Mount Pleasant Town Hall Magazine

11 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.MPTownHall.com MOUNT PLEASANT Town Hall Mount Pleasant employees moved into the new building from various locations around town. While construction was underway, the Public Services, Planning, Business Licenses, Building Inspections and Fire Departments all were housed in trailers. “Before we moved into the new building, we had to operate apart and disjointed,” DeMoura said. “But with our staff, they always make it work. They always find a way.” The town of Mount Pleasant has a total of around 650 employees, approximately 400 of them working in fire stations and recreation and public works facilities. One location that was originally considered for the new Town Hall was the former K-Mart shopping center at Bowman Road and Highway 17. DeMoura pointed out that because of lack of space at that site, the town would have had to build a parking garage, at a cost of $6 million to $8 million. The town also would have lost out on property tax and sales tax receipts generated by the businesses that replaced K-Mart. “It was financially prudent to build the Town Hall here. Plus, technology has changed how often people need to visit Town Hall, making location less important,” DeMoura commented. He pointed out that the biggest challenge related to the project was taking the input received from employees and town residents and designing an energy-efficient and functional building that at the same time reflected Mount Pleasant’s history, geography and culture. “When we designed this building, we engaged the public. We wanted to know their thoughts, what they wanted it to look like and feel like,” DeMoura said. “We wanted it to be welcoming. We wanted people to feel comfortable here.” Built by McKnight Construction Company of Augusta, Georgia, Town Hall does indeed echo Mount Pleasant’s unique culture, from the wallpaper that copies the texture and shades of sweetgrass to the tabby walls, consisting of crushed oyster shells, sand and ash, that can be found in both courtrooms to the shades of paint throughout the building that resemble the color of pluff mud. The building’s energy efficiency isn’t in question. The town increased its space by about 32,000 square feet but directed Stubbs Muldrow Herin Architects to design a building “that used the same amount of energy that was used before.” The building features thermally broken windows and exterior shading that help keep the heat out during the Lowcountry’s sultry summers, while sensors automatically dim lights in rooms that are unoccupied. Energy efficiency and architectural beauty aside, the most important reason to build a new Town Hall might have been safety. In a natural or manmade emergency, town officials will now be able to set up shop in the new building and direct whatever action is necessary to protect the lives and property of Mount Pleasant residents. “The old buildings likely would not have stood an earthquake or a serious hurricane. The buildings would be compromised when the public needed them the most,” DeMoura said. “After an emergency, there could be fires, gas leaks, power lines down and looters. It’s at these moments that the public needs us most.” “It needed to be done. Operationally, what we had didn’t work anymore. It was overdue,” DeMoura concluded. TH Photo by Thomas Runion. Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Eric DeMoura was the among the speakers at the ribbon- cutting ceremony for the new Town Hall.