Municipal projects to propel prosperity in the year ahead.

Story by Leslie T. Snadowsky

Beaufort is one of the fastest-growing counties in the South, and its Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort and Port Royal town and city managers are all busy keeping up with booming population growth and stimulating economic development.

Amid soft sand beaches, these municipal leaders are tackling affordable housing challenges and forging new bikeways and pathways. Under century-old live oak trees, they are fostering business incubators and accelerators and producing cultural and food festivals. Focusing on native wildlife, they are making hires, advancing historic preservation efforts and investing in infrastructure improvements. On the outskirts of lush marshes, they are buying land, rehabilitating real estate and constructing new parks and outdoor event spaces. And in the shadow of hypnotic sunsets, they are financing road enhancements, sewer and stormwater drainage maintenance and utility upgrades.

It’s a delicate balance between man and nature. But the following leaders, who are surrounded by the natural wonders of the region, have made successful civic strides in 2024. And they are getting ready to accomplish even more in the year ahead.

Hilton Head Island

Building the future of ‘America’s Favorite Island’

Hilton Head Island Town Manager Marc Orlando loves everything “America’s Favorite Island” is famous for – its beautiful beaches, pristine natural environment, golf courses, biking and hiking trails. Orlando said his goal is to enhance the quality of life for all who live in the crown jewel of the Lowcountry. His team’s multiple projects, acquisitions and maintenance improvements in 2024 and 2025 have ensured a bright future for residents and tourists alike.

Budgeting for excellence

In June the Town Council adopted a $166.9 million consolidated budget for fiscal year 2025, with no property tax increases. Funding priorities include beach renourishment, growth management, workforce housing, solutions for traffic and transportation, infrastructure enhancements, economic development, resiliency, recreation and public safety.

Workforce housing progress

The Town and OneStreet Residential signed a Workforce Housing Development Agreement in July for 11 acres at Northpoint Circle. It will be developed to include 170 housing units for residents employed on Hilton Head Island. Design and contractor selection will take place in 2025. “It’s a major step toward providing long-term housing solutions for the Island’s essential workforce,” said Orlando. “OneStreet Residential will help us create a best-in-class neighborhood for our Island’s workforce while maintaining the high standards of architectural and environmental quality residents expect.”

New spaces for town operations

In August the Town purchased the former PNC Bank building for $2.975 million. It sits on 2.3 acres at 4 Office Way near Sea Pines Circle. The Town plans to renovate the 11,000-square-foot building for Town offices. “This building offers an ideal solution for our space needs and provides a cost-effective alternative to new construction,” said Orlando. “Moreover, it allows us to protect a key location on the Sea Pines Circle, including the preservation of the on-site pond, and prevents the possibility of the property being redeveloped for higher intensity uses.”

Enhancements at Honey Horn

A series of improvements at The Coastal Discovery Museum and other facilities on the Honey Horn property were underway last August, including upgrades to the Mary Ann Peeples Pavilion area and essential tree care for the live oaks on the property. A total of $450,000 was budgeted to replace light fixtures and fans, upgrade the electrical system within the Pavilion and provide additional lighting to accentuate the oaks and illuminate the pavilion’s pathways. 

Pope Avenue acquisition

In mid-October, the Town acquired 1.29 acres at 69 Pope Ave. for $2.9 million. Built in 1977, the property was home to Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Café. With its proximity to Coligny Beach and Lowcountry Celebration Park, the property most likely will be developed for public parking and open space to support nearby businesses, accommodate beach visitors and enhance the Town’s public facilities. 

Preserving Mitchelville’s legacy

Also in October the Town purchased 26 acres on the Island’s north end for $11.745 million. “The land, which is part of the Mitchelville settlement, represents a major step towards preserving this historic neighborhood and preventing future growth that might damage it,” said Orlando. “Mitchelville holds deep historical importance as America’s first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people. It embodied the promise of freedom and opportunity. Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park continues to preserve and honor the customs and cultures that flourished in this community, and the Town supports that mission.”

Pathway and safety improvements

Hilton Head will benefit from pedestrian-safety enhancements along William Hilton Parkway. In October the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) lowered the speed limit to 40 mph at the request of the Town. The project also included improved crosswalks and pavement markings and the addition of low-level pathway lighting, landscaping and updated signage. There were also new pathway projects around the island. Last fall contractors added an 8-foot-wide asphalt pathway along the south side of Cordillo Parkway between Pope Avenue and the entrance to Shipyard. An ADA-compliant detectable surface was installed, along with signage, crosswalk markings and landscape enhancements.

Stormwater resiliency

Orlando said that in 2024 Hilton Head made major improvements to its stormwater maintenance and resiliency program, including replacing some pump infrastructure to mitigate flooding in the Jarvis Creek area. The completion of a 2024 Repetitive Loss Area Analysis helped affected residents apply for federal funds to help mitigate and prevent flood damage.

Protecting the environment

The Hilton Head Town Council approved an integrated pest-management policy to protect the environment, people and animals on Town-owned or managed properties. Orlando said the Town started phasing out the use of glyphosate products, including Roundup, Ranger Pro and Glyphosate 41, back in April 2023, with a priority placed on playgrounds, dog parks, wetland buffers and the Mid-Island Tract off Union Cemetery Road. He said the policy, approved in October, specifies a set of best practices that require organic solutions and preventive measures.

Economic growth and stability

In November the Town’s growing economy led to higher bond ratings from Moody’s, one of the nation’s leading credit-rating agencies. “The ratings highlight our dedication to maintaining financial stability while delivering essential services and advancing initiatives that enhance and sustain the quality of life for our residents, businesses and visitors,” said Orlando.

Islanders Beach Park updates

In 2025 Town residents can look forward to improvements at Islanders Beach Park. Plans include a new playground, enhanced parking facilities, new landscaping, expanding the beach recycling program, boardwalk upgrades and storm-water improvements. Orlando said that throughout the Town’s beach renourishment project, all beaches will remain open to the public. 

Land management overhaul

“In 2025 we are overhauling our Land Management Ordinance,” said Orlando. The “enormous project” includes a comprehensive review of all chapters, overall code organization, user-friendliness and amendments to align the LMO with a community-adopted strategic plan.

Bluffton

A vision for growth and community in the ‘Heart of the Lowcountry’ 

Bluffton, the “Heart of the Lowcountry,” has been ranked by various groups as one of the best cities to live in the U.S., one of the best towns to raise a family in and one of the safest cities in the state. Bluffton has also been ranked one of the most enterprise-friendly cities in South Carolina. 

“What I love most about Bluffton is the beauty of the region,” said Bluffton Town Manager Stephen Steese. “The nature, the river and our special community. That’s why people want to become a part of Bluffton, and I think that’s why we’ve experienced the influx of population growth we’ve seen.”

A hub for innovation

In September the Town of Bluffton, The Don Ryan Center for Innovation (DRCI) and Dolnik Properties broke ground on the first of three buildings dedicated to economic development efforts in Buckwalter Place. These buildings, located adjacent to the Bluffton Police Department, are dedicated to the Town’s economic development initiatives providing innovators, startups and small businesses interested in locating to the greater Bluffton area a place to land. The first building will house a second location for the DRCI and be used as an incubator and co-working space for businesses that are starting out or expanding. There will be a childcare center and flexible, rental space for businesses. It’s scheduled to open next fall.

“This public-private partnership between the Town and Dolnik Properties aims to provide resources and space for Bluffton’s innovators, small businesses and startups to thrive,” said Steese of the DRCI project. “It’s our economic development department of the Town. We have a lot of people who have started businesses and want to take them to the next level. They may be making money, but they don’t know what the next steps are or when to open a second location. The Don Ryan Center has incubation and acceleration programs.”

Steese said those who seek help at the DRCI benefit from the Town’s retiree population. He said many retirees with business acumen become mentors at the Center and work with people who are starting businesses to help them become successful. In total the project’s three buildings will include 50,100 square feet of office and light industrial space. 

“We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure we have services where our citizens are,” said Steese. “And we’re expanding the services within the community including medical, dental, childcare, service industries like plumbers and electricians, as well as offering space for corporate headquarters and technology companies. We’ve approved about four economic development partnerships at the end of 2024, and we’ve got a few more in the pipeline including affordable housing development.”

Splashing into community fun

Steese also spent a lot of time in 2024 overseeing the development and expansion of parks. That includes the eco-friendly, 4,100-square-foot splash pad at Oscar Frazier Park, located near Old Town. “We opened up the splash pad on Election Day and we had probably 50 kids running around having fun,” said Steese. “It’s been well received and we’ll open it back up in the spring of 2025 with a big kick-off. We’re excited to have it as an asset for the community.”

Town of Bluffton’s New Welcome Center

Bluffton’s economic initiatives also led to the rehabilitation of the historic Squire Pope Carriage house in Wright Family Park. It’s being transformed into the Town of Bluffton’s Welcome Center. It’s scheduled to open in January with a community celebration planned for February. “We have a lot of people that come into our Town,” said Steese, “and one of the things we wanted was a Town-run welcome center located at the park by the May River.”

A park for New Riverside

In January Bluffton will debut its New Riverside Barn Park, the first public park in the New Riverside section of Bluffton, the fastest-growing section of the Town. This 37-acre park, with its 2,700-square-foot barn, will offer venue space for private and public events at the intersection of Highways 46 and 170.

“The New Riverside Barn Park project is actually two projects,” said Steese. “One is the actual park that will include nature trails, a huge playground for kids of all ages and misting stations for the kids to cool off when they’re out there playing. We’re anticipating opening that park in early January. We’re also renovating the old red barn on the New Riverside traffic circle into an event space for meetings, weddings, anniversary and birthday celebrations. It’ll seat around 150, and there will be kitchens, bathrooms, an outside fire pit and a music area. So I think it’ll be used a lot for events in the community. We hope to open that by the end of 2025.”

Buckwalter’s new public space

The Town also bought the “turnkey” extension of Buckwalter Place Park from EviCore. It already has an amphitheater, benches, outdoor bistro furniture, a large field and walking paths. “The Town has taken that park over, and it’s now open to the public,” said Steese. “We’re trying to use the area as an event space for the community and for the events that we produce. In 2025 we’ll install some shelters that can provide shade and be used for birthday parties, picnics and events like that. We’ll be making some safety improvements, and we’re exploring creating a public art garden that will span the walking trails.”

Preserving community roots

The Town paid $2.5 million last February for 15.5 acres at 140 Buck Island to develop a park in the Buck Island-Simmonsville neighborhood. “We bought it to stop it from being developed,” he said. “We had developers that were looking to put either townhomes or apartments on it. So the Town purchased it to keep development from occurring.”

Located in the heart of Bluffton, the Buck Island-Simmonsville community was settled by families, including Gullah descendants, who owned and operated small farms. Steese said the Town plans to work with the community in 2025 to hear what features they want at the new park, complete design plans and initiate construction. He hopes to open the park to the public in 2026.

Beaufort

Anchored in history, driven by progress

Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall likes to talk about the “ART” of city government. “The A stands for accessibility, the R stands for responsiveness, and the T stands for transparency,” he said. “That’s the mantra I’ll continue to push in 2025 with staff, and it’s something that I strongly believe in in Beaufort. We need to be a body that serves the public, that’s close to the public, that’s very responsive to the public and is open about the activities that we’re engaged in on their behalf.”

Housing solutions on the horizon

One initiative that affects the public in Beaufort is housing. Marshall said he’s excited about the new Beaufort County Jail, or “Old Jail” adaptive reuse condo project. Construction on the 86-year-old Art Deco-style building, Justice Place, is scheduled to begin in early 2025. “It’s a project that was approved through the City and appears to be a pretty solid project,” said Marshall. “Affordable housing is an issue all over the county, all over the region, and, in fact, all over the country now. One of the reasons we’re involved with the Beaufort Jasper Housing Trust consortium is because we believe strongly that there should be some solutions. The trust has an executive director and a board that’s willing to actively work on these problems. We’re fully supportive of that and are full partners with them.”

Marshall said two local affordable housing projects, the 84-unit rental community Pintail Pointe and the 64-unit senior living facility Carrington Manor, a product of the Beaufort Jasper Housing Trust, are in the construction phase.

Resilience in action

Marshall said in 2024 the City worked with the Old Point neighborhood to collaborate on drainage project designs, including for the King Street drainage project. The City also received a $11.9 million grant from the S.C. Department of Resiliency (SCOR) to cover the costs of construction for the Charles/Craven streets’ stormwater project that will mitigate flooding and drainage issues. Construction is expected to start in early 2025, with an April 2026 completion date.

Parks as community pillars

Also on top of Marshall’s agenda is the opening, expansion and renovation of public parks. In January 2024 the City Council approved a $7.1 million Parks and Tourism revenue bond to help fund the first phase of Southside Park’s master plan improvements as well as improvements to Washington Street Park. Plans for both parks have been shaped by steering committees that included neighborhood residents, members of City Council and City staff members. Groundbreaking at Southside Park took place last February. The first phase of construction includes improvements to the 34-acre park that anchors the Mossy Oaks neighborhood. There will be two age-appropriate playgrounds, new parking, a pavilion, pathways and new infrastructure, including stormwater drainage, landscaping and utilities. “The park will finally begin to realize its potential and become a place to gather, celebrate, play, exercise and enjoy nature,” said Marshall. “After the completion of construction, this park will serve as an enhanced amenity for both our Beaufort residents and visitors, all without imposing any additional costs to taxpayers. The construction is predominantly financed through a bond backed by future revenue generated from local accommodations taxes and hospitality taxes.”

Historic park improvements 

At Washington Street Park, located at 1003 Washington St., the new open-air performance pavilion will take center stage. Other park improvements will include a multi-use court, a tennis practice court, a rain garden, new landscaping and benches, two murals, a historic marker, stormwater management and associated utilities. The historic park, located in the Northwest Quadrant neighborhood, was developed in the 1940s when African-American residents donated land for the Beaufort County Negro Recreational Center – the only park in the city at the time for black families and children. The Beaufort County Community Center is composed of the descendants of the original families who founded the park.

Safeguarding the waterfront 

Marshall said the City will work to fortify the platform at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, a major meeting hub and venue for festivals and concerts for the City. “The latest routine inspection revealed some areas that need to be addressed in terms of the piers that support the relieving platform structure,” he said. “There are some structural integrity issues. The platform was built in the mid-1970s, and it only has a 50- to 70-year lifespan. So we need to figure out a long-term solution. We are contracting with an engineering consortium to help us examine the realm of possibilities for long-term fixes.”

A legacy in the landscape

Marshall said in 2025 the City will develop a park along the water on Boundary Street that will serve as a memorial to the first South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent who were the first African-Americans who were admitted into the U.S. military. “We’re planning to build this park in such a manner that there’s no way you can drive by it without wanting to see it,” said Marshall. “We also want to create a space where there’s no way you can go in, and see it and come out of it not understanding the history of the first South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent and their importance to our nation, and especially to our military establishment.”

Finding beauty amid growth

Despite the City’s bustling economic development boon, Marshall said he still gets to enjoy the beauty of Beaufort. “I like that the pace of life overall is just a little slower here in the Lowcountry,” said Marshall. “I enjoy that, not to mention the natural beauty of the area. You’re surrounded by it, day in and day out. Any given day that I go to the office, no matter which route I take, I cross at least one or two bodies of water on the way. I can look off to the right or left and see dolphins cresting in the water, and that’s something that I don’t take for granted.”

Port Royal

Authentic, quirky and ready for growth

Port Royal prides itself on being “cool coastal and far from ordinary,” a sentiment Town Manager Van Willis believes perfectly encapsulates the town and its residents. 

“What I truly appreciate about Port Royal is its authenticity,” Willis said. “There’s a realness and a grit to Port Royal that is hard to find anymore. And I think that’s kind of indicative of our personality, which is somewhat quirky.”

Digging into infrastructure

While Willis enjoys the unique qualities that set the Town apart from others in the Lowcountry, he also focuses on the mundane tasks at hand, like sewer maintenance. “I would like to make sure that the entire Town is completely sewered,” he said. “We still have some gaps, and I think it’s essential that we eliminate a lot of the remaining septic systems because of the closeness or proximity of our water bodies. I think it’s something that should have happened a long time ago. So getting the Town completely sewered would be very exciting.”

Tackling traffic challenges

In 2025 Willis also wants to provide a long-term fix to what’s been described as the most problematic intersection in all of Northern Beaufort County. “The supposed reimagining of Ribaut Road didn’t go over very well with our voters and the referendum, but one of the things that we truly have to address in the upcoming year is the traffic congestion at Lady’s Island Drive and Ribaut Road,” he said. “It has become a major choke point, particularly with the ongoing problem with the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge in the city of Beaufort. If that bridge doesn’t function well or it gets closed down, every bit of traffic that has to go on and off Lady’s Island then goes through Port Royal. We think it’s pretty important in the long term to get that addressed. That would improve the quality of life for not only Port Royal residents but for the people who travel to Lady’s Island on a daily basis.”

Revitalizing Ribaut Road

Willis said the Town engaged a redevelopment commission for Ribaut Road in 2024 and created an overlay — a special zoning designation — to encourage commercial redevelopment of parcels along that corridor. “We rely too heavily on residential property taxes,” he said, “so we think it’s pretty important to diversify that tax base. That would be a significant improvement for us if we did see commercial development along that corridor. We created a number of exemptions and incentives to make that happen. That’s exciting, and they’re still looking to tweak that.”

Willis said another major component of the Ribaut Road redevelopment would be to address its infrastructure because a significant portion of Ribaut Road does not have sewer infrastructure. He said that’s integral to any sort of redevelopment opportunities for businesses and is something the Town will address in 2025 as well.

Marina momentum

Willis is optimistic about future economic development at the Downtown Marina. “We hit some bumps in the road this past year with Safe Harbor, regarding the expansion of Spanish Moss Trail and light industrial dock construction, but we think we are now in a good place with them. The first quarter of 2025 is going to be exciting for both Port Royal and Safe Harbor. I think we’ll see the kickoff of this world-class marina, which will attract a significant boating sector and bring some pretty neat vessels to Port Royal, which will certainly be an attraction for everybody in Beaufort County.”

Naval Hospital reimagined 

Willis said the Town’s eye is also focused on the Naval Hospital. “We want to figure out how we can integrate its 120 acres into something that would be a jewel, not only for Port Royal but for all of Northern Beaufort County, and expand what we can offer visitors.”

A fresh perspective in policing

Regarding Port Royal personnel, in November Jeffrey Meyers was hired as the Town’s police chief. Meyers is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He comes to Port Royal from Florida, where he was deputy police chief of the Fort Myers Police Department.

“Alan Beach, our former police chief, was instrumental in a very trying transitional period in Port Royal’s history relative to the police department,” said Willis. “We think that Jeffrey Meyers is going to offer a fresh perspective and really give us an opportunity to address accreditation and some more growth professionally in the department. He has great ideas on recruitment and retention, which are very serious challenges in law enforcement right now.”

Festivals and fun

Willis said he’s looking forward to the 2025 Soft Shell Crab Festival, the next season’s installments of Street Music and OktoPRfest in the fall. He said Port Royal is exploring producing some Mardi Gras programming. “I think we’ll see some expansion of events, not only down near the port property but also on Ribaut Road,” he said. “We own all of our roads, so we can host festivals that most municipalities probably can’t undertake because they have other agencies they have to deal with. But we have the ability to say, ‘we can shut that down and make it work.’”

Expanding Sands Beach

Willis said in 2024 Port Royal acquired a piece of property that’s adjacent to Sands Beach. “We’re going to be developing a new park in the upcoming year that will be very complementary to Sands Beach and offer residents and visitors some unique vistas that they should be excited about,” he said.