Mount Pleasant Town Hall Magazine

9 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.MPTownHall.com MOUNT PLEASANT Town Hall M ount Pleasant’s growth has been a topic of conversation since August 1929, when the Grace Memorial Bridge was built, providing a major artery between our small town and the much larger city of Charleston on the other side of the Cooper River. Through the decades, Mount Pleasant has continued to grow exponentially. Residents and businesses have moved here in ever-growing numbers, and the town has continued to provide them all with the services they have required and requested, despite lacking an important aspect of efficient municipal government: a Town Hall that would provide a home for all town departments and a one-stop shop for those seeking the town’s services. All that changed in August 2017. It’s hard to imagine our growing town or any company, for that matter, being run from far-flung offices. The new Town Hall will allow our town to operate more efficiently and more economically. The 92,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building is truly Mount Pleasant’s new home. Documenting the building of the new Town Hall gave us an up-close look at what it takes not only to build a new, energy- efficient and eco-friendly Town Hall but to create a reflection of our town, a building that is uniquely Mount Pleasant. Most of the writers, editors and photographers who contributed their talent and effort to this commemorative publication live in Mount Pleasant. Some have been here longer than others, but all were chosen for their deep appreciation of what Mount Pleasant is all about. Brian Sherman led this team of resolute professionals. His unbending dedication to his craft and to his community has enriched every page of this documentary. Over the years, there has been talk about building a Town Hall to accommodate the needs of our growing town, and, when Billy Swails was mayor, he led the charge to get the job done. Though some people might disagree, my opinion is that Mount Pleasant’s Town Hall is the best thing to happen to our town in decades. In the long run, it will save taxpayers money and eliminate wasted time and frustration by bringing most of the town’s services and staff under one roof. As you thumb through the pages of this publication, you’ll discover many money-saving ideas that were integrated into the building of our new Town Hall. From the beginning of this publishing process, I’ve felt that the town was not only creating a new Town Hall but a new home for all of us – a building that will encourage the town’s staff to exchange ideas easily, create productive relationships and collaborate with greater ease when challenges face our town’s administration. All this and more was delivered under budget and on time, thanks to the many companies – many of them local – that worked on the building and the leadership of Lauren Sims and Eric DeMoura. You can visit www.MPTownHall.com for a link to the digital version of this keepsake publication, and you’ll also find videos, articles and interviews about Mount Pleasant’s new Town Hall. Listen to our mayor discuss the building of our new home. Watch interviews with General Contractor Brooks Blumenthal with McKnight Construction, local Architect Sam Herin of Stubbs Muldrow Herin, and Lauren Sims. Visit the town’s website at www.tompsc.com for additional information. The team here at Mount Pleasant Magazine is humbled and honored to bring you this commemorative keepsake publication. TH All the best, Bill Macchio Publisher From the publisher Photo by Brian Sherman.