Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2019

mp business www.MPBusinessMag.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com MPB I t took him a decade to buy the land and a few more years before the first dirt was turned, but local developer Michael Bennett of Bennett Hospitality has unveiled the first installment in what eventually will be an innovative mixed-use project that looks out over Charleston Harbor. Ground was broken in 2017 on Ferry Wharf, which basks in the shadow of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge on the Mount Pleasant side of the Cooper River. In September 2019, the first tenants moved into Portside, a five-story, 120,000-square-foot office building. A parking garage, three hotels, restaurants, retail shops and private residences will soon follow on the 18-acre site, which is connected to Mount Pleasant’s Memorial Waterfront Park by a walking trail that meanders beneath the bridge. “Charleston Harbor is one of the greatest harbors in the world,” said Bennett, explaining part of what makes Ferry Wharf special. The real estate taxes Ferry Wharf is expected to produce will benefit the town and its residents and will “help us with our infrastructure,” according to Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie. “The taxes those buildings will generate will make up for a lot of residential development,” said Haynie. “We are BY BRIAN SHERMAN Worth the Wait First Building in Ferry Wharf Is Open for Business Photos by Tonya McGue.