Mount Pleasant Town Hall Magazine

32 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.MPTownHall.com MOUNT PLEASANT Town Hall example, McKnight was able to use resources from outside the Lowcountry when necessary. “The building industry is booming here. Everyone is busy, and that’s good for business,” he explained. “A masonry crew is tough to find here because the local manpower pool is so busy. Prior to bidding the Town Hall, I called a dozen or so site work contractors, and they said they didn’t have the manpower to perform the work due to their current workload.” As a result, McKnight Construction handled the concrete and masonry work, which was helpful, Blumenthal said, to get the job started. “It got us out of the ground quickly. We weren’t relying on others,” he said. Blumenthal said the biggest challenge he faced in the Town Hall building process was finding and moving existing underground phone and data lines and handling that process without interrupting communications for town of Mount Pleasant employees – or any other businesses or residents in the area. The project manager pointed out that he has learned over the years that every job is unique and that each project has its own challenges. “I used to say that construction is construction, that ultimately it’s concrete, sheetrock and steel,” he said. “But every job has its complexities. Every job is important to the owner in a special way. We take as much pride in this job as in anything we do.” “From our perspective, it’s a good looking building with a great design. The folks with roots here take pride in their town. I can only imagine the pride they take in their government facilities. That’s special for me,” he added. Blumenthal pointed out that part of the success of the project was the result of everyone who was involved doing their job. “The subcontractors teamed well together, and the architect and the town were always responsive,” he said. When Mount Pleasant’s Town Hall was completed, McKnight Construction, under the direction of Blumenthal, went to work tearing down Building A, Building D, the old gymnasium and the former police station to make room for a park, a new gymnasium and additional parking. Was he going to miss visiting Mount Pleasant every Wednesday? “I hope I don’t leave. I hope we have another project going on here. I like to visit new places. I just don’t know where those places are going to be,” he said. “What’s not to like about Mount Pleasant,” he concluded. “It’s on the coast, and this area is the culinary capital of the world.” TH Project Manager Brooks Blumenthal never showed up for work wearing a suit or dress shoes. Photo by Jess Wood Photography.