There are 5 major construction projects reshaping Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton. What we know
Cranes, concrete and construction crews have become a familiar sight along Buckwalter Parkway, where Bluffton’s landscape — and its services — are changing fast.
From new hospitals, businesses and a towering new water tank, five major projects are now underway in the heart of Bluffton, expanding the town’s health care offerings and its infrastructure.
Here’s what we know about each of these projects and how they’ll reshape this area within the next year.
High Tide Pediatric Dentistry in Washington Square
A new pediatric dental practice is coming to Washington Square, with a shell space already under construction at 5 Mott St.
High Tide Pediatric Dentistry, owned and operated by Dr. Melissa Connell, will serve Bluffton’s youngest residents. Connell had a practice in the Chicago area, but sold it in 2024 to relocate south.
High Tide is currently operating at a temporary location at 10 Plantation Park Drive, Suite 100, but according to Connell, this new Washington Square location is set to be operational by the spring or summer of 2026.
A second phase of this project is also in the works and will be completed in 2028, Connell said. It includes a second building and garden space that will be used for events and administrative work.
High Tide Pediatric Dentistry will have space for nine chairs, Connell said, and a website for the practice is coming soon.
In the lot next door, a two-story daycare facility is in early planning stages, but the development proposal has not received final approval from the Town of Bluffton.
Novant Health Washington Square Medical Park on Parkside Drive
Right across the street, construction is underway for Novant Health’s new medical hub. The project includes two major components:
- Washington Square Emergency Department is a 10,000 square-foot freestanding emergency facility with 10 treatment rooms, advanced diagnostics (CT, X-ray, lab), a dedicated trauma room and an ambulatory service center.
- Washington Square Medical Office is a 40,000-square-foot medical office building offering primary care, cardiology, gastroenterology and other specialty services. There’s also room for future expansion.
The site will include improved traffic flow and a new signal at Buckwalter Parkway and Parkside Drive to enhance safety, according to Novant Health.
This project is separate, but expected to be complementary to the $320 million, 50-bed hospital less than half a mile away that will be located along Lake Point Drive, past the light at Buckwalter Place Boulevard.
The facility is slated to open summer 2026.
Beaufort Memorial Hospital Bluffton Campus
Just across Bluffton Parkway, Beaufort Memorial Hospital has quickly broken ground on a new 28-bed community hospital at the corner of Innovation Drive and Buckwalter Parkway.
This full-service facility will feature an emergency department, surgery center, cardiac catheterization lab, inpatient acute nursing unit and comprehensive imaging services.
The new Bluffton hospital is anticipated to be completed by late 2026 and will be located at 10 Innovation Drive.
MUSC Health Bluffton Medical Pavilion
Adding to the healthcare scope, the Medical University of South Carolina Health is expanding its presence in Bluffton with a new three-story, 54,000 square-foot medical office building set to open in spring 2026.
The Bluffton Medical Pavilion will consolidate existing MUSC services in the area and introduce six new specialties to the community, including a cancer clinic offering oncology and infusion treatments. Additional services will include:
- Adult and pediatric primary care
- Cardiology, dermatology, ENT, endocrinology and gastroenterology
- Neurology, orthopedics, rheumatology and sleep medicine
- Pediatric specialty and after-hours urgent care
- Imaging, lab and telehealth services
- Pharmacy, pathology and phlebotomy
This new facility will be located at 700 Buckwalter Towne Boulevard.
Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority water tower
Rising more than 100 feet tall, the new Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority water tower will soon become a prominent landmark off Bluffton Parkway, across from the future Beaufort Memorial Hospital campus.
The $28 million structure can hold 1.5 million gallons of water and is designed to support 11,500 customer connections in the Bluffton area.
This project, first unveiled in 2021, addresses the region’s rapid population growth and increasing water demand fueled by developments in Sun City, Hampton Lakes, Lawton Station, Hilton Head Lakes, and Margaritaville – along with these ongoing medical facilities.
This story was originally published November 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
