New Charleston Development Will Boast City's Tallest Office Building
The oldest city in South Carolina, and one of the country's most historic, has a new structure that lays claim to the title of the “city's tallest office building." By local standards, the eight-story edifice is mighty high.
Gateway Development Services and Boston-based ELV Associates recently put the finishing touches on 22 WestEdge, a 160,000-square-foot, five-star office building overlooking the Ashley River in central Charleston. Other project partners include Trident Construction, a local general contractor; architecture firm Perkins & Will; Thomas and Hutton, civil engineers; and Lee & Associates, marketing and leasing agents. The project will deliver in March 2020.
"With its access to parking, numerous retail amenities and an urban density of residential opportunities for employees, the building will be a new and exciting option for existing Charleston businesses and those looking to relocate to the region," says Mack Reese, managing partner of Gateway Ventures.
Reese explains that many design elements, from the exterior facade to the lobby, were inspired by recently built office buildings in Boston and San Francisco. “All of these attributes make it unique to Charleston and, frankly, any market," he says. “ With its 100% glass curtain walls, it will be the most architecturally striking building in Charleston."
The 22 WestEdge building is part of a mixed-use district that will encompass more than 3 million square feet of space on 60 acres along the Ashley River. The entire project is expected to generate $1 billion worth of investment in the area.
The WestEdge project includes office buildings, parks, athletic fields, schools, stadiums, hotels, research hospitals and universities. The neighborhood is surrounded by the Medical University of South Carolina, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, the College of Charleston and The Citadel.
The developers envision a research and discovery district that is livable, accessible and connected. The plan includes design and public access elements intended to create a walkable community. The main street through the district will include a supermarket, shops, restaurants and outdoor cafes.
The new building at 22 WestEdge is one piece of the puzzle. It was designed to attract tenants ranging from start-ups and government agencies to large companies and university affiliates.
The goal from the start was to attract tenants from the biotechnology and life sciences industries. Already, about half of the available space in the building has been pre-leased to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA), the City of Charleston, Heritage Trust and the WestEdge Foundation.
"SCRA's leasing of the entire top floor of 22 WestEdge will allow us to create a world-class facility, including laboratories, which will serve as a catalyst for the attraction of leading life sciences companies and the creation of a Discovery District adjacent to MUSC," says Bob Quinn, executive director of the research group.
"It's no secret that biomedical advances will be a key driver of our economy and society in the years ahead," adds Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. "With office space dedicated to precisely the kind of research and enterprise that will help make those breakthroughs possible, 22 WestEdge is a welcome and important addition to our city's medical district."
The top floor of the building combines stunning views with all the amenities needed for research and development. Labs with fume hoods, external exhaust systems and even a clean room were included in the initial build-out.
Tall, 13-foot ceilings will facilitate customized office and lab designs that include exposed ceilings, loft ceilings, or suspended acoustical ceilings with ample plenum space. In addition to state-of-the-art MEP systems, the building also has a 450 KW gas-fired emergency generator. WestEdge also is LEED-certified and offers high-speed data infrastructure.
The 7th floor includes The Harbor Club, a full service dining, event and meeting facility, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the Ashley River. In addition to three high-speed passenger elevators, the building is outfitted with a freight/swing elevator and a loading dock. Parking is available in the adjacent 10 WestEdge garage, which offers 465 covered spaces.
The street level space is designed to accommodate cafes, restaurants and retail totaling about 15,000 square feet. A network of pedestrian, bike and auto cross connections will also link the city's West Side community to the waterfront at Brittlebank Park.
According to CoStar data, asking rents for office space in 22 WestEdge begin at $39.50 per square foot, and $42/NNN for retail space.
