Choate Construction and LS3P celebrate groundbreaking for South Carolina Ports Authority new headquarters
September 26, 2017
Choate Construction Company, Design-Build partner LS3P, along with South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, September 25th at 8:00am to celebrate the construction of the 84,000-SF SCPA headquarters at the Wando Welch terminal grounds. Design and construction team members, Mt. Pleasant officials, and a few hundred of SCPA’s employees gathered to celebrate the exciting ritual of tossing the first heap of ceremonial dirt.
SCPA’s CEO Jim Newsome says, “We have strong partners in Choate and LS3P and look forward to making the building our new home late next year,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. “The building’s design fosters teamwork and a positive culture, and the location brings us closer to our operations, which makes good business sense.”
As SCPA continues to thrive as one of fastest growing ports in the country, Choate Construction and LS3P partner to construct a Design-Build state-of-the-art headquarters office for what SCPA CEO Jim Newsome describes as, “a building for the employees.” The headquarters more than doubles the SCPA’s previous office, relocating cross-harbor from downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant, adjacent to the Wando Welch Terminal.
The building’s orientation and design offer impressive views of the Port of Charleston, providing an up-close view of business. A dynamic jewel feature and hub of activity for the entire building, a striking glass atrium will welcome stakeholders and customers alike into the main entrance. A glass curtainwall will extend all four floors of the building, allowing for ample natural light, while a tectonic column will connect the atrium to the accent wall completing the entrance frame. Notably, and reflective of SCPA’s impact on ports near and far, a unique atrium terrazzo floor pattern will depict a geographical map of the Charleston peninsula and waterways in the main entrance lobby.
Choate Construction’s Vice President and Division Manager, Matt Brewer, said, “The South Carolina Ports Authority is widely acknowledged as a primary economic engine for our great state, and we are both grateful and excited to partner with them in developing a world-class headquarters facility that they will be proud to call home for many years to come.”
The SCPA Headquarters is set to complete late 2018.
Choate Construction Company
As one of the largest general contractors in the Southeast, employee-owned Choate Construction Company considers its Reputation as its number one asset, with future success founded upon the strength of its client relationships. Choate Construction excels in both base and interior construction with office locations in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Savannah. Choate strives to lead the industry in financially viable, functional solutions and continually invests in the tools to do so, promoting advances in Safety, Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, LEED® Rating system, and Risk Mitigation. Please visit www.choateco.com for more information.
About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state’s General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston, Georgetown and Greer. In 2015 SCPA handled international commerce valued at more than $74 billion while receiving no direct taxpayer subsidy. An economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 187,200 statewide jobs and generate nearly $53 billion annual economic activity. Home to the Southeast’s deepest port, SCPA is the industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.
