GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - Residents of Goose Creek will soon have the opportunity to enjoy concerts, events and entertainment right from their city.

The Joseph S. Daning Amphitheatre will serve as an entertainment venue right behind Goose Creek City Hall. This project has been in the works for about three years now and construction began in May 2023. The project is just under $4 million and is on track for both budget and timeline. It will officially open on Labor Day.

The amphitheater will hold a variety of different events, national shows and concerts. The city is already planning for three major shows after the grand opening in September. They are anticipating one in September, one in October and one in November and plan to make all three of these free for the public to attend.

Recreation Director for the City of Goose Creek Crystal Reed says that this is what the city needs and it will provide a great benefit to the community.

“I think the goal is to bring entertainment and opportunities to our residents, so they don’t have to travel outside of city limits to get what they need. This will give us opportunities for neighbors to get to know each other and congregate and celebrate in their city,” Reed says.

When no events are happening, the venue will serve as a park for residents to enjoy all the time with the opportunity to enjoy lunch from the food trucks. The amphitheater will be able to seat about 800 people and there will be plenty of overflow room on the nearby lawns.

This amphitheater is named after former South Carolina Representative Joe Danning, who served as a Council member for the City for over 20 years and helped secure $1.5 million of state funding for this project. The remainder of the project was funded by ARPA funding.

The majority of the project is completed. The final steps are to finish the stage, add an area for the food trucks and add the grass. The city also recently hired an arts and entertainment coordinator who has been able to help them prepare for the opening.

The location of the complex plays a major factor as it is central to the city and will provide residents with the opportunity to walk to it using nearby trails. Reed says this is a priority of the city as they are growing and expanding.

“In this complex the goal really is to make our city more walkable. So, we have the rec complex here. We’ve got our municipal center. And so, as growth comes, we want people to be able to spend less time in their cars and more time getting to things in the city of Goose Creek. So, the goal is to add more entertainment, more recreation opportunities within the city. And so that’s what this will do for us,” she says.

Reed says she is excited to see what comes of this new addition to the city. She says they want to accommodate the community through the growth of the area.

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Work, live, shop and play — a planned Goose Creek complex could set a precedent for the city’s growth.

JJR Development LLC has unveiled plans for a 3-acre mixed use development on the vacant Super Carpets site on Highway 52.

The project will be part of the Central Creek Destination District that officials hope will provide a family-friendly, downtown-like area where residents can stay within the city for entertainment.

Phase one, which is still in refinement, will include a 4-story building with 111 rental units expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Mayor Greg Habib said the city is conscientious about large developments and how they fit into overall plans, but at the same time infrastructure needs to grow to keep the city alive.

“This project is really the first of its kind in Goose Creek,” Habib said last week. “It imitates a lot of other projects that have happened in Mount Pleasant and west of the Ashley where housing, retail, residential and office have been put in one place.”

Goose Creek has a long-term vision to create destination districts, and Habib said this project in particular “will transform what happens next” in Goose Creek.

“I think once people see this project be successful, it will lead to other redevelopment projects where density makes sense,” Habib said.

The building itself is contemporary, designed to introduce “new architectural context” to the city, according to Jeffrey Roberts, managing member of JJR Development.

“We think this site at the old carpet store site is such an important piece of land that makes a statement that Goose Creek is growing up now,” Roberts said.

Convenient addition

A new convenience store is coming to the Nexton community near Summerville.

Encore Development paid nearly $3.3 million for the 3.2-acre site at Nexton Parkway and Scholar Way for the development of a 7-Eleven, car wash and other retail uses, according to the commercial real estate firm NAI Charleston.

The property is within a couple of blocks of two supermarkets being built by Harris Teeter and Publix. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co., which has a branch next door, was the seller.

Next act

The first phase of redevelopment plans for the darkened Cinebarre movie theater property in Mount Pleasant have been laid out.

Charlotte-based Collett Capital‘s preliminary proposal calls for two 100,000-square-foot street-side office structures to be built on the Houston Northcutt Boulevard property. The designs, presented before a town review board for commercial real estate projects, are still being finalized.

If approved, the first phase would include a single building with 90,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 square feet of retail along the streetside of the property. Plans also include an adjacent greenspace with walkable paths, seating and a pavilion for live events.

Phase two would include a second building of equal size and a 500-space garage in the back where the vacant Cinebarre building currently stands. The rest of the property will be used for parking.

Regal Cinemas closed the full-service theater, where moviegoers could order food and drinks while they took in a show, in late 2021. It then sold the property to Collett and another investor for $14.25 million.

Summer sublease

Blackbaud Inc. is getting a new corporate tenant this summer when Charleston Regional Development Alliance moves into part of its Daniel Island headquarters.

The group has subleased nearly 7,000 square feet of space within the software company’s 172,000-square-foot home office at 65 Fairchild St.

The rental suite will serve as the new base for the economic development organization’s 14 employees when the 10-year lease on its Belle Oaks Drive location in North Charleston expires in May.

The decision to move to Daniel Island, which is in the city of Charleston and Berkeley County, was less about the geographic area and more about the building itself, said Karen Kuchenbecker, vice president of operations for the alliance.

“The way that the building was developed and all the bells and whistles and amenities, etcetera — you just don’t find that type of building for lease every day,” Kuchenbecker said.

CRDA’s plan is to be fully operational in its new space on June 1.

Blackbaud completed its newly built headquarters about five years ago. Its need for office space greatly diminished when the technology company switched to a remote workplace model during the pandemic in late 2021.

GOOSE CREEK — Food connects people. Dining establishments can be more than just places to quell a fit of hunger. For the more than 7,000 Brazilian immigrants who live in South Carolina's eighth largest city, markets are the cornerstone of their livelihood.

The food sold at multiple Brazilian markets in Goose Creek provide Brazilians with a taste of their home. Their meaning goes beyond the produce and butchered-to-order meats.

Establishments like Sky Market Brazilian Restaurant and Bakery, which opened in November 2022, serve as gathering places for South Carolina residents of Brazilian descent, many of whom speak their native Portuguese and not English. Markets are where Brazilians residing here start to build the friendships and community that will become key to their lives in the U.S.

This makes them a pillar of the local community, said Morgan Bezerra, one of two women behind Smart News, a Goose Creek-based online news outlet that has published stories about South Carolina's Brazilian community in Portuguese, Spanish and English since launching in January.

Markets are a place where Brazilians can gather and find the products they have been missing, said Bezerra, who moved to South Carolina from Brazil in 2001. Whether they have been gone for one month or more than two decades, like Bezerra, Brazilians will always crave the connection and camaraderie they have been able to find at Sky Market, she said.

Born in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Sky Market co-owner Olinto Abrantes immigrated to the U.S. with his family during his childhood. In 2002, they settled in New Hampshire, home to a growing Brazilian population, much like the Boston area and town of Goose Creek.

Abrantes and longtime friend and business partner Felix Simonato eventually decided to move to South Carolina, where the climate felt more like home. They started a construction company, skills that came in handy when they found a vacant stand-alone building on South Goose Creek Boulevard. Once home to a derelict dive bar, the space required extensive renovations that took over 14 months.

Coming from the Northeast, Abrantes and Simonato were inspired by the quality Brazilian bakeries that dot the New England region.

“They have a bunch of bakeries up there. There’s a lot of Portuguese and Brazilian people — the community’s huge,” Abrantes said. “We came from there, so we see the opportunity to bring a good bakery down here.”

Though Sky Market's pastry chefs are churning out guava cookies (casadinho), sponge cakes named after well-known Brazilian beauty queen Marta Rocha and other treats, this approachable establishment is much more than a bakery; it's a full-service restaurant serving food from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Sky Market invites diners in for breakfast platters in the morning and fried beef jerky turnovers, sausage sandwiches and house-ground burgers on house-made buns later in the day. One emerging favorite on the lunch and dinner menu, Abrantes said, is the Rocket Burger, piled high with mozzarella, ham, bacon and a fried egg.

More than a business

Abrantes and Simonato aren’t the only Brazilian natives operating food and beverage establishments in Goose Creek.

Several Brazilian restaurants and businesses are concentrated in and around the Red Bank corridor, a section of the city that some believe could become the next Park Circle.

Mama’s Bakery & Restaurant opened in this now-vibrant part of Goose Creek in March 2022. Just over a mile away, Brazilian bakery and restaurant Delicias de Minas serves classic Brazilian dishes, savory stuffed pastries fried in wheat dough, sandwiches, sweet treats and an assortment of fresh juice such as graviola, known as soursop or the Brazilian paw paw. Heading southbound from Delicias de Minas, you’ll run into Brazilian steakhouse Chão Goiano.

When it comes to markets, Vitoria International Meat Market — which has locations in Lynn, Peabody, Revere and a handful of other Massachusetts towns — opened this year at 1230 Red Bank Road. Nearby, Brazilian Market operates at 225 Red Bank Road.

Brazilian Market owner Gislene Gontijo grew up in southeastern Brazil on a small farm, where her family kept chickens and pigs. Her mother started teaching her how to cook at age 7, and she has been interested in food ever since. After successfully selling everything from beans, rice and coffee to Brazilian hair products and cologne to customers who are “90 percent Brazilian," Gontijo plans to expand from the market's current 2,000-square-foot location to a new 20,000-square-foot space nearby in Goose Creek.

Boom & Balance

Sky Market is located across the railroad tracks from these destinations at 115 South Goose Creek Blvd. Those who enter the pristinely landscaped white brick building will find an assortment of beef that, like Sky Market’s burgers, is butchered in-house.

Guests can request their cut of meat or order one of the options displayed in a glass case, including wagyu and picanha, a popular Brazilian cut that has a texture similar to sirloin steak. Sausages — seasoned with garlic, olive oil and salt — are made to withstand the heat of the grill, and meatballs are formed into large rounds and sold in packs of 12 to 15.

Freezers are filled with more meat and whole fish like traira, a freshwater species found in the rivers of Brazil. A sweets refrigerator is stuffed to the brim with massive Nutella, coconut and peanut butter popsicles. All this is in addition to the many other Brazilian snacks and goods that line the market’s shelves. Patrons can even transfer money to Brazil at Sky Market.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCIV) — A white dust emitted from the Century Aluminum plant has been spreading through parts of Goose Creek.

Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib addressed the issue in a social media post on Oct. 2.

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According to Habib, the white dust is Alumina dust, which is produced during the smelting process. Alumina dust is not supposed to leave the plant and is considered an important component of plant's ability to make more aluminum.

Century Aluminum believes the emissions may be caused by an "unusual" failure in the plant's baghouse, according to Habib.

"As you may know, all exhaust from the manufacturing process runs through a scrubber to clean the air and the Alumina dust is collected into the bags in the baghouse," the mayor said in a statement. "Century Aluminum then takes the dust and reintroduces (it) into the manufacturing process to make more aluminum."

According to Habib, Century Aluminum is looking at two potential possibilities for the emissions. One possibility is a recent change of suppliers for the filters in the baghouse and another is recent episodes of high pressure in the baghouse.

The mayor says Century Aluminum reported the issues to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

"Century assures us they are working diligently to address these emission issues," Habib said in a statement. "I do not doubt this. The Mount Holly aluminum smelter has been in operation for more than 40 years. They employ hundreds of our friends and neighbors and have a tremendous impact on our local economy. In my 40 years of living here, I do not recall another issue related to emissions from the plant."

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Habib also says he has asked for a town hall from Century Aluminum and the DHEC.

An online petition was created on Oct. 1 demanding action to reduce aluminum emissions from the plant. As of Oct. 3, it has 333 signatures.

Chuck Reedy had heard the rumors.

There had been sightings of a ‘big kid’ walking the halls of Goose Creek High School, and coaches and players warned Reedy that he needed to reach out to the ‘big kid’ before the basketball team came and scooped him up.

“There were these rumors about a sophomore transfer that was coming to Goose Creek,” said Reedy, who coached the Gators from 2002-14. “A couple of coaches told me they’d seen him walking around and that I needed to go get him.”

The ‘big kid’ in question turned out to be Javon Kinlaw, who at the age of 15 was already 6-foot-5 and weighed in at almost 300 pounds.

“I can still remember the first time I saw him,” Reedy said. “He got out of his father’s truck, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh’ that’s what a real football player looks like.’”

The ‘big kid’ will be playing on the biggest stage this Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Kinlaw, who is in his fourth season with San Francisco, is one of a handful of players in Super Bowl LVIII with connections to the state of South Carolina.

South Carolina

The Palmetto State connections include 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel (South Carolina) and Ray-Ray McCloud (Clemson) and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave (S.C. State); Kansas City wide receiver Justyn Ross (Clemson) and Chiefs assistant coach Rod Wilson, who went to Cross High School, and played for South Carolina.

“It’s awesome to see how far Javon has come from high school,” Reedy said. “We’ve stayed in touch over the years and he’s doing really well. I think the thing I’m most proud of is to see how much he’s matured on and off the field. I couldn’t be happier that he’s finally getting to showcase his talent on such a big stage.”

Kinlaw’s ability to play in the NFL has never been in question.

Since his sophomore season at Goose Creek High School, the 6-5, 320-pound defensive lineman has always played like a man among boys.

“No one that big should be that quick or that athletic,” Reedy said. “Javon’s ability has never been an issue, staying healthy and realizing his potential were the only obstacles in his way.

“I talked to him over the summer, and he thinks he wants to play 10 more years and as long as he stays healthy, he can do it. There are just not that many Javon Kinlaws walking around the planet.”

Staying on the field has been a topic of concern for Kinlaw since the 49ers picked the former South Carolina defensive tackle with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After a promising rookie season with the 49ers, Kinlaw spent the next two years in and out of the lineup with knee injuries.

“There have been ups and downs, highs and lows, trials and tribulations, it’s been a heck of a process for me,” Kinlaw said earlier this week at the Super Bowl’s media day. “I wasn’t able to compete with the team. It kind of crushed me but it helped me grind and know that I was gonna be able to make it one day and look where we are at.”

Although Kinlaw put up modest numbers during the regular season — 25 tackles and 3½ sacks — he has played in all 19 games.

“Javon has been unbelievable,” San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told the media during the regular season. “Just the fact that he’s got a full year with no setbacks. He just keeps looking better and better. Everyone knows the specimen that he is.”