Tides On Charleston Harbor

Mount Pleasant , South Carolina

Two years after the gleaming new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge opened for business, carrying vehicles, walkers and bicyclers between Charleston and Mount Pleasant, the massive structure began casting its considerable shadow across the area’s most impressive condominium complex.

In the summer of 2007, residents began moving into the first of three six-story buildings that make up Tides on Charleston Harbor, which was built to blend seamlessly with the contemporary lines of the nearby bridge while at the same time adhering to Charleston’s time-honored architectural standards. As the end of the year neared, Building Two residents prepared for their much-anticipated move to their new home. It would have been difficult to find a more suitable spot for the most expensive condo complex ever constructed in the Charleston area.

Tides, located at the base of the bridge in Mount Pleasant, offers magnificent views of the Wando and Cooper Rivers and Charleston Harbor. It’s within easy driving distance of the beaches at Sullivan’s Island and the Isle of Palms and of downtown Charleston. You can even walk or pedal to the heart of the Holy City; a trail leads from the complex to the bike lane of the bridge.

Other pluses include a waterfront park, which will be built next door by the city of Mount Pleasant and include a 1,250-foot fishing pier, and the Tides Club and Fitness Center, which offers cutting-edge exercise equipment, a sauna, a steam and massage room, a therapeutic whirlpool and a juice bar. A curvilinear pool, patterned after those at Caribbean resorts, features a sloping beach entry.

The most impressive thing about Tides, though, is its rock-solid construction, according to Peggy Trenker and Kitti Mullins, brokers with Properties of the Carolinas. “They were built like no other condominiums in the Charleston area,” Peggy comments, pointing out that soundproofing was attained through the use of eight-inch concrete floors, suspended ceilings and dual wall systems. She says the buildings were constructed to withstand both wind and moisture with an architectural cast-stone exterior and curtain-wall system. In addition, impact glass and a support system consisting of more than 750 concrete pilings buried more than 60 feet in the ground provide the basis for top-of-the-line Lowcountry construction.

Kitti points out that the entire complex will be ready for occupancy by spring 2008 and that units are still available for sale in all three buildings. Condominiums ranging in size from 1,240 square feet to 3,775 square feet are selling from the $650,000s to more than $3.5 million. Some buyers have purchased more than one unit, combining them to create homes of nearly 4,500 square feet. “Tides is almost like an oasis,” Peggy comments. “It has 80 acres of marsh front owned by the homeowners association, a magnificent amenities center, stunning architecture, luxurious appointments and incredible views.”