March 30, 2011--Leroy Burnell // The Post and Courier

A proposed 92-room hotel at Patriots Point would sit to the right of the existing hotel, in front of the marina.

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MOUNT PLEASANT -- The minds behind the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina plan to build a second, more luxurious hotel at Patriots Point with cabanas and terraces to show off one of the area's most captivating views.

As one landscape architect said, "There won't be another hotel in Charleston with the amenities this has."

Kenny Seamon of Seamon Whiteside and Associates, a consultant to developer Brothers Property Management, described a pool complex with a view of historic downtown, an outdoor bar with fireplaces and a spa.

The 92-room property would sit to the right of the existing hotel, in front of the marina.

Patriots Point's board of directors on Tuesday gave the first nod of approval for the project by passing a resolution during a special meeting.

The resolution allows hotel construction at the proposed location, adjusts setbacks and changes zoning to grant a height of 80 feet, where current zoning allows a height of only 62 feet.

The proposal now must receive approval from Mount Pleasant's Planning Commission, Planning Committee of Council and Town Council.

Developers hope to break ground on the project this fall and to open in March 2013.

Mount Pleasant Mayor Billy Swails, a member of Patriots Point's board, said the proposal meets the best interest of the town and Patriots Point's redevelopment effort, for which discussion has included everything from 2,000 residential units to a Washington-style "mall."

"This is what we want over here," Swails said, adding that commercial development proves a better fit for the land than condominiums.

The plan includes about 7 acres and calls for three pool spaces -- a main area with more than 200 lounge chairs, a tiki bar with an events lawn and an adult pool.

A breezeway divides the building in half, and another breezeway connects it with the existing hotel, which has 130 rooms.

Patriots Point board member Lanneau Siegling noted that some people might think the hotel needs more than 92 rooms, and that some might favor a parking garage instead of a lot with 170 to 180 spaces on the prime, waterfront land.

Patriots Point Chairman Ray Chandler noted that the "plans are embryonic until they go to zoning."

Developers estimate that the layers of town approval will take several months.

Oliver Rooskens, manager of the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, said the new location will include a fitness center, a restaurant and a rooftop bar, and "would create a destination resort" with a higher price point.

One management team would handle the proposed hotel and the existing site.

Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594.

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