2 contractors hired for Neck project

Magnolia Development has finally picked two general contractors to start work on its 126-acre mixed-use revitalization project in the Charleston Neck area.

Locally based Gulf Stream Construction Co. will coordinate road improvements at the site's southern end by adding sidewalks, traffic signals and landscaping details to existing arteries, such as Mechanic Street and Heriot Street.

Meanwhile, Republic Contracting Corp. of Columbia will start building a 1,400-foot bridge over marshland that will connect the proposed community's southern end with entrances to U.S. Interstate 26.

The work is expected to begin next month.

Magnolia executives also are making good on their promise to help boost work for minority-owned companies.

Each contractor will be required to hire 18 percent of minority-owned subcontracters to complete the work. The gesture was first suggested by the City of Charleston.

Head count

It's no secret that some real estate agents, amid the muddled market, have quietly switched careers.

Statistics from the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors show an fairly consistent drop in home sales of about 30 percent compared to last year, leaving workers in all facets of the real estate industry with less to do.

The number of members at the local association has slipped off too, but not nearly as dramatically as sales, said Sara Perry, chief operating officer.

At last count, the association saw a 4 percent drop in membership compared to the year before, putting current enrollment at about 4,500, she said.

Perry said her organization wasn't caught off guard by the decline, and that it budgeted for even more members to leave. As a result, the group hasn't had to cut back on services or increase fees.

"Even if we do see (a big) drop, we're not going to change our level of service because the ones who are still participating need us even more," she said.

The latest numbers from the South Carolina Department of Licensing, Labor and Regulation don't match the Charleston area trend. At the end of the department's last fiscal year, a total of 24,202 agents were listed as "active" sales representatives.

That tops the previous year's total of 20,343 by 19 percent, which is one of the largest year-over-year increases ever recorded. The numbers could show that, while some agents are pursuing other careers, they are still keeping that selling license active for a rainy day, or perhaps more accurately, for a sunny day.

Reach Katy Stech at 937-5549 or kstech@postandcourier.com.