Marquis Station Case Study
In 2017, Cityvolve redeveloped a prominent corner on North Charleston’s historic main street. Known as Marquis Station, the 4-building complex is located at East Montague Avenue and Virginia Avenue. The project has brought new life to a once quiet and semi-industrial part of the East Montague business district.
The History
Located on 0.56 acres within North Charleston’s East Montague Business District, the property was formerly owned by Beasley Mechanical Contractors, who operated an office and fabrication shop at the location for 40+ years. Prior to that a small filling station occupied the corner of Virginia Avenue and the old Mill Inn occupied the center of the property. In 2017, Cityvolve connected with Guy and Ted Beasley. After four decades running Beasley Mechanical Contractors, they were ready to wind down their business and sell the properties.
Marquis Station was named after W.B. Marquis, the landscape architect who designed the Park Circle neighborhood in the early 1910’s. East Montague was the designated commercial area in the original 1912 plan. Designed to serve the local residential population, East Montague also served employees of the former Navy Base and the GARCO mill from the 1910’s through the 1990’s. Beginning in the 1970’s and continuing through the closure of the navy base in 1996, the area suffered years of disinvestment and neglect. Over the past 15 years, the area has benefitted from a remarkable turnaround. Today, the area is bustling with new businesses and nightlife. The City of North Charleston along with private business partners like Cityvolve have been instrumental in this success story.
The Plan
Cityvolve recognized an opportunity to renovate the existing buildings, reorienting them to the street, creating a revitalized community destination. Major modifications included adding windows and other architectural elements to enhance the curb appeal of the building. A barbed wire fence was removed that separated the property from the public right-of-way. Spaces between the buildings were reconfigured into an outdoor seating area, a retail alleyway and onsite parking spaces. After creating a project direction and concept, Cityvolve brought in The Middleton Group Architects to bring the buildings to life.
The Revitalization
All of the existing buildings on the land were revitalized and repurposed. Several new additions were incorporated expanding the total square footage to 12,500 sf. Today, the renovated buildings provide space for a dynamic mix of locally-owned businesses as explained in more detail below. A shared community courtyard provides a gathering space for patrons and tenants. The buildings open up to East Montague and provide a more pleasing streetscape along the main entrance to historic North Charleston and Park Circle.
1005 East Montague | Park Circle Athletic Club
1005 East Montague was a 5,600 sf former garage building that today, provides a new and expanded home for Park Circle Athletic Club. The large open interior, with high ceilings was ideal for PCAC’s new home. Solid Panel garage doors were replaced with glass storefront, and glass roller doors. A new mezzanine was added to expand the total size of the space.
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1011 East Montague | The Orange Spot coffeehouse
1011 East Montague is a 1,280 sf building renovated into a coffee shop for The Orange Spot Coffeehouse, formerly located on Chateau Avenue. The new location provides The Orange Spot with expanded, updated space that has become a local favorite for coffee and community. The space opens onto an outdoor tree-shaded plaza., including the addition of windows on East Montague, removal of interior load bearing walls and converting a former equipment storage yard into an outdoor community hub.
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1019 East Montague | VIP Marketing & Advertising/Craft Creative
1019 East Montague is a 1,520 sf former mechanics building that was repurposed and renovated into a Class A office space for VIP Marketing & Advertising and their subsidiary, Craft Creative. This building underwent major surgery removing metal siding and replacing it with storefront and a translucent polycarbonate wall, resulting in a light-filled space.
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1021 East Montague | Multi-Tenant Building with 5 Office and Retail Spaces
1021 East Montague includes a 2-story block building dating back to the early 1930’s and a WWII-era Quonset hut, located at the rear of the property (Additional info on the Quonset hut below). Five separate leasable spaces were created within the 4,100 sf building. The renovation involved a complete demolition of the interior with a re-built second floor structure. Major openings were cut into the building for new windows and entry doors and a new breezeway was constructed along the eastern façade. Today, the building is occupied by Park Pets, Iola Modern, Alarm Insurance and Quinlan.
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1021 East Montague Quonset Hut | Iola modern
The most unique structure at Marquis Station is a former WWII-era Quonset hut that was renovated in retail space for Iola Modern. Working with The Middleton Group and TM Taylor Construction, the team preserved the structure while adding a layer of furring and closed cell insulation to the exterior. A new corrugated metal shell was installed on the exterior while leaving the original interior, which has developed a rich industrial patina over the years.
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The Impact
After two years in operation, Marquis Station has become an indispensable part of the Park Circle community and a local business success story. Four of the seven businesses are owned by Park Circle residents. Overall, the businesses employ just over 30 people and support hundreds of residents and visitors each day. The corner of East Montague and Virginia Avenue is now a beloved anchor on the eastern edge of the bustling East Montague business district.