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Construction is underway on a build-to-rent luxury townhome community on 5.5 acres in Nowell Creek Village.

Holder Properties announces a partnership with East West Partners and SilverCap Partners to develop a purpose-built rental townhome community on 5.5 acres in Nowell Creek Village. The marsh-front community will feature premier amenities and three and four-bedroom units with attached garages.

Holder Properties said in a news release that it has partnered with East West Partners to develop the project. SilverCap Partners provided majority equity for the project, with construction financing provided by Georgia Banking Co. Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group led the capital raise and debt placement process, the release stated.

The project is the latest phase of Holder’s broader development plans at Nowell Creek Village on Daniel Island. Holder Properties purchased the 36-acre site between Nowell Creek and Beresford Creek in 2019 and set out to create a mixed-use community surrounded by the natural environment.

The waterfront community is currently home to Marshside, a Class A office building owned and managed by Holder, as well as a 320-unit multifamily project under construction by Middle Street Partners. Boutique retail, as well as a community park and dock, are in the planning and permitting phases, the release stated.

“We’ve owned this land for nearly five years and have been intentional about its purpose and our partners,” Will Menkes, president of Holder Properties, said in the release. “Limited residential inventory, coupled with high demand to live on Daniel Island, has created a strong need for purposefully built rental homes that provide access to the island’s great schools and amenities. The ability to move this project forward in today’s challenging macroeconomic environment speaks volumes about the merits of this project and the team assembled to bring it to life.”

East West Partners is a luxury developer “devoted to supporting high-quality real estate and lifestyle experiences.” On Daniel Island, they also developed The Waterfront, a luxury 22-acre community featuring residences, retail and community amenities.

“This new townhome community within Nowell Creek Village represents an incredible opportunity for East West Partners to expand our portfolio into the build-to-rent market and continue addressing the demand for luxury residences on Daniel Island,” East West Partners Managing Partner Miller Harper said in the release. “With interest in the lifestyle that Daniel Island affords at an all-time high, we are excited to bring to market a project that aligns with our values of offering high-quality real estate with a focus on community.”

The first units are expected to be ready in spring 2025, the release said.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of George “Ryan” Butler on March 25, 2024. Born on Dec. 19, 1974, Ryan’s early years were spent in Medford, New Jersey. His adventurous spirit and boundless love found its home on Daniel Island with his beloved wife and children, where they lived for the last 19 years, following a move from Atlanta.

Ryan leaves behind his loving wife, Jenny, of 23 years; his whole world, daughter Ella and son Jackson “Banks;” his mother Jean; his siblings, Carole, Jackie, Kathy and JD; and his adoring nieces and nephew. His familial bond, woven with love, laughter, and countless memories, remains unbroken.

Ryan was a proud graduate of Shawnee High School and Bowling Green State University. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity while at Bowling Green and his Beta brothers were a second family. Ryan’s passion for home building was kindled by his father Jack, who was also a home builder. His illustrious career began with John Weiland Homes and Neighborhoods, before founding Shelter Custom-Built Living in 2013.

Under his leadership, Shelter garnered multiple “Prism Awards” and also became the first builder in South Carolina featured on the “Today’s Builder” television show, a testament to Ryan’s vision and dedication.

Ryan’s true legacy lies in both his professional accomplishments and the warmth and love he shared with his family and friends. Ryan was a natural athlete in all sports he tried. He was an avid ice hockey and soccer player growing up and an outdoors enthusiast.

His happiest moments were spent in nature, whether running, surfing, or simply enjoying the company of his loved ones under the open sky.

Ryan’s compassionate spirit, characterized by his easy smile, infectious laugh, and timeless adoration for his family, forged bonds that transcend his passing. His zest for life, evident in his love for music, adventurous tasting of new beers, and the simple pleasure of companionship, will forever echo in the hearts of those he touched.

As we say goodbye to Ryan, let us honor his memory by embracing the beauty in everyday moments, the strength in togetherness, and the joy in love shared. His legacy of kindness, resilience, compassionate spirit, great faith and unwavering affection will continue to inspire and guide us.

In remembrance of Ryan, a celebration of his life was held on April 5 at the Daniel Island Club.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Ryan Butler Memorial Fund at any Synovus Bank.

Farewell Ryan, until we meet again. Your light shines on in the lives you’ve gracefully touched.

- provided by the family

DANIEL ISLAND — A restaurant that has been a fixture on Daniel Island for more than two decades will serve its last customers this month.

Laura Alberts Tasteful Options, opened by Laura Leppert and Karen Elsey in 2002, will permanently close March 15.

The mother-daughter duo has sold the 891 Island Park Drive building the daytime restaurant calls home, Elsey said in an email response to The Post and Courier.

“She and I have appreciated the support and patronage the tri-county area has shown our little restaurant on Daniel Island,” Elsey said. “We've enjoyed becoming a part of families’ celebrations and special events, along with supporting local corporations with yummy fare for their business meetings.”

Both native Charlestonians, Elsey and Leppert had the foresight to purchase property and build a 5,000-square-foot building approximately five years after Daniel Island launched development.

Embracing their love of wine and their heritage of Lowcountry cooking, they set out to establish a small lunch café, naming the restaurant after Laura and her late husband, Albert.

In the years since its opening, Laura Alberts became a community gathering place with its Monday through Saturday lunch and Wednesdays-only dinner offerings. The menu includes Southern-inspired sandwiches and entrées like fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, pan-seared mahi and a blackened tuna BLT, among many other options.

A new tenant for the Daniel Island restaurant space has not been announced.

A restaurant that opened with an Indian menu of tandoori masala-spiced quail and country captain tikka has changed its culinary tune under new executive chef Damian Sandoval.

Born in Mexico and raised in Chicago, the former Xiao Bao Biscuit and Obstinate Daughter chef’s recently launched offering is billed as “modern American.”

Like many of the country’s top restaurants claiming that same style, Coterie now relies on a mashup of global cuisines at 17 Warren St., where Italian restaurant Pan e Vino previously served.

There are pork-filled wontons charged by a spicy soy glaze, and scallop ceviche with serrano chiles, lime, orange, radish, tarragon and a heavy hit of fennel. Mashed potatoes — served underneath jaggery- and tamari-sauced steak — are infused with kimchi Sandoval makes in-house.

Paired with owner Jeremy Buck’s inventive cocktail menu, Coterie 2.0 is all over the map. In this case, that’s the intended approach.

When Buck and his wife, Jital Vaghela, first opened Coterie, they teamed up with Viraj Borkar to create a menu that bridged Indian and Southern cuisine. The one-time Rasika culinary director developed recipes for appam, paratha and other Indian-inspired plates that multiple Coterie chefs executed over three years at the Charleston restaurant.

Issues with the menu didn’t lead to the recent change, Buck said. It was Sandoval, who Buck and Vaghela invited into Coterie to prepare a few dishes one day last summer.

During the restaurant’s version of a job interview, Sandoval riffed on three Coterie classics, showcasing the finesse of a chef who cooked in prestigious Chicago kitchens like North Pond before coming to the Holy City. The two Mexican street food bites he served gave the Coterie owners a glimpse at Sandoval’s culinary perspective.

“We basically decided right there,” Buck said.

The couple didn’t just give Sandoval the job; they offered him the freedom to build his own menu, which the restaurant unveiled in January.

With shareable small and large plates, sides and desserts, Coterie specializes in options like rice noodles with five spice caramel sauce and a baby kale, radish and turnip salad, placed on bread like a souped-up avocado toast. Smoked feta lends creamy, earthy notes to the sourdough toast, which shares the crumbled Mediterranean cheese with another colorful Coterie plate.

Huaraches — prevalent in Mexico but rarely served at Mexican restaurants in the U.S. — consist of flat, oval-shaped masa and a layer of toppings. The shape is meant to mimic the sole of a Mexican sandal, or huarache.

Sandoval makes his own, mixing heirloom corn flour with salt and a blend of oils to make the huarache base, which rests for 30 minutes before being rolled into the sandal shape.

He trades the traditional topping of beans, meat and salsa for a combination of smoked feta, crispy rice noodles and chicken that’s shredded and paired with chipotles to make what’s called tinga. It’s served with sambal, crafted with the same Fresno chiles that add a bright pop of color as a garnish topping the mildly spiced fork-and-knife dish.

The flight from Mexico to Asia is a short one at Coterie, where curry — a staple of not just Indian food but also Jamaican, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Malaysian and other global cuisines — still finds its way onto the menu.

Those who dine inside or, better yet, on Coterie’s outdoor oasis of a patio might find themselves with a forkful of palak lamb one moment and a pile of Thai-influenced pork belly yellow curry the next. The latter had us scooping up spoonful after spoonful of soft white rice, cooked so that each grain holds its form while soaking up the fragrant coconut milk-fattened sauce.

Food

When Coterie opened in 2021, Buck said the restaurant’s name — defined as a small group of people with shared interests — would drive the concept. He wanted the space, which operates as pop-up coffee shop Idle Hands during the day, to constantly evolve and “have a lot of influences in one place,” he told me after the opening.

With Mexican, Korean, Indian, Thai, Latin American and other cuisines dotting the menu, that ethos holds true today, one of the reasons Buck did not feel the need to change the restaurant’s name when Sandoval took over.

Some diners might expect to find traditional steaks, pastas and potatoes when they see that Coterie is a “modern American” restaurant; not ribs with chamoy, Chinese broccoli and cardamom vanilla cake. But this melting pot of flavors is American to Sandoval, an immigrant chef who grew up in a large, diverse U.S. city.

“It’s nice to just have that diversity on the same table,” said Sandoval, who has worked in restaurants since he was 17. “I think it’s fun for people.”

Coterie opens for dinner at 5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit coteriechs.com.

Food

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DANIEL ISLAND — When John and Brenda Haire first moved to South Carolina in 2009, they lived on Daniel Island. Fifteen years later, the couple will open a restaurant in this part of Charleston, one of the fastest growing in the area.

Taking over the space that for the last 22 years housed Laura Alberts Tasteful Options, Heavy’s Barburger will open this summer, John Haire told The Post and Courier. The Haires finalized the purchase of the building at 891 Island Park Drive just three days after Laura Alberts permanently closed on March 15.

“Our friend base is still centered here on Daniel Island,” John Haire said. “I think it’s ready for something like us.”

Heavy’s original location opened in 2022 in the 1137 Morrison Drive space previously occupied by The Tattooed Moose. It’s named after John Haire’s grandfather, who was fondly referred to as "Heavy" by family members and friends in his hometown in Florida.

Heavy’s menu features chicken wings, a chili dog, crinkle-cut french fries and the restaurant’s namesake burger featuring two smashed patties, American cheese, sliced tomato, red onion, lettuce, pickles and “Heavy’s sauce.” The Daniel Island menu will mirror that of the original with a few new additions, Haire said.

A restaurant that opened with an Indian menu of tandoori masala-spiced quail and country captain tikka has changed its culinary tune under new executive chef Damian Sandoval.

Born in Mexico and raised in Chicago, the former Xiao Bao Biscuit and Obstinate Daughter chef’s recently launched offering is billed as “modern American.”

Like many of the country’s top restaurants claiming that same style, Coterie now relies on a mashup of global cuisines at 17 Warren St., where Italian restaurant Pan e Vino previously served.

There are pork-filled wontons charged by a spicy soy glaze, and scallop ceviche with serrano chiles, lime, orange, radish, tarragon and a heavy hit of fennel. Mashed potatoes — served underneath jaggery- and tamari-sauced steak — are infused with kimchi Sandoval makes in-house.

Paired with owner Jeremy Buck’s inventive cocktail menu, Coterie 2.0 is all over the map. In this case, that’s the intended approach.

When Buck and his wife, Jital Vaghela, first opened Coterie, they teamed up with Viraj Borkar to create a menu that bridged Indian and Southern cuisine. The one-time Rasika culinary director developed recipes for appam, paratha and other Indian-inspired plates that multiple Coterie chefs executed over three years at the Charleston restaurant.

Issues with the menu didn’t lead to the recent change, Buck said. It was Sandoval, who Buck and Vaghela invited into Coterie to prepare a few dishes one day last summer.

During the restaurant’s version of a job interview, Sandoval riffed on three Coterie classics, showcasing the finesse of a chef who cooked in prestigious Chicago kitchens like North Pond before coming to the Holy City. The two Mexican street food bites he served gave the Coterie owners a glimpse at Sandoval’s culinary perspective.

“We basically decided right there,” Buck said.

The couple didn’t just give Sandoval the job; they offered him the freedom to build his own menu, which the restaurant unveiled in January.

With shareable small and large plates, sides and desserts, Coterie specializes in options like rice noodles with five spice caramel sauce and a baby kale, radish and turnip salad, placed on bread like a souped-up avocado toast. Smoked feta lends creamy, earthy notes to the sourdough toast, which shares the crumbled Mediterranean cheese with another colorful Coterie plate.

Huaraches — prevalent in Mexico but rarely served at Mexican restaurants in the U.S. — consist of flat, oval-shaped masa and a layer of toppings. The shape is meant to mimic the sole of a Mexican sandal, or huarache.

Sandoval makes his own, mixing heirloom corn flour with salt and a blend of oils to make the huarache base, which rests for 30 minutes before being rolled into the sandal shape.

He trades the traditional topping of beans, meat and salsa for a combination of smoked feta, crispy rice noodles and chicken that’s shredded and paired with chipotles to make what’s called tinga. It’s served with sambal, crafted with the same Fresno chiles that add a bright pop of color as a garnish topping the mildly spiced fork-and-knife dish.

The flight from Mexico to Asia is a short one at Coterie, where curry — a staple of not just Indian food but also Jamaican, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Malaysian and other global cuisines — still finds its way onto the menu.

Those who dine inside or, better yet, on Coterie’s outdoor oasis of a patio might find themselves with a forkful of palak lamb one moment and a pile of Thai-influenced pork belly yellow curry the next. The latter had us scooping up spoonful after spoonful of soft white rice, cooked so that each grain holds its form while soaking up the fragrant coconut milk-fattened sauce.

Food

When Coterie opened in 2021, Buck said the restaurant’s name — defined as a small group of people with shared interests — would drive the concept. He wanted the space, which operates as pop-up coffee shop Idle Hands during the day, to constantly evolve and “have a lot of influences in one place,” he told me after the opening.

With Mexican, Korean, Indian, Thai, Latin American and other cuisines dotting the menu, that ethos holds true today, one of the reasons Buck did not feel the need to change the restaurant’s name when Sandoval took over.

Some diners might expect to find traditional steaks, pastas and potatoes when they see that Coterie is a “modern American” restaurant; not ribs with chamoy, Chinese broccoli and cardamom vanilla cake. But this melting pot of flavors is American to Sandoval, an immigrant chef who grew up in a large, diverse U.S. city.

“It’s nice to just have that diversity on the same table,” said Sandoval, who has worked in restaurants since he was 17. “I think it’s fun for people.”

Coterie opens for dinner at 5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit coteriechs.com.

Food

We publish our free Food & Dining newsletter every Wednesday at 10 a.m. to keep you informed on everything happening in the Charleston culinary scene. Sign up today!

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Berkeley County Council allocated $100,000 to Daniel Island School and it’s all thanks to a group of students advocating for their classmates.

When eighth-grader Emily Hughes was elected as student council president, she knew she wanted to make a difference at her school. She said in years past, student council members were not able to turn their ideas into a reality, but she wanted to change that.

“This year I think we can actually get something and get it done,” Hughes said.

With the help of sixth-grade vice president Keegan McGivern and fifth-grade members Sara Whitley and Olive Abney, they were able to do just that. The student council got together and jotted down ideas that they wanted to implicate. Hughes said that Abney noticed a classmate who was unable to use the playground equipment at recess due to a physical disability, so he spent his recess reading inside. Hughes said it saddened her that recess was not something he enjoyed in the same way she was able to.

“It was upsetting because we could all use it. I loved playgrounds, like my whole life. And whenever other students can’t enjoy it the same way, we just want them to be included too,” she said.

Together, the student council decided that they wanted to create an inclusive playground. They knew this would be an expensive endeavor, so they first teamed up with their school’s Beta Club members to host a Valentine’s Day-themed fundraiser. Through that, they were able to raise $588, but these students were ambitious. They wanted to take it a step further.

The students got together again to propose a letter to Berkeley County Council. Less than a week after the letter was submitted, the council invited the students to speak at Monday’s council meeting.

“It all happened really fast,” Hughes said.

Hughes took to the podium to share their ideas with the council members. She told them how they didn’t want any students to be left out at recess anymore. District 2 Councilman and Finance Committee Chair Josh Whitley made a motion to allocate $100,000 to the school to get this new, accessible equipment. The motion passed unanimously, and the students received high praise from Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb for their efforts.

“We were all so amazed and excited. It was really exciting and fun,” Hughes said with a grin on her face.

The students’ principals and staff could not have been prouder. The actions of these students hit home for Assistant Principal Jay Burnsworth.

“The biggest thing for me is, and it makes me really emotional in a lot of ways, is that my own son has special needs. And at the end of the day, these kids are doing it for everyone, for the community - not just Daniel Island School, but everyone,” Burnsworth said. “As a father, as an administrator, friend, dad, everybody, I’m just really proud of these kids.”

Once the playground is open, it will be open to the entire community, not just the students of the school.

Burnsworth was not the only one beaming with pride for these four kids. Principal Laura Blanchard shared her praises.

“We just thought it was great that our students recognized that need and wanted all of their friends to be able to play alongside them to the point that they would take action in the way that they did,” she said.

Blanchard and Burnsworth think that the playground will be an incredible physical reminder to the children, for many years to come, that they were able to make a difference.

“It’s really neat to see them empowered in that way. And it’s such a good and positive way,” Blanchard said.

She shared that this was a wonderful learning experience for these kids.

“They learned from the adults in their community that they have a voice. And that we are going to come alongside them and help put feet to their dreams,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard and Burnsworth said that they are already working on initiating the process. They emphasized that they want the students to be fully involved every step of the way. While they are working on the design process, they plan to take the students to different accessible playgrounds in the area so that they can get some ideas. Blanchard said that this is the children’s space, and she wants it to be representative of them, so they should be the ones to decide what is needed.

Hughes expressed some ideas she already had. She said that she would love to have rubber flooring to make wheelchair access easier. She would also love to have wheelchair-accessible swings put in. They also plan to add a sensory garden to the community garden that already exists.

Hughes said she is excited about the next steps.

“We all thought there was space to grow in this area,” she said. “This is something important that needs to happen. So, it was worth it.”

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