end of May.

 

Just up the street off Clements Ferry Road, The Gates shopping center has been rolling out businesses, including Catrina’s Tacos and Tequila, King’s Leaf Cigar Lounge, and Firehouse Subs.

 

According to Sloan, more than $500 million in commercial investments are expected in the next 18 months.

 

PARKS AND MORE

Of the 4,500 developable acres in Point Hope, more than 1,000 are planned as parks, playgrounds, and trails.

 

“Right now, we have about three miles of trails,” said Erin Dudley, manager of Point Hope’s marketing and residential sales center called The Hub. “But once the project is complete, we could have over 72 miles of trails north and south of Clements Ferry Road.”

 

Currently, residents are enjoying its trails, playgrounds, and a dog park, with several more projects on the way:

 

• Doolittle Park: A resident-only recreation center opening in spring 2026. It will feature two pools, one junior Olympic-sized, pickleball and tennis courts, a basketball court, an event lawn, a playground, and a pavilion. 

 

• The Waterline: A five-mile linear park loop connecting neighborhoods with trails, plazas, and gathering spaces. Under construction now, it’s expected to take three to six years.

 

• Sanders House: A restored 1800s caretaker’s home that will become a community event space for residents and Rotarians to gather by early 2026. 

 

Future phases of the Hopewell neighborhood will also include creek access for kayaking and paddleboarding.

 

TRAFFIC

To manage traffic, Sloan said the South Carolina Department of Transportation has pre-approved several traffic lights along Clements Ferry Road, spaced about 1,200 feet apart.

 

“The lights don’t go in right away; they’re triggered by traffic volume,” Sloan said. One may be at Ten Point Drive near the intersection of Clements Ferry Road. That would make a total of three ways to get out of Point Hope when finished: the light at Ten Point Drive, the popularly used light at the Point Hope Commons roundabout, and there is also a right turn only exit at the Publix delivery entrance. 

 

Berkeley County Councilman Jarrod Brooks said local leaders recently met with SCDOT to push for traffic light solutions, especially near the Clements Ferry and I-526 interchange.

 

While lights at Marina Drive and Grand Oaks Boulevard are being considered, DOT spacing rules may delay them.

 

“We’re all advocating for it, but it’s ultimately up to the DOT,” Brooks said. “The 526 fix is on the docket; it’s just seven to 10 years out.”