2019 was a year of change for Beaufort, and we can expect that to continue into the new year as well. 2020 is a year that we will see lots of new things in Beaufort SC, and a good deal of change is headed our way.
Let’s take a look at a few things:
Construction will continue on the replacement of the Harbor Island Bridge. SCDOT crews will continue to get the area ready for major construction coming later in 2020. The plan is to replace the existing bridge along Sea Island Parkway with a new fixed span bridge similar to the McTeer Bridge connecting Port Royal to Lady’s Island.
2019 continued a boom for Beaufort Town Center and several new businesses will be opening in the Center in 2020. Among those coming in the new year are Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, Moss & Hatchet axe throwing, another new restaurant and Hank’s She Crab Soup.
We win some and we lose some. 2019 was the year that the Plaza Stadium Movie Theater closed and was torn down to make way for a new Publix grocery store coming in 2020; and there are other additions are planned for the Beaufort Shopping Plaza as well.
In late 2018/early 2019 we saw the Boundary Street construction plan finally come to an end and we now have a beautiful entrance to the city along Highway 21. Expect some other smaller road projects in 2020.
Development will continue at the Whitehall Plantation spot on Lady’s Island at the foot of the Woods Memorial Bridge. After securing a 10 acre park with 8 of the acres devoted to a Nature Preserve area, development will start to move forward this year. Construction is expected to start soon, and there are plans to have a grand opening for the park in 2020. Visit Friends of Whitehall Park to keep up on the news.
Classes will start at the the new location of Bridges Preparatory School. The school purchased an 18 acre spot along Robert Smalls Parkway near Castle Rock Road to build a 90,000-square-foot facility to house all grades from kindergarten through 12th grade. 5th-12th grade students will have their first classes in the new school on January 7, 2020.
For a few years we’ve been waiting for a renourishment project to move forward at Hunting Island. The state has plans to pump some 1.2 million cubic yards of sand onto Hunting Island’s beaches to offset rapid erosion. The scope of the project grew after Hurricane Matthew further eroded the beach and decimated dunes in 2016. The project is expected to start any day now.
Longhorn Steakhouse is setting up shop across the highway from Lowe’s Home Improvement in a newer development that is also home to a car dealership, some commercial spaces and offices, including a new Aspen Dental office. We can expect the new 5,500 square-foot restaurant to open its doors later in January 2020.
Of course there will be more than just this and we can expect that. After all, there’s lots of room for growth in Beaufort.
