Gregorie Ferry Landing: New smoke-free apartment homes lend neighborly touch to upper Mount Pleasant

By JIM PARKER

The Post and Courier

Leasing activity this year at one rental village east of the Cooper was so furious that backers resorted to describing the rush in sports phrases.

“This has been a full-on sprint,” says Dana Faith-Page, community manager for Greystar at Gregorie Ferry Landing.

Adds Tony Berry, principal with Rock Hill-based developer Berry & Co., “They have a full court press.”

Whatever the terminology, Gregorie Ferry Landing has attracted scores of tenants since rentals launched in April. The community is based just north of S.C. Highway 41 and west of U.S. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant.

“We are 80 percent leased,” Faith-Page says. “What they have done in the last 90-120 days is nothing short of miraculous,” Berry says.

For sure, the East Cooper area hasn’t seen many new apartment home ventures constructed in the past few years. Still, the interest in Gregorie Ferry Landing likely also stems from its top-of-the-line features.

They include:

• A smoke-free environment, which may be a first for apartment communities in the Charleston area. Faith-Page says she got the idea after visiting a Greystar smoke-free complex in Raleigh. In her 25-year career, she has noticed how often smoke bothers people. “It’s extremely exciting to be on board from the get-go,” she says.

• Top-end standard features such as washers and dryers in apartment homes, elevators in all the buildings and controlled access throughout the dwellings. Tenants receive special keys for their apartments, and guests call in and are buzzed through gates to the units. Inside the units, occupants can check a camera to make sure, for instance, that the pizza delivery guy who just buzzed in is really that guy. In addition, the community is gated from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.

• Residences are EnergyStar certified for their low power use, Berry says, noting that electricity savings are up to $160 a year per unit.

• An amenities package that includes swimming pool with oversized sundeck, outdoor lounge with fireside seating and stainless grilling stations; dog park; 24-hour “wellness” center; gaming and billiards room; cyber café; and car wash. The fitness center and billiards room are in one of the apartment buildings and can be accessed by tenants with their key.

Gregorie Ferry Landing offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes priced from $920 to $1,520 and sized from 634 to 1,389 square feet.

The three-bedroom Palmetto has been most popular, she says. One-bedroom options are the Sweetgrass studio apartment and the Long Pine. The two-bedroom choice is the Bulrush.

Upgrades are available. First floor apartment homes are $30 extra, top floor is $20 more and a wooded view is an extra $10. Garages can be leased for $125 to $135, and controlled storage is $30.

Gregorie Ferry Landing consists of four buildings with 57 apartment homes in two structures and 63 units in the other two. The layout, where buildings ring the community and parking and amenities are in the middle, tends to bring people together, backers say.

The development also has 11,000 square feet of commercial space on nine acres. Uses are being planned, Berry says. The developer has worked closely with the town of Mount Pleasant on including the area’s iconic sweetgrass basket vendors, he says. A main road into Gregorie Ferry Landing is Winnowing Way, named for a technique used in preparing sweetgrass to craft baskets.

As evidenced by license plates in the parking lot, many of the tenants just moved from out of state. “We have a very active Facebook page,” Faith-Page says, noting that it keeps tenants informed and communicating.

“The feel of the community is really well received,” she says.

The apartment village is just north of the Highway 41 turnoff from U.S. 17. Heading north, take Highway 17 through town, passing the Interstate 526 onramps and the Isle of Palms Connector. Turn left on Highway 41 and take the first right. Traveling south on Highway 17, turn right on Gregorie Ferry Road just before the Highway 41 intersection.

For more information, call 843-225-7515 or visit www.GregorieFerryApts.com.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com.