Developer sees hubs of commerce in plugged-in office buildings

By Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com Published Aug. 11, 2014

Ed Fargo has two choices for his nine-mile drive to MWVs office building in Summerville: electric car or electric motorcycle.

When he drives his Nissan Leaf, the vehicle can be seen plugged into the charging station outside MWVs offices in the Nexton development. Fargo can make the trip to and from work six times, about 100 miles, for $3.

Kenneth T. Seeger, president of MWV Community Development and Land Management, oversees the 5,000-acre mixed-use development under construction at the intersection of Interstate 26 and U.S. Highway 17A in Summerville.

Seeger said the idea is catching on with others coming to the development. The Courtyard by Marriott hotel and SCRAs office building are also offering car charging for guests and employees.

We really encourage everybody else who is building buildings out here to have similar facilities, Seeger said, adding that bike racks and showers are part of MWVs office culture and could be incorporated into others. Each elements a little different.

Seeger said the effort has sparked a trend within Nexton, but the larger goal isnt to just focus on electric vehicles or recharging stations. The goal is to create comprehensive infrastructure so that mixed-use developments can create jobs and also help take cars off of the roadways.

The site for Nexton wasnt picked just because MWV had land in and near Summerville. The location positions the development to pull from Summerville and entice businesses and industry to locate in the companys nearby commerce parks.

MWV, which also is partnering with The Rockefeller Group on an industrial, build-ready commerce park near Jedburg, sees Nexton as an extension of an economic development package that will get motorists off of Interstate 26 between Summerville and Charleston and provide a better work-life balance for those who want to work near where they live without sitting in traffic.

Seeger said MWV took a regional view to appeal to businesses and industries that dont need to travel farther than U.S. Highway 78. With Summerville nearby, a company could locate administrative offices in Nexton, then locate distribution or manufacturing operations in Jedburg and Ridgeville. That could draw workers off of Interstate 26.

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Developer sees hubs of commerce in plugged-in office buildings