What to know about the 360-acre Southpoint development near planned Buc-ee’s in Hardeeville
As growth continues to boom across the Lowcountry region, areas of Beaufort and Jasper Counties have begun to expand to keep up.
One of the latest additions is coming to Hardeeville, tucked right off Interstate 95 and U.S. 278 at Exit 8, which connects residents across areas of Jasper County to Hilton Head Island.
Projects already mapped include Hardee Station with a Buc-ee’s travel center and a workforce housing apartment complex, but these are only a small part of what’s to come to this area of the Lowcountry, according to Bryan McClure of ROI Real Estate, which is overseeing this development.
Southpoint, a 360-acre development plan officially unveiled in June, is one of the largest projects taking place along this I-95 corridor at Exit 8.
Here are five things to know about this development and its impacts for residents, visitors and traffic to the area.
1. What is the Southpoint project?
Strategically located between Bluffton, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Savannah and Charleston, McClure has described this project as the future gateway to the Lowcountry and aims to fill the void for destination retail in the area.
“This is the first thing you see when you get off I-95,” said McClure. “We want this space to be destination retail with shopping, dining and host a vibrant environment.”
Design-wise, Kevin Farruggio of ROI Real Estate says that inspiration was drawn from other “town center” areas of the Lowcountry, including places like Shelter Cove and Harbor Town, but Southpoint will combine retail and living space with pathways connecting throughout and a lake area serving as the centerpiece.
2. What’s the timeline?
McClure states that construction is officially set to begin in early 2026, but residents may start seeing some early site work starting at the end of 2025 for the first phase of this development.
The entire project will be conducted in two phases.
The first phase is expected to be complete by 2030 and the second by 2032.
3. Why is it happening now?
McClure notes that this entire area and its development have been in the works since 2012.
Now, 13 years later, the project has finally come to fruition. McClure states that the reason for such a long timeline boils down to a mix of infrastructure and interchange impediments, along with the population growth in Hardeeville.
“The vision evolved over the years,” he said. “The number of rooftops that were and are being built in the Hardeeville area was a game changer, so we shifted our vision to add in commercial space and fill in that void.”
Over the last four years, McClure and his team have refocused the Southpoint plan to support both residents and travelers to this area of the Lowcountry, resulting in the mix of residential and commercial space seen today.
4. What is it bringing?
This development is set to deliver roughly 50 businesses, 10 restaurants, 3 hotels, a grocery store and 1,400 new homes to Hardeeville by 2032.
McClure states that this development is bringing a “perfect blend” of standard and workforce housing units, ranging from traditional garden-style apartments, condominiums, townhomes and detached single-family homes.
On the commercial side, hosting retail businesses, restaurants and hotels, no named locations have been announced, but McClure states that portion of the project is “tracking nicely” and sticking true to initial site plans.
5. How will this impact traffic?
McClure states this first phase of the project coincides with improvements and widening to I-95, which is intended to transform and improve traffic flow in this area within the next few years, particularly with the addition of the Buc-ee’s.
Stormwater improvements and traffic updates are also on the way to that area of U.S. 278, according to McClure.
For residents and businesses along John Smith Road or in nearby neighborhoods, including Hilton Head Lakes and Margaritaville, McClure states that the construction timeline aligns with I-95, stormwater and traffic improvements, meaning some portions of these roadways may see closures.
The City of Hardeeville is largely overseeing the traffic impacts and timing of each project for this aspect of development.
In addition, the added boulevard stretching throughout the Southpoint development is intended to help relieve traffic and congestion along U.S. 278 and connect drivers from the Southpoint area to John Smith Road, McClure and Farruggio said.
This story has been updated to reflect the total number of homes set to be built in the Southpoint development.
This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
