Another great reason to move to Charleston!

For all of you in MI, NY and AZ wishing you could be here, maybe this is your chance! –

Google expects to need 200 workers at their new Lowcountry data center, and Fortune magazine has recently named Google the Best Company to Work for in America –
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2007/.

Why? Well, according to their own website "Google offers the freedom of a startup with the stability of a large, profitable and growing company. Our most valuable resource is our people: energetic, innovative thinkers who care equally about doing great work and developing a culture that's great for all our employees." For info about employment – http://www.google.com/jobs/

Googled!

Google's decision to establish a $600 million data center in the Lowcountry is just one more example of Charleston's growing reputation as a great place to do business! –

Google project summary excerpted from the Charleston Regional Business Journal
Investment: At least $600 million for a data center, which is essentially a huge server farm to process Google search requests. The investment includes land, site preparation and infrastructure, construction, computers and other equipment. Google has indicated expansion of the facility and its purposes is possible, but has made no definite plans or commitments in that regard at this time.

Projected impact: In addition to the creation of at least 200 jobs, Google has committed to paying an annual fee-in-lieu-of-taxes of approximately $1.96 million to Berkeley County. In addition, the company said it will pay about $58.8 million over the 30 years of the agreement. In addition, the company expects to pay about $7 million for the purchase of building materials and an unspecified amount for the purchases of supplies, payroll taxes, etc.

Timeline
Late 2005: Google representatives traveled to seven East Coast states, including South Carolina, to determine which would provide the best operating environments for Google facilities. Among the factors they considered: each state’s tax, regulatory and operating environment, statutes and infrastructure.
Early 2006: After narrowing their search, Google officials began discussing specific project possibilities with officials in South Carolina.
Spring/Summer 2006: Google performed due diligence on a site at the Mount Holly Commerce Park in Berkeley County.
Fall 2006: Google officials and government officials in South Carolina concluded their discussions. At that point, Google began preparing the site for its new data center.
Winter 2006: Final agreements between Google, government officials and the property’s former owner, Alcoa Mt. Holly, were signed. Construction of the first of the two buildings that are currently planned for the site began.

For the full story – http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/13_8/news/9139-1.html

Charleston Grill Now Open!

One more reason to love this place –

World-renowned Chef Bob Waggoner's exciting new menu at the freshly renovated Charleston Grill is based on the idea of four categories or "Quadrants": Lush, Pure, Cosmopolitan and Southern. From light and simple to rich and indulgent, the new menu at Charleston Grill promises and incredible dining experience for everyone.
http://www.charlestongrill.com/

A Bumpy Road: Battle continues over scenic highway development

The Watson Hill saga continues –
"When it comes to tourism, the S.C. Highway 61 corridor is perhaps the most visited part of the Charleston area aside from the downtown historic district.
Much-photographed for its canopies of Spanish moss-hung live oaks, Highway 61 is home to the “Big Three” Ashley River plantations: Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Middleton Place and Drayton Hall. The state’s oldest church building, Old Saint Andrews Parish Church, also lies along this former Indian path, and the Ashley River flows parallel to the highway from its headwaters near Summerville in Dorchester County.
However, where tourists see plantations, developers see opportunity.
Dorchester County is the state’s fastest-growing county, with a population of 112,500 in 2005 compared with 96,900 in 1990. Land values along Highway 61, midway between Charleston and Summerville, are far higher for residential development than for farming and demand for housing in the Lowcountry isn’t shrinking.
Can the area sustain the history and natural beauty that secure tourist dollars while opening the door to economic growth and residential development?"

http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/issues/13_7/news/9033-1.html

Honoring Charleston's Naval History

Joining many other sites throughout the region, the Officers’ Housing District on the former Charleston Naval Base is now in the National Register of Historic Places. Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture and designer of New York’s Central Park, landscaped the site then called Chicora Park in 1896, and ancient live oaks, magnolias and drifts of azaleas still shelter the 24 significant structures on the gentle slopes overlooking the Cooper River, while the oldest building dates to 1898. The majority of the property is owned by The Noisette Co., whose ambitious plans for redevelopment in North Charleston include The Navy Yard at Noisette, described as “340 acres of high-energy urban flavor, innovative newliving spaces, commercial, retail, restaurant and office destinations.” http://www.noisettesc.com/