Real estate developer breaks ground on $300 million Patriots Point project

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - The Patriots Point Development Authority Board and Bennett Hospitality hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday to mark the start of a five-phase, 15-year development project.

The Patriots Annex project is a $300 million development that will include three hotels, restaurants, entertainment, shops, three office buildings, parks and an amphitheater. Developers estimate initial construction and submitting of remaining plans will start in fall 2023.

The project was approved five years ago by state supervisors. After the initial approval, Michael Bennett of Bennett Hospitality and his team began planning the development.

“I’m born and raised in Charleston and when Patriots Point presented the opportunity for me to help develop this property, just as a personal Charlestonian, I was very, very excited to think I could do something that was beautiful, and also help Patriots Point,” Bennett said. “It was a very natural fit for me.”

The largest hotel, the Grand Patriot, will sit towards the back of the property at 250 rooms. The other two hotels will have 100 to 150 rooms.

Gov. Henry McMaster was also at the groundbreaking alongside other state and Lowcountry government officials.

“This project is going to be wonderful [at] the Patriots Point Naval and US Maritime Museum,” McMaster said. “We’re going up. Tourism is a $24 billion business in South Carolina. So that is why we’re thriving. And I promise you, we’re going to keep on thriving.”

Bennett and McMaster said the development will establish hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue. By using the land near the USS Yorktown, the money will help maintain the ships and aircraft located on Patriots Point.

“It is going to be a huge economic impact for not only Mount Pleasant, but for the entire Lowcountry in the state of South Carolina,” Bennett said. “There will be hundreds and hundreds of jobs that will afford local people to be able to work here and as well as welcomed visitors to come here.”

The first step in construction is to move the visitor parking lot due to much of the proposed development being built on that land. A new parking lot will be moved to accommodate visitors and tourists.

The project will take about 15 years with five phases to complete.

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