URBAN UPSCALE
Neotraditional Mixson neighborhood brightens midtown North Charleston

By Jim Parker
The Post and Courier
Saturday, November 22, 2008

Jim Parker
The Post and Courier

Courtyards, here encircling a tall oak tree, tie together homes while providing a small-town quality to Mixson, a new community from the I’On Group.

Jim Parker
The Post and Courier

The living quarters in the Mixson model home at 4400 Marblehead Lane showcase energy-efficient recyclable wood floors and fireplace with mantel and surround.

Jim Parker
The Post and Courier

This three-story Mixson home, which is occupied, stands out with its bright red shutters. Houses are roughly 900 to 1,200 square feet.

Jim Parker
The Post and Courier

Alyssondra Campaigne, marketing vice president for the I’On Group, stands at the bottom of stone stairs outside one of the homes at Mixson.

There’s something Cordial about this village, where the mayor is your neighbor and multilevel stucco houses with piazzas and red shutters don’t cost a million bucks.

The community, Mixson, is a recent entry in North Charleston’s urban renewal crusade. I’On Group ventured into the guts of the city to design a neotraditional neighborhood of three- and four story twin and detached homes, soon to be followed by flats, townhouses and single-family residences.

Mixson eventually will have 950 dwellings amid live oaks, fields and courtyards, and a community building with kitchen and fireplace. There also will be an office and retail district with cafes, shops and small businesses, says Alyssondra Campaigne, marketing and strategy vice president with I’On Group.

Launched this summer, the neighborhood off Mixson and Durant avenues has 18 homes under construction or completed, a handful of houses sold and a few residents moved in. Buyers include North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, whose pink-sided Charleston single is, appropriately enough, on Summey Street. To enter adjacent Cordial Alley, meanwhile, you pass under an archway with a bedroom built into the span.

A few homes are detached single-family dwellings. Others are attached, typically sharing a wall. But they aren’t duplicates: one pairing, for instance is of three-bedroom and a one-bedroom residences. Prices are from $149,000 to $349,900 and include one, two and three bedrooms. Sizes are from 900 to 1,200 square feet. Homes encircle courtyards with fountains, tall trees and landscaped shrubs and flowers or line quaint cobblestone streets.

Homes have no single building style. Most have stucco looking exteriors, a few are fiber-cement or wood sided, and some have brick accents. A number of dwellings are constructed with “aerated autoclaved” concrete block that’s extra insulated to produce energy saving and are acoustically structured to limit noise, Campaigne says. It’s one of a host of high-tech, environmentally-friendly design cues. Water heaters are tankless, toilets are dual flushing to save on water and floors are Shaw-brand “Green Edge” recyclable hardwood and carpeting.

Houses showcase upscale perks, too. Tall windows give dwellings an open feel. Full bath and laundry have tile floors and structured wiring means Internet, phone, TV, security and home automation run off one fiber cable. Kitchens have maple cabinets and gas range, microwave and dishwasher. Interior ceilings are 9-13 feet depending on the plan. Masonry steps, some with decorative pre-cast stone treads, lead upstairs. Most homes have porches or decks, many come with garages or a second parking space. Fireplaces, granite countertops and upgraded appliances are among the options.

Initial buyers are young to middle-aged professionals and retirees who prefer “a high quality, low maintenance kind of lifestyle,” she says. The houses hardly have any yards and don’t come with more than three bedrooms. That will change in future construction phases, which will have family-friendly residences from 1,300 square feet and wider lots.

“There is a lot of variety,” Campaigne says.

To locate Mixson from downtown Charleston, travel west on Interstate 26 to exit 213, East Montague Avenue. Turn right on East Montague and continue for about a mile to Mixson Avenue. Turn right on Mixson. The neighborhood is ahead on the right. An alternate route is to take I-26 to North Cosgrove,, left on Rivers Avenue and right on Durant Avenue. Mixson is on the left.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com

Neighborhood:

Mixson

Location: Charleston County

Phone: (843) 746-9696

Hours:

Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sunday Noon-4 p.m.

Web site:

www.insidemixson.com

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The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department will accept applications from artists wishing to compete in the Art Design Competition for the 2009 North Charleston Arts Festival. The selected design will be featured on the cover of over 40,000 Festival brochures, 500 Festival T-shirts, and Festival posters. The award winning artist will be recognized for their design in special press releases and during the Opening Reception of the Festival. There will also be an opportunity for the artist to exhibit original works during the 2009 Festival. Call (843) 745-1087 for more information or download the Arts Festival Design Competition Application from the city website at www.northcharleston.org. A panel of jurors will select the design and the winner will be notified. The city will purchase the original design and hold sole rights for reproduction. Deadline for submission of entries is November 21, 2008.

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

By Ashley Fletcher Frampton
SCBIZ News Staff

NORTH CHARLESTON — The city of North Charleston will announce plans today for what officials are calling the largest commercial development in the state’s history.

A news release from the city Tuesday said the project is a joint venture between the Weiser Cos. and Weber USA.

The Weiser Cos. developed North Charleston’s Center Pointe, which includes the Tanger Outlets. Weber USA is the real estate division of Weber Automotive, a German-based manufacturer of automotive parts with a plant in Summerville.

The project will be on about 450 of the 1,800 acres Weber USA owns near Interstate 26 and Ashley Phosphate Road, said Eric Meyer, president of Weber USA. The Weiser Cos. will be the developer, he said.

The project is commercial and retail and not an expansion of the manufacturer’s plant, said Elliott Summey, vice president of business development for the Weiser Cos. Summey said the land is now vacant.

Meyer said no tenants are confirmed yet, but agreements are in the works.

Officials declined to offer more specifics until the announcement, set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at the North Charleston Coliseum.

The city’s news release said the project would be triple the size of the Centre Pointe development, which has brought more than 2,000 jobs to the area. Summey said the new project likely will bring three times that many jobs.

“This development will have a tremendous economic impact throughout the Lowcountry,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said in the news release. “We are proud to have the opportunity to work with these companies in bringing new economic vitality to North Charleston.”

Elliott Summey, who is the mayor’s son and who was elected to Charleston County Council last week, said the city is not a partner in the development but has supported the joint venture.

The younger Summey said the companies are confident in the development, despite the current economic turmoil.

“North Charleston’s economy is still very strong,” he said. “Charleston’s housing market is very strong, even though it’s not as strong as it was.”

Meyer said the principals in the deal are taking a long-term view on the project and believe the economy has hit bottom already.

UPS Sponsors A Keep North Charleston Beautiful Flowerscape

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Keep North Charleston Beautiful is pleased to announce that UPS is sponsoring a Flowerscape planting located at Quarterman Park in North Charleston. UPS has been a supporter of Keep America Beautiful and a participant during the month of October in the company’s Global Volunteer Month.

As a KAB affiliate, Keep North Charleston Beautiful was selected for a local partnership with UPS for their Global Volunteer Month Environmental Challenge. Twenty-six volunteers from UPS donated 76 hours in October and installed 128 plants in the flowerbed at Quarterman Park.

Keep North Charleston Beautiful created the Flowerscape Program to add plantings for all to enjoy on North Charleston roadways and in public parks. Sponsors pay for the installation of the planting and/or the overall maintenance of the Flowerscape area for at least one year. A sign is installed in each Flowerscape to recognize the sponsor. Flowerscape projects can be viewed at Quarterman Park, on Rivers Avenue at Ashley Phosphate and on Dorchester Road at Ashley Phosphate. For more information on the Flowerscape program, call Carmen Hanlon at 745-1073.

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Keep North Charleston Beautiful is a volunteer organization initiated by the City of North Charleston to enhance the city’s image through beautification projects and education incentives. Businesses, organizations and individuals who wish to become a sponsor or a participant in the beautification events may visit www.keepnorthcharlestonbeautiful.org or call 745-1073 for information.

South Carolina Chapter of US Green Building Council Honors Summey with Public Sector Leadership Award

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey receives ‘Outstanding Leadership in the Public Sector’
honors, for advocacy and commitment to sustainable urban revitalization

North Charleston, SC (October 15, 2008) – The City of North Charleston announced today that Mayor R. Keith Summey is the recipient of the 2008 “Outstanding Leadership in the Public Sector” from the South Carolina Chapter of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC-SC). Summey received the honor based on his “outstanding advocacy and commitment to sustainable urban revitalization”. The award recognizes the City’s bold leadership in the dramatic turnaround in the 3,000-acre Noisette Community, along with fostering sustainable approaches across the City. Mayor Summey stated, “I am humbled to receive this award, but it truthfully belongs to the entire City Council. It is an honor to serve alongside these men and women that have the foresight to promote sustainability in the interest of tomorrow’s generations.”

Summey will receive the award at the USGBC-SC Leadership Awards Dinner on October 16, at the Magnolia Room within the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia, South Carolina.

Bryan Cordell, executive director of the Sustainability Institute of South Carolina, nominated Summey for the leadership award. “Mayor Summey’s support of the sustainable revitalization of the city’s historic neighborhoods is unequaled,” injects Cordell. “Projects like Oak Terrace Preserve, the Navy Yard at Noisette, Mixson, Garco, and Hunley Waters have blossomed under the City’s commitment to the master planned area. Entrepreneurial efforts like the LEED Platinum Half Moon Outfitters corporate headquarters, and the first-ever LEED certified school in the state, North Charleston Elementary School, have been built during Mayor Summey’s administration. Plus, non-profit organizations, like the Sustainability Institute, and Noisette Foundation, fulfill community needs while building a sustainable culture in the region.”

Nationally, the media is recognizing the transformation of North Charleston into a sustainable community. Last July, Cottage Living Magazine, a Time, Inc.-Southern Progress Corporation publication, named North Charleston’s Noisette Community as one of the nation’s “Top 10” developments for urban infill and adaptive reuse of older neighborhoods in a sustainable model. In January 2008, the Navy Yard at Noisette was awarded another “Top 10” listing by Natural Home Magazine. Earlier, in 2005, the North Charleston Noisette Community Master Plan was awarded the American Society of Landscape Architects top honors for urban renewal design and planning.

Under Mayor Summey, the City’s vision has yielded a variety of sustainable projects to its boundaries, including the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI) on the former Navy Base. This 86-acre advance research campus was made possible by the City’s gift of land to Clemson University.

Other notable ventures in the City include the East Montague Avenue Streetscape, a half-mile corridor with streetscape improvements, including native landscaping; Horizon Village, a 68-acre, 482-home redevelopment project of the North Charleston Housing Authority that incorporates marshland which is part of the Noisette Creek Restoration; and, Oak Terrace Preserve, a 55-acre, EarthCraft ® certified development owned by the City of North Charleston, and managed by The Noisette Company, LLC, projected to have 374 homes and town homes upon completion.

Statewide, there are 23 LEED-certified projects, with three of these buildings located in the City of North Charleston. It is the City’s goal to attain LEED certification for the new city hall, according to the USGBC, promoting a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

The City is working with the Michaux Conservancy, an environmental education non-profit, to accomplish the multi-year restoration of more than 135 acres that constitute the Noisette Creek Preserve.

First elected to the Mayor’s Office in 1994, Summey took the reins of city government in the wake of the closure of the Charleston Naval Base in 1996. Summey was first elected to Charleston County Council in 1988, and served as chairman in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

For more information on the City of North Charleston, please visit http://www.northcharleston.org.

October 14, 2008 – North Charleston, SC – Mixson, the I’On Group’s sustainable neighborhood in the Park Circle area of North Charleston, was awarded the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Charleston Award for Service to the Community and Design Profession. The award is given yearly to a builder or developer that demonstrates excellence in their development, resulting in a better community at large.

This is not the first time Mixson has been recognized as an exceptional member of the North Charleston community. Before breaking ground on the site, which formerly housed the neglected Calhoun Homes, the I’On Group partnered with the Humanities Foundation, a housing non-profit, to host a housing fair that offered Calhoun Homes residents help both finding and paying for new homes. Before demolition, the homes were turned into canvasses for local artists and schoolchildren, showcased in an event titled “De(Re)Construction.”

Since Mixson’s inception, Mixson and the I’On Group have sponsored beautification projects at Quarterman Park, major art events like Metamorphosis and the Side Show, and improvement projects at Hursey Elementary School. Mixson and I’On Group employees have also worked with local Girl Scout troops on tree and flower planting projects, and the Charleston Habitat for Humanity to build homes in North Charleston.

To ensure that Mixson’s work with the community continues and expands, the I’On Group has created the Mixson Civic Trust, a community support organization that will promote and organize cultural, civic, and philanthropic events within both Mixson and the larger North Charleston community.

Mixson is the winner of a 2008 Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award, and is the second-largest LEED for Homes project in the country. Mixson was also selected as the 2008 “Best New Development” by the Charleston City Paper.

Mixson

A sustainable I’On Group neighborhood in historic Park Circle, North Charleston. Inspired by the historic streets of downtown Charleston, Mixson features winding cobblestone streets, residences connected by archways, and intimate parks and plazas. It includes a variety of residences, shops, restaurants and cafes, offices, places of worship and other civic gathering spots. One, two and three bedroom LEED certified residences available from the mid-$100s. Visit www.mixson.com or call 843-746-9696.

The I’On Group

We build neighborhoods on a human scale. Visit any of our award-winning communities. Take a walk, talk to those who live there, and you’ll understand why people feel at home – and why those who visit want to stay. Take a walk. You’ll see.

Charleston Home Market features decorative arts this weekend

By Daily Journal Staff

Charleston Home Market, a new event that highlights decorative arts, will take place Saturday at 10 Storehouse Row at the former Navy base.

The market lasts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature lectures, exhibits and demonstrations highlighting the work of local decorative arts designers and crafters. Admission costs $10, which includes all lectures and demonstrations.

Arts will include contemporary furniture, glass, carpentry, innovative lighting and textiles. Many of the vendors participating in the market are based at the Navy Yard at Noisette.

Trade demonstrations include The Philip Simmons Foundation, which creates ornamental ironwork; Michael James Moran’s transformation of trees into modern furnishings; Charleston Stone & Woodcarving’s carving of a traditional acanthus leaf design; and Cone 10 Studios’ lecture on design elements in contemporary pottery.

Speakers include Judith Miller, an international antiques expert, and Susan Sully, an expert on Southern style.

Charleston Home Market is organized by Charleston Home magazine and presented in association with the Navy Yard at Noisette, the American College of Building Arts, the city of North Charleston, the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and The Urban Electric Co.

In conjunction with the Charleston Home Market, events for interior designers, architects and buyers will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at 10 Storehouse Row. American College of Building Arts founder John Paul Huguley, Miller and Charleston Green Committee chairman James Meadors will participate in lectures for professional attendees.

The weekend kicks off with events from 5 to 8 tonight during the Upper King Design District Fall Design Walk in downtown Charleston.

The Greater Park Circle Film Society is working on a great addition to our growing neighborhood!

Check out the article on thedigitel.com:

right here