Ground Breaks on South Carolina Mixed-Use

Construction has begun on the first phase of Patrick Square, a 415-home development in Clemson, S.C. Phase I encompasses 65 single-family and paired homes along with a community center.The developer, Patrick Square L.L.C., which is owned by Michael Cheezem, who also owns JMC Communities in St. Petersburg, Fla., are pursuing EarthCraft Community certification for sustainable residential development.Phase II plans include a Town Center with roughly 180,000 square feet of retail and office space, as well as an open Town Square. The Town Center will also be the site of the Charles K. Cheezem Education Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Clemson University. Michael Cheezem is the son of the former Charles K. Cheezem. The family donation of both land and the building is valued at $1.6 million. One-third of Patrick Square’s 173 acres is dedicated to green spaces and wetlands. Kevin Woodley, Project Manager for Patrick Square described the project as a “traditional neighborhood development in a very quaint college town. There’s been extraordinary interest up and down the coast. It’s a historic small town concept with the main component being that its pedestrian friendly, promoting socializing. Everything is in walking distance.” This year JMC Communities marks its 30th year in the Tampa Bay real estate development industry. JMC has built more than 4,000 luxury homes in the state of Florida. In 2007 JMC’s Sandpearl Resort & Spa on Clearwater Beach was the first new resort of its kind in more than 25 years. In February 2007, JMC broke ground on Ovation, a 27-story condominium building on Beach Drive in Downtown St. Petersburg.A Courtyard Mariott building plan was approved by the town of Clemson in January. Walgreens will open a 12,300 square-foot-store in the summer of 2008, and Starbucks opened a store in January. The town has also approved 1.2 million dollars in streetscape improvements to its Tiger Boulevard commercial district for which construction will begin in May.