Evolution of an Enterprise, Chapter 8: Southern Inspiration

Oak Terrace Preserve is a radical undertaking – one that can serve as inspiration for Jason Mitchell and Michael Mardis even though it’s 1,000 miles away.

“Without a doubt, that is something that we would like to achieve in this region,” said Mitchell, co-owner of design studio theworkshop 308 LLC, 308 W. Commercial St.

Oak Terrace Preserve is a 55-acre, environmentally friendly residential development in North Charleston, S.C. Construction began late last year and is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Eventually, that development will transform a dilapidated part of inner-city North Charleston into a “green” neighborhood with about 375 sustainable houses starting at $200,000, Project Manager Elias Deeb said.

Mitchell and Mardis have dreamed of building a similar community of environmentally friendly houses since their college days.

“I think Springfield is a perfect place for where that could happen,” Mitchell said. “Within the next five years, if it’s not us, it will be someone doing something like this.”

‘Shades of green’

In 2001, the city of North Charleston bought the land for Oak Terrace Preserve. At the time, the site had 175 structures originally built as temporary housing for naval shipyard workers during World War II.

The neighborhood had fallen under private ownership and had become rental property with a 50 percent occupancy rate and an average stay of just 120 days.

“It had become just not a healthy place for anybody to be living,” said Deeb, who works for North Charleston-based Noisette Co., which is managing the development for the city.

After relocating residents, Noisette and the city razed the old structures, which were filled with asbestos and lead-based paint. Officials were careful, however, to save 600 mature trees, even hiring arborists to oversee the development.

That’s one of many environmentally friendly efforts in Oak Terrace Preserve. Others include building in an already developed area to save untouched green space; recycling construction waste; building on small lots to conserve space; using environmentally friendly and durable building materials; and installing energy-efficient appliances, insulation and utilities in homes.

Deeb said Oak Terrace Preserve would be at least 30 percent more efficient than traditional neighborhoods, in terms of maintenance, sustainability and utility costs. Construction cost is only about 5 percent more than traditional building, he said.

“You clearly can choose products that are much more expensive, but you can be green and you can be sustainable without being more expensive,” Deeb said. “There are different shades of green. You can have an impact and do the right thing without spending a ton of money.”

Lessons learned

While there are green buildings in Springfield – Lloyd Babcock, Scott Kisling and Lance Wright have been honored for building Energy Star homes, and downtown’s Discovery Center underwent a high-profile, $4 million green renovation, for example – there’s not a green neighborhood like Oak Terrace Preserve.

Matt Morrow, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield, thinks Springfield could support one though, perhaps on a smaller scale.

“It’s hard to know for sure, but I know that green building in general is successful where there’s a lot of education, where it’s marketed well and where affordability is not an obstacle,” Morrow said.

Affordability wouldn’t be an obstacle under Mitchell’s and Mardis’ plan, which calls for home prices between $100,000 and $150,000. Stacey Clem of Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realtors said houses in North Charleston cost about $100,000 more than similar houses in Springfield because of market differences.

“It’s getting those types of homes to a level that a majority can afford,” Mitchell said.

Deeb said marketing is an obstacle that effective communication could overcome.

“If you’re thinking in your mind, ‘God, this is crazy. I can’t even bring this up (or) they’re going to think I’m some kind of crazy tree hugger,’ you have to present it anyway,” Deeb said.

“We’ve got builders who have been building houses for 40 and 50 years, and they are changing the way they run their companies. Don’t underestimate people’s ability to support (new ideas).”[[In-content Ad]]