Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2017

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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.