A massive development north of Sun City is still planned. It could soon have parks
A massive commercial and residential development five miles east of I-95 that’s projected to more than triple the city of Hardeeville’s population will also feature a large park with walking and biking trails, city officials say.
This week, Preserve Communities, one of the developers of the planned East Argent project, announced the donation of 1,505 acres of land to the city of Hardeeville. The majority of that gift, 1,330 acres, will be permanently preserved as passive and recreational park space, officials say.
The city will set aside the remaining 175 acres for construction of future schools, active parks, and fire and police facilities, although the plans and construction timeline are unclear.
Touted by developers and city officials as the largest planned development in Hardeeville history, the 7,350-acre East Argent project — located west of Argent Boulevard and north of U.S. 278, near the northern side of Sun City — is expected to include 9,500 homes and apartments, as well as 1.5 million square feet of retail and office space.
Hardeeville announced the project in late 2017 and started construction the next year. Since its inception, the project has received mixed reviews from officials and nearby residents who worry about its potential effect on traffic and on the headwaters of both the Okatie and New rivers.
The development is planned in an area bracing for dramatic growth in the coming years with construction of communities such as Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, with 3,000 to 3,800 homes. If all of the proposed homes in the city are built, the population of the city could jump from about 6,515 residents to more than 20,000 by 2030, Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams said Wednesday.
Developers have started on the first phase of the project, building a loop road that connects the Hampton Pointe community to S.C. 170, Williams said. The total project, which will have multiple housing developments and businesses, will be completed in phases over about 20 years, Williams said.
The project is expected to have a mix of housing types, including single-family homes, age-restricted neighborhoods, multifamily apartment communities and workforce housing.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has largely halted businesses and government operations across the state, Williams said it has not yet affected the project’s completion timeline.
In fact, the city is actually seeing an increase in development permits in other developments like Sun City and Margaritaville, city manager Mike Czymbor said Thursday.
“Next year, we’re expecting 879 single-family homes,” he said. “And this year, we’re expecting 644 new single-family homes. We’re on track to meet that number.”
Walking trails and skeet shooting?
The city of Hardeeville met with Preserve Communities about the proposed land donation early last year, said Jennifer Combs, city parks, recreation and tourism director.
The city will work with the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy to create a master plan for the 1,330 acres, she said.
“We just received [the donation] fully,” she said. “The next step is to work with a biologist to come up with a development plan. It’ll be a year to two years out before we can start to do any kind of development inside that area. It’s all passive parks.”
The park could include walking, bikes and ATV trails and a skeet shooting range, she said.
The city has been looking at different preserves in the region like the Sea Pines Forest Preserve for ideas about what to do with the land, Combs said.
She said the city did not give the developer anything in return for the donation.
How many homes?
The East Argent project has been in the works since 2017, but the number of homes could change with the market over the next decade.
The actual number of neighborhoods in the project is still unclear, but Mayor Williams said several developments have been approved or are in the planning phase.
The development includes the existing Hampton Pointe luxury private golf community and the Hearthstone Lakes neighborhood.
The total project is expected to generate more than $110 million in development fees to be used for infrastructure improvements.
An agreement between the city and property owner Argent Land Holdings LLC proposes to raise those funds from builders over a period of 20 years.
“Total build-out is going to be 15 to 20 years,” Williams said.
Hardeeville’s planning director, Branna Snowden, did not return a call for comment about the status of the project.
However, according to city documents, only two development communities have been approved for East Argent:
▪ A DR Horton community of 630 single-family houses on 89 acres.
▪ Mansions Senior Living facility, with a 100-unit building for independent living and 41 villas on 22 acres.
In 2018, Argent Land Holdings donated 15 acres to build a future YMCA and 25 acres to Osprey Village, a nonprofit group that helps adults with development disabilities.
City manager Czymbor said he believes several pieces of the project have been sold to different developers, but those plans have not come before the city for approval.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 4:30 AM.
