A new market, apartments and hotel? What’s coming to Bluffton square along Buckwalter
After months of looking at acres of dirt piles, rows of traffic cones and hordes of construction crews, Bluffton residents are finally seeing progress in the Washington Square development along Buckwalter Parkway.
The town’s and the developer’s vision of a walkable village, however, is far from complete. The property is still 35 acres of open space.
So far, the town has received two development agreements for building in the village. A preliminary plan for Lowcountry Fresh Local Market, a locally sourced grocery market, is still in the town’s review process. In November, Bluffton approved a plan for Watercrest Senior Living, a 107-unit assisted-living facility planned for the village.
The square, to be built on the west side of Buckwalter near Berkeley Place, will feature retail, residential and office spaces with 36 apartments on top, said Will Howard, the town’s principal planner over land development. The square will also include an 80-room hotel.
Last fall, crews built the central square of the plan, along with a road that connects to Buckwalter Parkway. The square is loosely modeled after the Oglethorpe Plan — the layout of the city of Savannah that emphasizes central town squares.
“It’s really a mixed-use development, with the square being the centerpiece,” said David Johnson, a representative of Speyside Partners LLC. “Hopefully we’ll have some food trucks and people can enjoy lunch on the square, relax there and perhaps have some activities from time to time like a concert or even a little market there occasionally.”
Johnson said development on the walkable village will soon enter the second phase of construction.
“It’s still early days,” Johnson said. “We haven’t really been marketing anything yet. We’re trying to get everything in place.”
“We’re hoping this will be an asset for this area out there,” he said, “and people will want to come out and hang out on the square.”
Lowcountry Fresh Local Market
The planned 8,136-square-foot Lowcountry Fresh Local Market will sell locally sourced seafood and produce.
The $3 million facility could create 25 new jobs in Bluffton, according to town documents.
Watercrest Senior Living
In June, Watercrest Senior Living applied for building approval at Washington Square.
The plan is for 75 assisted-living and 32 memory-care units, with an amenity center and parking on 3.61 acres. Watercrest Senior Living’s website says residents of the community would be offered “resort-style service,” including a promenade, pool, salon and spa, and a selection of Watercrest wine and beer.
Services include physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
The company has locations in Florida, Georgia and Virginia, in addition to its two other locations in Columbia and Fort Mill, South Carolina.
