Suburban amenity & infrastructure boom — Mt. Pleasant & West Ashley

NChas port expansions, Coast Guard $212M, Roper $1.2B, airport $105M gates, FAA $83M TRACON replacement (breaking ground now, completion Fall 2027). West Ashley sewer tunnel ahead of schedule. Grand Oaks reduced to 382 units. Rivertowne 3BR $2,200–$2,800. James Island road improvements. Red Metals $70M facility. Woodfield's Westbourne Ashley Landing: 285 units, $348M cost, studio-3BR mix, breaking ground now, completion Q3 2028; part of Ashley Landing TIF district with $10M affordable housing. Summerville 3BR $1,600–$2,200. Costco files plans for third store in Ingleside. New comps: 168 Clark Ave $2,700; MAA Runaway Bay 1BR $1,863–$1,978, 2BR $2,500–$2,853 with $1,000 move-in special; MAA Farm Springs $150-$200 discounts. Point Hope development in Hanahan. Two multifamily sales. Clements Ferry corridor hot. New comps: 1635 Wigeon Ln $3,300, 3 Waters Edge Ct $3,179, 4952 Pinetree Ln $4,200. James Island: 2031 Covey Lane 3BR manufactured home $2,250; new comp: 1755 Central Park Rd 1BR $1,830 (Regatta); new comp: Mira Vista 2BR/2BA condo 1,074sf, elevator, screened balcony, garage, resort amenities, available Oct 7, no pets (price not listed). New development review requirements approved. Middleburg's Mosby Bees Ferry project (348 apartments, 33 townhomes) deferred again. Long Savannah (1,637 units over 10-15 years) moving forward. Boeing leases 80K sq ft in Ladson, adding 1,000 jobs over 5 years. Crescent Pointe refinance ($64.76M). Avondale (West Ashley) median $430K, rent $1,800-$2,500, cap 4-6%, HOA restrictions critical. Mount Pleasant to vote on Highway 41 expansion — moving forward, but wetland permit meeting drew strong opposition over stormwater concerns. New: 1627 W Robinhood Dr, 1BR/1BA $1,400, 1,400 sqft, pet-friendly, available Aug 5. New North Charleston duplex comps from 13 listings: 2-4BR $1,350-$2,200. Dorchester Road rezoning denial (4-4 split). Mount Pleasant septic repair assistance program. Charleston County approves $4.25B transportation sales tax referendum for Nov 3 ballot — includes Battery flood wall, Highway 17 widening, North Charleston overpass, Palmetto Commerce noise wall, and $690M greenbelt investment. New comp: 5522 Ruby Falls Dr townhome in North Charleston's Patriot Park, $301,400. New: Hanahan's new town center with pizzeria, wine bar, coffee bar, boutique opening fall 2027. Carolina Park (Mount Pleasant) rental yields reported at 4.5-6% (headline 8.2% appears inflated), with sub-neighborhood breakdowns and HOA/school district impacts. Claremont Daniel Island adds 2BR comps at $2,650–$2,885. New comp: 1235 Ashley Garden Blvd Unit 3204, 1BR/1BA 816 sqft, pet-friendly, available Aug 5 (price not listed). New comps from today: 202 Kelsey Blvd, Daniel Island, 2BR/2.5BA $2,800; Monty at 2403 Mall Dr, North Charleston, units 560-1262 sqft starting at $1,588 with one month free. Charleston County schools' penny sales tax extension referendum will fund $1.25B in capital projects including new schools in West Ashley, North Charleston, and upgrades in Mount Pleasant and Johns Island — affects neighborhood desirability and property values. New: More affordable housing planned on Johns Island after Esau Jenkins Village, with 200 mixed-income units plus retail, timeline 2028+. New: Proposed James Island mini-golf and retail project gets city approval (partial) — mini-golf and retail okay, parking garage and offices sent back for redesign. Small mixed-use signal along Folly Road. New: Fort Pemberton Park opens on James Island (8.7-acre waterfront park with dock, kayak launch) adds amenity value. New economic development context: Healthcare, tourism (higher spend per visitor), defense industry expansion, and focus on 'singles and doubles' projects (30-50 jobs). Housing and transportation are explicit priorities. The Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) is a key organization quietly shaping the Lowcountry's economic future, driving job growth and workforce housing initiatives. New affordable entry points: Summerville, West Ashley, and North Charleston three-bedroom homes starting in mid-$300s, below metro median. Weekly market pulse confirms James Island premium over Johns Island and North Charleston affordability. New Mount Pleasant rent data: median $3,225, down 1% YoY but up 7% MoM; studio $2,045, 1BR $2,162, 2BR $2,413, 3BR $3,750, houses $4,200. New: Nexton adds 324 residential units, adding to suburban supply near 176 corridor, signaling continued developer confidence in Berkeley County. New: HCA Healthcare opens new ER on Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, adding to suburban amenity infrastructure.