News and Events
Five Grand Strand properties receive CCU award for real estate
December 12, 2018
Conway, SC - Coastal Carolina University’s Grant Center for Real Estate and Economics held the second annual CCU Real Estate Awards on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The center, which is now located in Room 107 of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony following the real estate awards.
The CCU Real Estate Awards celebrate real estate excellence in five awards categories: Residential, Commercial, Government, Public and Nonprofit, Resort and Tourism and new to this year’s awards, Restaurants.
“The nominations were judged by a panel of experts based on community impact, sustainability, creativity, land use, design and legacy,” said Ed Gilmer, commercial banker for First Reliance Bank and chairman of the Grant Center for Real Estate and Economics advisory board. “Each nomination recognizes a new construction or rehabilitation real estate project that not only improves the physical appearance of a neighborhood, but works as a catalyst for further development.”
Each awarded property holds the winning title for the 2018 CCU Real Estate Awards and received both a crystal plaque and winning certificate. The other 11 nominated properties were also recognized with certificates of nominations. Representatives from each company joined Coastal Carolina University, the local chambers of commerce and various other community members for a celebratory reception following the awards.
Winning the residential award category for making a demonstrable and measurable impact on the quality of life in the community it serves by enhancing quality of life was Papillon North Ocean Boulevard. Papillon, an effort of Winchester Development Group and Sands Building Group, is a pedestrian-friendly community that showcases superior homes that are traditional Lowcountry family by design.
Winning the commercial award category for the development and successful implementation of an ongoing, sustained initiative that promotes and is integral to comprehensive community and economic development was THEBlvd. THEBlvd complex on North Ocean Boulevard features live music, dining and shopping options. The project is part of a revival underway along the northern end of Myrtle Beach boardwalk that promises to elevate the neighborhood for not only visitors, but for residents and business as well.
Winning the resort and tourism award category for measurably improving the range of attractions available to the visiting public and enhancing the architectural environment of the tourism landscape in Myrtle Beach was Ocean Enclave by Hilton Grand Vacations Club.
Ocean Enclave is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2019 and will feature a large oceanfront pool, private cabanas, an indoor pool, a fitness center, a restaurant and bar and a children’s game room. The developer, Strand Capital Group, is contributing $2.7 million in public improvements to the neighborhood, which will include new sidewalks and streetscaping, new street lighting, two oceanfront parks and an extension of the Myrtle Beach boardwalk.
The government, public and nonprofit award category is awarded to a business for leveraging local artistic talent, private and public assets and other community resources to transform its property into a safe, attractive, and inviting neighborhood environment for the purpose of facilitating connectedness within the community. This year’s winner was Matt Hughes Skate Park.
The newly renovated skate park is named after Matthew Hughes, a Myrtle Beach teen who died while skating boarding in 1998. The project was led by his sister, Noel Hughes, the Friends of the Skatepark Foundation, the City of Myrtle Beach and various other organizations.
The renovations include replacing graffiti-covered wood and metal with concrete and a newly added gate that prominently features Matt’s names and initials. Additionally, the park now includes a memorial to Matt and a bench made from skate decks. The project has now entered its second phase to expand the park with a skateboarding bowl, larger stair sets and handrails.
Finally, winning the restaurants award category for enhancing the architectural environment of the tourism landscape and showcasing innovation, creativity, and originality in design and concept was Lucy Buffett's LuLu's at Barefoot Landing.
Opened in June 2018, LuLu’s is the anchor to the new Dockside Village in Barefoot Landing. The restaurant is a sprawling 18,000-square-foot dining and retail compound with more than 400 seats and its own beach.
The awards were presented by Robert F. Salvino, Ph.D., director of the Grant Center for Real Estate and Economics; Barbara A. Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration; and Gilmer.
ABOUT THE GRANT CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE AND ECONOMICS
The Grant Center for Real Estate and Economics serves students and professionals engaged in all facets of real estate and economic development and provides market analysis, study-based scholarships, networking opportunities, internships and technical study tours of international sites.
The Grant Center leverages global ties to Coastal Carolina University and key partners, including students, alumni, faculty, staff and board members. It offers courses in commercial and investment real estate, publishes scholarly research and produces applied studies for stakeholders in the region. The Center also hosts an annual Economic Growth & Real Estate Summit, provides seminar talks on a regular basis and consults for various private, government and nonprofit groups.
The Center’s key mission is to support the education of its students to the highest levels of competence and professionalism and to broaden the economic base of the region, serving as a bridge between Coastal Carolina University and the wider community.
For more information, please contact Hattie Jordan, Program Assistant of the Grant Center, at hajordan@coastal.edu
Follow the Grant Center on Social Media @GrantCenterCCU.
