NEWS FROM PLANTATION PROPERTIES
—from The Sun News (Myrtle Beach)
February 7, 2007
ST. JAMES BRACES FOR EXPANSION
Businesses expeced to flock to shopping center in town
With 2007 population figures expected to have almost quadrupled since St.Jmaes, NC was incorporated in 1999, Mayor Shelly Lesher says "convenience" businesses are sure to come — and one project is well under way to house some of them.
Just outside St. James, there's a skeleton of a commercial building beginning to take shape called St. James Square. The two-story, 22,000 square foot building is on nearly four acres of real estate. Debby Daigle, president of Coastal Commercial Real Estate, which is handling the sale and leasing of office space on the property, said it's a perfect blend of what the people of St. James need and expect. Daigle also says she hopes 15 acres adjacent to St. James Square, which Coastal Commercial Real Estate owns, will be used for an upscale retail strip mall with dry cleaners, a coffee shop and restaurant.
"This will help bring services a little bit closer," Daigle says. "These people don't want to go all the way into town for services such as those provided by accountants and attorneys. We felt it was definitely the time to set a new standard for commercial development."
St. James Square, scheduled to be completed in May, will consist of two business buildings on NC 211, along which more than 25,000 homesites have been approved to be built in coming years.
St. James is not the only sign of growth in the area. Several miles northwest, at the intersection of Midway Road and NC 211, a Lowe's Food Store is planning to open, which could be a sign that more large compainies are starting to take notice of the area. Infrastructure issues being addressed that might help lure more businesses are Brunswick County's planned new sewer system and a new water tower that the county and the town of Southport are working together to build—which will help St. James as well.
END
|
