The final tenant in a row of buildings along Sea Island Parkway on Lady's Island has moved out and preparations are under way to demolish the structures to make room for a park with views of the water.
A year ago, the Beaufort County Open Land Trust purchased about an acre of land along Factory Creek for $1.45 million. Tideland Realty Inc. was the only business operating on the property and agreed to move when its year lease expired.
A restaurant, barbershop and offices once occupied the other buildings.
Tideland Realty has moved from 41 Sea Island Parkway to Hamilton Village, according to Blanche Trumps, who, with her husband Toney, bought the company in 1978 from Walter and Edie Rogers. The Trumps' children, Matt and Christi, now own and run the business.
"When we moved to Lady's Island in 1978, the Tideland buildings were one of the few on the island. So a little piece of history will soon be gone," Blanche Trumps wrote in an email.
Asbestos inspections of the buildings began Friday, Open Land Trust executive director Patty Kennedy said. The county is handling demolition, which Kennedy hoped could begin soon. Plans for the park are being completed.
In other changes about town:
Rainey said friends in New England have successfully made similar changes to their antiques businesses. www.michaelraineyantiques.com, is under construction.
The store at 702 Craven St., where Rainey has operated for 20 years, is being listed for $324,000. Built in 1911, it originally was a fire station for horse-drawn fire carriages. The store will probably remain open until the building sells, he said.
"It's a great building, an iconic building," Rainey said.
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