Dog spas and yoga rooms: Hundreds of new apartments on the way in northern Beaufort Co
Apartment dwellers in northern Beaufort County can soon walk out to the end of a dock and drop a crabbing line in Battery Creek.
They will be able to relax in a poolside cabana with a fireplace and TVs or pamper their pets at a dog spa.
Hundreds of new higher-end apartment units are being built or planned in Beaufort and Port Royal. While officials throughout Beaufort County grapple with how to provide more affordable housing, the market for upscale apartments with myriad amenities remains strong.
The area’s strong projected population growth over the next 10 years and a rise in those opting to rent over the long-term costs or barriers to home ownership make the area attractive, said Seth Peterson, with Graycliff Capital Partners. His company is building a new apartment development on Parris Island Gateway in Port Royal.
Retirees and military personnel with the means and a desire for flexibility also help drive demand, officials say.
“Demographic trends are shifting to a larger percentage of the population renting versus owning,” said Peterson, who helps select sites as the company’s development director. “This is based on residents’ desire for a maintenance-free lifestyle, access to best-in-class amenities, avoidance of the financial burdens of homeownership, and changes to the income tax standard deduction.”
The waterfront development, Waterleaf at Battery Creek, will include more than 200 apartments, a saltwater pool with outdoor fireplace and lounges, exercise center and yoga room, a dog-washing station and dog park. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and screened porches are standard in the units.
The first apartments are expected to be leased by next spring and the clubhouse finished by May. Rent will range from $1,125 to $1,510, with one-bedroom to three-bedroom options.
On Savannah Highway on the Broad River, a large lot is being cleared for another new upscale apartment development. The new project is by the same developer as an apartment development next door called Parc at Broad River.
Like Waterleaf, Parc at Broad River is billed as luxury living with similar amenities and rent prices, and the neighboring project is expected to include many of the same features.
The hundreds of new market-rate apartments are going up as Beaufort County faces a need for moderately priced and affordable rental options, identified in a housing needs study released last year.
The city of Beaufort is assembling a task force to assess affordable housing needs and potential solutions. Beaufort County is working with municipalities — including Beaufort and Port Royal — to explore an affordable housing trust fund to provide money for needed projects.
“We’re just going to look at everything,” Beaufort City Councilman Phil Cromer said. “But something has to be done.”
Land and building costs don’t make it attractive for a developer to build affordable units without incentives, Cromer said.
When affordable apartments have become available, the window closed quickly.
Income-restricted apartments at Ashley Pointe were all booked when it opened in Beaufort in 2016, and three-quarters of the 56 affordable apartments at Sea Pointe on Lady’s Island were leased before the complex opened the same year, according to a market study at the time.
Two federally regulated, low-income apartment communities in Beaufort were renovated last year with plans to begin charging market rates.
Some smaller projects aim to help fill the need. A 48-unit development known as Marsh Pointe opened in Port Royal, and the city of Beaufort worked with the Beaufort Housing Authority to develop eight apartments on a small tract on Ribaut Road.
Another 60 units of workforce apartments at Pine Court in Beaufort are in the permitting process.
In the meantime, there’s still an apparent demand for those can pay for waterfront views and cardio equipment.
The area’s stable employment base — which includes three military bases, a hospital and hospitality and retail jobs — and population growth “creates a healthy demand for market-rate rental housing with best-in-class amenities for residents,” said Paul Aiesi, principal developer with Graycliff Capital.