Roper rolls out hospital plans for Berkeley County

Roper St. Francis Healthcare announced plans last week to seek state approval to build a 50-bed full-service hospital in the fast-growing Carnes Crossroads area in lower Berkeley County. Construction on the two-and-a-half-year project is expected to begin in 2010.

Roper said the county, with 155,000 residents, is the ninth largest in the state and is one of five without a full-service hospital. The new 24-hour facility will not add any new beds to Roper's local health care network.

Instead, the nonprofit wants to transfer 50 existing beds from its downtown hospital to the Carnes Crossroads site, said Chief Executive Officer David Dunlap.

Its announcement follows that of rival health-care provider Trident Health System, which last month filed paperwork seeking permission to build a $115 million, 50-bed hospital in Moncks Corner.

Bank CEO to retire

One of South Carolina's most influential bankers is retiring at the end of 2008, punctuating what has been a tumultuous year for the company he built over the past two decades.

Mack I. Whittle Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of The South Financial Group Inc., said he plans to remain a director of the Upstate-based bank owner until 2011.

It's been a trying year for Whittle, 59, and for investors of South Financial, which has been battered by sharp losses stemming primarily from troubled real estate loans it made in Florida.

Making the cut

The new owners of ailing retailer Steve & Barry's will keep the North Charleston location but is shutting more than 100 other stores, including several in South Carolina.

The chain was recently purchased out of bankruptcy by BH S&B Holdings, an affiliate of investment firms Bay Harbour Management and York Capital Management

The new owners plan to downsize the chain, keeping only 170 of the 276 pre-bankruptcy locations and shuttering the rest.

The North Charleston store at 5101 Ashley Phosphate Road will remain open.

Hotelier: Big impact

Nearly $1.4 million in town impact fees are a "serious deterrent" to a $56 million multihotel project proposed for Mount Pleasant, said Sam Fowler, founder and managing member of Fowler Hospitality LLC.

Town council's Economic Development Committee indicated a willingness to consider giving him some relief, but made no decision.

The project would bring three lodgings with a combined 385 rooms to an area between Patriots Point and the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.