SUMMERVILLE, SC – A new walkable community designed to better connect residents with the fun they want and services they need will be anchored by a major healthcare system.
Sawmill will be a mixed-use development in the heart of Summerville, SC where residents can live, work, shop, and play. The project is currently underway, with 57 acres of land cleared at the corner of Berlin Myers Pkwy and Highway 78.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare plans to construct a two-story medical office building at the prominent corner location, and will offer a variety of outpatient services by 2025. The non-profit healthcare system with award-winning physicians is the first tenant to be announced in this centrally located development. Construction will begin on the 40,000-square-foot in 2023.
“Roper St. Francis Healthcare is determined to provide residents in and around Summerville with a wide variety of services to keep them healthy and thriving while being convenient to their homes and workplaces,” said Dr. Jeffrey DiLisi, president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare. “Three years ago, we opened a new hospital down the road and have steadily added healthcare services because the residents of Summerville want our high-quality, compassionate care that’s easy to access.”
Providing medical services to residents in Dorchester and Berkeley counties is a crucial part of Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s ambitious strategic plan centered on caring for more patients and better serving future generations. The Sawmill medical office building with outpatient services will be one mile from Roper St. Francis Express Care on Main Street in Summerville and about six miles from Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital in the Carnes Crossroads community.
The Sawmill property plays perfectly into this strategic growth plan. The development will offer 474 multi-family units with ample green space in close proximity to the Sawmill Branch Trail and downtown Summerville. In addition, the development will feature offices, retail, restaurants, banks, service amenities, and transit solutions.
“Sawmill will help the local government better respond to the growing demand for walkable, vibrant communities with convenient transit linkages, proximity to jobs and access to nearby public services,” said Milton Thomas, Managing Principal at Lee & Associates Charleston, and the lead developer for the project. “We want this property to provide a connected, community-oriented environment where people can live, convene and enjoy.”
The Town of Summerville and Mayor Riky Waring are also enthusiastic about the possibilities it brings.
“The Sawmill development responds to the growing demand for walkable, vibrant communities with proximity to jobs, and access to nearby public services and destinations,” said Waring.
“I’m proud of the work that’s been done to preserve what we can while adding to our town.”