Plumbers in North Charleston, SC

A New York-based co-working company has expanded its footprint in the Lowcountry with a second location.

Serendipity Labs recently opened a 26,000-square-foot building at 700 Nexton Square Drive in Nexton near Summerville.

The company has another location in the waterfront Portside at Ferry Wharf next to the Ravenel Bridge in Mount Pleasant. It opened three years ago.

Serendipity’s new two-story Berkeley County site near Interstate 26 and U.S. Highway 17A includes 101 offices and 214 desks. Offices range from one-person rooms to three-plus-worker spaces. Suites can be configured for larger teams, including desk-sharing options for hybrid work plans. Co-working also is available for drop-in use or monthly membership plans.

The building also includes four conference areas, with two 12-person boardrooms and two five-person meeting areas. They are available from 30 minutes to a week for members and the community. Catering also can be arranged.

The stand-alone building is currently at about 10 percent occupancy. Serendipity has more than 30 locations in the U.S. and United Kingdom.

The company’s second Charleston-area location comes after the recent grand openings of shared-office firms Thrive at 174 Meeting St. and Industrious at 677 King St. on the peninsula. Both occupy space within larger office buildings.

New market

A rebranded market in a North Charleston development is now open.

The Market at Paradiso opened May 18 at 4401 McCarthy St. in the Mixson community near Park Circle.

It’s open to the public and includes a coffee counter, grab-and-go options, wine and beer and other provisions.

Earlier this year, Success Street Hospitality acquired the former Mixson Club and rebranded the site after it underwent a full makeover, including updates to the pool deck, event lawn, locker rooms, fitness and wellness center, and the market. New restaurant and bar concepts are slated to be announced soon. The club is now called Paradiso.

Success Street owner Boris Van Dyck was a founding member of Mixson Bath and Racquet.

“Reimaging Paradiso has been a labor of love, and we are now one step closer to fulfilling our vision,” Van Dyck said. “We look forward to welcoming guests to the new market ... and to providing our members with a space to enjoy time with their friends and families throughout this summer season and beyond.”

Home and business tour

A home and business tour to raise funds for a nonprofit organization is set for May 21 in Mount Pleasant.

The Old Village Art Walk will take place 1-4 p.m. to benefit Just Be You, a group dedicated to increasing children’s self-confidence and encouraging them to embrace their uniqueness.

The tour will be spread among six houses, with an artist at each home and artists at White Gallery at 709 Coleman Blvd., where an afterparty is set from 4-8 p.m. For tickets, $125, that allow entry to both events, go to https://tinyurl.com/ycy2hzbt.

The national tours of HADESTOWN and SIX will make their Lowcountry premieres part of the 2023-2024 Best of Broadway season at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. HADESTOWN performances are January 2 - 7, 2024 and SIX performances are March 12 - 17, 2024. Each show will offer eight performances.

The Best of Broadway series will welcome five additional shows including: COME FROM AWAY (October 20 - 22, 2023); PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (December 1 - 3, 2023); MY FAIR LADY (February 9 - 11, 2024); and MEAN GIRLS (April 26 - 28, 2024). In addition, STOMP (May 10 - 11, 2024) returns as a special bonus. All performances are at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

The best way to secure your seats to all of the 2023 - 2024 shows is to become a Best of Broadway season ticket holder. Season tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 22, at 10 AM. Season ticket packages start at only $318. Tickets are available by calling (843) 202-ARTS (2787) or online at Click Here. Installment payment plans for season ticket packages are available. You can reserve season tickets for just $50 down. Individual show tickets will go on sale at a later date.

In addition to having the same seat for all performances, Best of Broadway season ticket holders enjoy many other benefits such as free parking to season shows, priority access to tickets for North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center events before they go on public sale and special discounts & offers.

"The stage is set for an epic season!" exclaimed Mayor Keith Summey of the City of North Charleston. "With the 2023 - 2024 Best of Broadway season, we're bringing the hottest shows straight from the Big Apple to our very own North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Theater enthusiasts from across the Lowcountry and beyond are in for a sensational experience at our exquisite North Charleston Performing Arts Center. The hits just keep coming, and we're thrilled to bring the magic of Broadway to our vibrant city!"

"Once again, along with our promoter partner The Nederlander Organization, we've curated the biggest and best shows for our 2023 - 2024 Best of Broadway season" said North Charleston Performing Arts Center General Manager Frank Lapsley. We are certain our current and future season tickets holders will love all of the fantastic shows in what promises to be our best season ever."

The Best of Broadway series features the best in national touring Broadway shows and is presented by the Nederlander Producing Company of America and the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

The North Charleston Fire Department says Ashley Phosphate Road is partially open as crews remain on scene of a fire involving multiple mobile homes.

Published: Tue May 02 2023|Updated: Wed May 03 2023

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The North Charleston Fire Department provided updated information Wednesday on a fire that damaged several mobile homes and required the temporary closure of a major roadway late Tuesday afternoon.

A total of nine adults and three children have been displaced by the fire, which damaged five homes on Beret Street, Assistant Fire Chief Chris Rainey said. EMS took one North Charleston firefighter to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The fire department responded to a 911 call at 4:48 p.m. The first crews to arrive at the scene reported heavy smoke and flames coming from a single-family home.

“Crews made entry to extinguish the fire,” Rainey said. “Firefighters encountered heavy fire and heat inside the home. All residents had evacuated the home.”

They spotted fire extending to a second home and Rainey said high-wind conditions hampered efforts to put out the fires and caused flames to spread to three additional homes.

“This fire has been a wind-driven fire,” North Charleston Fire Safety Coordinator Laura Kondor said at the scene Tuesday night.

Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to a sixth home, Rainey said.

Kondor said the homes affected by the fire were either a complete loss or partially damaged.

John Marlowe lives across the street from where the fire broke out. He said he was doing yard work when he looked up and saw his neighbor’s home engulfed in flames.

“I was just weed-eating the yard and I looked across the street and saw a bunch of flames coming out of a house,” Marlowe said.

He said he ran over and grabbed a water hose, trying to put out the fire, but there wasn’t enough pressure in the hose to help.

“A bunch of houses went on fire; six houses went down and all of them my friends. All of them are without a home now,” Marlowe said.

Officials with the North Charleston Fire Department said there was not enough water supply in the area to support the amount of fire trucks on scene.

Officials said several power lines were also affected.

The fire forced officials to shut down a portion of Ashley Phosphate Road near the Cathedral of Praise to extend fire hoses for several hours, Rainey said.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK) today announced it will permanently cease operating its paper mill in North Charleston, South Carolina, on August 31, 2023.

“WestRock and its predecessor companies have had a long history in the region operating the North Charleston mill, and the contributions of the team members over the years have been greatly appreciated,” said David B. Sewell, chief executive officer at WestRock. “The decision to close a facility and impact the lives of our team members is never easy, and we are committed to assisting our North Charleston team with exploring roles at other WestRock locations and outplacement assistance.”

The North Charleston mill produces containerboard, uncoated kraft paper (KraftPak^®), and unbleached saturating kraft paper (DuraSorb^®), with a combined annual capacity of 550,000 tons. Containerboard and uncoated kraft currently produced at the mill will be manufactured at other WestRock facilities. The Company intends to exit the unbleached saturating kraft paper business when the mill shutdown is completed.

WestRock is committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximizing the performance of its assets. The combination of high operating costs and the need for significant capital investment were the determining factors in the decision to cease operations at the mill.

The North Charleston mill employs approximately 500 people. Employees will receive severance and outplacement assistance in accordance with WestRock policy and labor union agreements.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE: WRK) is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions, with more than 58,000 teammates in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Our integrated packaging capabilities offer end-to-end solutions to help customers address their greatest challenges.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, plans or forecasts and are typically identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “prospects,” “potential” and “forecast,” and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning. Forward looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Our businesses are subject to a number of general risks that could affect any such forward-looking statements. These risks are described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Item 1A under the caption “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2022.

Contacts

Media:

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications robby.b.johnson@westrock.com

Investors: Rob Quartaro, 470-328-6979 Senior Vice President, Investor Relations robert.quartaro@westrock.com

NORTH CHARLESTON — The city of North Charleston is planning to make a $6 million purchase of about 400 acres of land around Ingleside Boulevard, property that will be used to develop what the city is calling an urban park.

But this recreational amenity that some say will enhance quality of life is raising concerns about livability.

City Council voted unanimously April 27 to move forward with buying the property, currently owned by Weber USA Corp. The tracts of land make up what is known as the Ingleside Weber Park System, located west of Interstate 26.

Most of the property consists of wetlands, though just over 100 acres are highlands, or areas that can be walked or built upon. The idea is to use the 400-acre space to create a passive park that will include boardwalks, walking paths and nature trails.

Instead of having to travel elsewhere to hike or enjoy the outdoors, people in North Charleston will be able to practice that kind of recreational activity essentially in their own backyard, Mayor Keith Summey said.

To pay for the land purchase, $3 million is being provided in Charleston County Greenbelt funds, $1 million in city tax-increment finance district funds, $1 million from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, and $1 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

City spokesman Ryan Johnson said North Charleston is doing the project because the plan is a good use of greenbelt funds, which are designed to help conserve outdoor space. It was also convenient that North Charleston was able to secure additional grant opportunities, Johnson added. There is no timetable yet for the park’s construction.

“Having a big park in an urban core is a very good amenity,” he said.

The idea of a park that could potentially bring more noise to the area alarmed Councilwoman Virginia Jamison, who has been fighting for a decade for a sound barrier to be built along I-26 to protect members of Deerpark, Northwood Estates and other adjacent communities from the blaring sounds of traffic commuting along the highway. Acquiring necessary funding from the city, county or state to build the wall has not been successful.

During a recent Finance Committee meeting, Jamison said her constituents are concerned about the increased levels of sounds emitting from the interstate and they are also worried that more noise will come from the new park. Traffic could also increase soon, as the county’s new Palmetto Commerce Interchange will soon be constructed nearby at Weber Boulevard.

Other development is also on the way to Ingleside Boulevard, which is already home to a few neighborhoods, several churches and a handful of businesses. Developers are planning on the southern end of the boulevard to build a town center that will include retail and restaurant space, a parking deck, hundreds of apartment units, and hundreds of hotel rooms.

Jamison called on City Council to take noise reduction seriously.

“If this body is not concerned about the livability and quality of life in our city, then I have a problem,” said Jamison, who did not attend the April 27 full council meeting.

Councilwoman Dorothy Williams echoed her concerns.

Summey implied that the park will center on passive nature, pointing to its focus on walking trails. The only physical building that will be constructed at the park is a facility to house restrooms and first aid.