Latest Update: October 1, 2025

The Furman Co. will hold their community meeting on October 15, 2025. Public input during this meeting will be compiled. 

The project would then undergo the Town’s Design Review Board conceptual review, during which the conceptual site plan and building elevations are reviewed by the Board. No vote is taken at the conceptual review level.  

Following conceptual review, the County could then submit for preliminary review, which includes a more detailed site plan and civil drawings and more detailed elevations, renderings, and materials.  The Town’s Design Review Board does take a vote for preliminary approval at this meeting.  

If preliminary approval is granted, then the applicant would then submit for final review.  If preliminary approval is denied, then the applicant would have to reapply for preliminary review again.  

Final review requires a final detailed site plan and civil drawings (landscape plan, photometric plan, grading and drainage plan, utilities plan, etc.), detailed building elevations of all sides, floor plan, color rendering, material samples, and any other information that the DRB requested at the preliminary review.  

If final approval is granted, then the applicant can then apply for their Stormwater Construction Approval Permit (MS4 permit) for land disturbance and infrastructure installation.  They can also apply for a building permit; however, the building permit cannot be issued until the Stormwater Construction Approval Permit is issued.  If final approval is denied, the applicant would have to resubmit for final review and work to address the reasons given for denial.

On September 11, 2025, Town of Summerville Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to amend the Town’s Unified Development Ordinance to remove the 500 N Main Street property from the Town’s historic district. 

Town's Approved Ordinance

Memorandum of Understanding

On July 10, 2025, Town of Summerville Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to amend the Town’s Unified Development Ordinance to remove the 500 N Main Street property from the Town’s historic district. This followed the Town of Summerville Planning and Development Committee’s recommendation to Town Council on July 7.  The Town then held a public hearing and a recommendation from the Town’s Planning Commission, scheduled for August 18, 2025.

Link to Town’s Declaration and exhibits 

Preserving Historic Elements

On July 1, 2025, the County signed a declaration of restrictive covenants to require the developer to preserve a portion of the County Services Building, including the two-story section of the hospital, the façade of the south wing of the hospital, and grand oak trees.

Honoring Veterans and Providing Gathering Spaces

Other elements of the redevelopment include Messervy Square and the Welcome Park, which will honor those that served our county and our country while offering 0.8 acres of green space and open space for the community. Features include:

• An Event Pavillion like Hutchison Square for public events and gatherings
• The Veterans Monument and Memorial
• The Statue of Medal of Honor Recipient, Army Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz.

County’s Response to Community Input

Dorchester County and the Furman Company have revised the Master Plan for the 500 N Main Street site based on feedback received from the community and stakeholders.

Under the revised Master Plan:

• 160 units of apartments are being replaced with a 100-key boutique hotel along West 4^th North Street which reduces the need for additional parking.
• A modern county office building will allow the county to continue to serve this community now and in the future.
• A retail building near the corner of Main Street and West 4^th North Street, which will provide dining or shopping opportunities.
• Eight to Ten single-family residence brownstones condominiums along Cedar Street, which will provide housing opportunities in downtown Summerville.
• Future Retail at the corner of Cedar Street and West 5^th North Street (Hwy 78), which will provide shopping and dining opportunities. 

Redevelopment Context

500 N. Main Street is one of the largest tracts of land (5.3 acres) in Downtown Summerville that holds a zoning designation of D-MX (Downtown Mixed-Use), and the County recognizes the potential of this site to be redeveloped with adherence to the Town's zoning regulations. The Downtown Mixed-use district permits a wide range of mixed-use buildings including the full range of housing, retail, offices, and lodging in the downtown area.

This project adheres to goals in the 2019 Dorchester County Strategic Plan which makes service delivery more efficient and promotes the development of Class A office space. As the County considers the future of its service delivery model, staff has been working to consolidate many of the county's public facilities to increase access, decrease costs, and prepare for growth. 

This effort has been underway for over four years, as evidenced by recent land and building purchases. In 2021, the County closed on the purchase of 320 Midland Parkway, a former medical facility adjacent to Summerville Medical Center, where the Dorchester Alcohol and Drug Commission was relocated. This agency was a tenant of 500 N. Main Street. In 2022, the County closed on the purchase of 1452 Boone Hill Road, a former retail facility, which is in the process of being adaptively reused to house the Health Department (currently 500 N. Main Street), DSS, and DHHS-Medicaid. 

With the inclusion of both public (Joint Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review Meeting), and stakeholder (County and Town Council, Boards, Commissions, and Non-Profits) feedback sessions held in March of 2021, the County decided to explore options that support redevelopment of a mixed-use campus that optimizes the investment of future tax revenue while contributing to the current dynamic and attractive Summerville Community. 

In order to allow greater capacity to incorporate the community’s feedback to preserve the façade of the old hospital, create a new civic park and fund improvements to the Veterans Memorial, improve Main and Cedar Streets, and provide opportunities for workforce housing, the County and the Town of Summerville worked together to remove the 500 N. Main street property from the Midtown TIF District. On September 14, 2023, Town Council passed a second reading of an ordinance that officially removed the property of the Midtown Tax Increment Financing District.  

County Council was then able to place 500 N. Main Street under a Fee in Lieu of Tax agreement which will allow fee revenues to be bonded above the value of what the TIF can provide. The County achieves several goals by providing greater flexibility to complete projects inside and outside of the TIF District. Fee revenues would support the following:

• Funding to preserve the façade of the old hospital building.
• A new civic park and improvements to the Veterans Memorial.
• An additional $8 Million in funding to DD2 schools to supplement $2 Million from the TIF.
• Provide $20 Million in funding for a Community Recreation Facility in the Summerville area.
• Provide $2 Million in additional funding for streetscaping and improvements to Main Street and Cedar Street.
• Provide credits for workforce housing for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and first responders within the multi-family development for at least 15 years.
• A modern County office building and additional Class A Office Space in the downtown area.
• Provide much needed retail and hospitality amenities in the downtown area
• Create additional parking 

500 North Main Street Redevelopment Update: May 19, 2025

At the May 19th County Council meeting, County Council approved authorizing the County Administrator to execute the third amendment to purchase agreement between Dorchester County and Dorchester Investors, LLC. As a part of the third amendment, the inspection period was extended to expire on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. 

Update: March 31, 2025

Update: October 3, 2024

The 500 North Main Street redevelopment project continues to move forward with several key updates. Most recently, on October 1, 2024, The Furman Co. will present the updated master plan to the Town of Summerville's Board of Architectural Review (BAR). This presentation marks a significant step in the approval process, reflecting the community’s vision and feedback gathered over several years. To view the submission to the BAR, click here.

In July 2024, Dorchester County staff participated in planning exercises for the design of the new County services center, which will be constructed on the 500 North Main Street site. Staff have reviewed the final programming and provided feedback. The project team is expected to begin Schematic Design soon.

Earlier this year, on March 4, 2024, County Council approved the purchase and sale agreement with Dorchester Investors, LLC, which was formally executed on March 13, 2024. Dorchester Investors, LLC is now working to secure the necessary approvals and permits from the Town of Summerville's Development Review Board.

A key financial milestone occurred on December 4, 2023, when County Council adopted the Fee in Lieu of Tax (FILOT) agreement and placed 500 North Main Street in the multi-county industrial park (MCIP). Based on an estimated investment of $96 million, the project is expected to generate $1 million annually, which can be bonded to fund various public improvement projects throughout the county, school district, and town. This bonding process will be backed by the FILOT but will not involve the full faith and credit of the County.

In terms of the project’s evolution, the first iteration of a preliminary plan was released earlier in 2023 after the County hosted stakeholder sessions in 2021 to gather public input on the future of 500 North Main Street. Additional feedback since then has shaped the updated master plan.

Master Plan Update as of October 3, 2023
Notable changes in the updated plan include the following:

• Civic Park and Veterans Memorial: A park, similar in size to the Town of Summerville's Hutchinson Square, will be located at the corner of Hwy. 78 and Main Street, featuring a Veterans Memorial.
• Preservation of Historic Elements: The hospital's historic portico will be preserved, maintaining the site's historical significance while incorporating landscape and streetscape improvements.
• Mixed-Use Space: The updated plan positions mixed-use buildings around the perimeter of the block with on-grade parking, replacing the previously proposed five-story parking deck. Additionally, the hotel component has been removed.

The County and The Furman Co. are committed to ensuring that the redevelopment of 500 North Main Street aligns with the community’s needs, providing a blend of historic preservation and modern amenities.

Project Revival Ordinances:

• Project Revival Ordinance Authorizing Fee Agreement
• Project Revival Fee Agreement

Redevelopment Updates as of September 6, 2024

Redevelopment Updates as of October 3, 2023

Comparison of Previous Rendering to the Updated Version