Amenity avenue

Community attractions, retail corner open along Tanner Hall's central boulevard

Leroy Burnell
The Post and Courier

The new entertainment area at Tanner Hall is next to the swimming pool. Century Development is the neighborhood developer.

Leroy Burnell
The Post and Courier

A sprawling two-story home with a large, landscaped yard is a typical look at Tanner Hall, an upperend community off North Rhett Avenue in Hanahan launched in late 2004. The neighborhood added a swimming pool, clubhouse and tennis courts within the past few months.

If you happen into the breezeway of the new Tanner Hall clubhouse, look closely: You might spot pieces of Charleston memorabilia.

Mixed in with a slew of ornamental farm tools, Western gear and knickknacks are small metal doodads. They are the rivets that held together girders on the old Cooper River bridges, torn down in 2005 upon completion of the new Ravenel Bridge.

Marc Copeland, chief of the company that's developing Tanner Hall, is a avid collector and obtained the pieces from salvage.

"He kind of wanted this to have an old-time feel," says Kevin D. Driggers, Realtor with Tidelands Real Estate, who manages sales and marketing at the posh Hanahan neighborhood.

Started in late 2004, Tanner Hall has grown at a steady clip over three years, laying out custom homes typically in the 3,000-square-foot range or above and priced at $500,000 to $1 million or more. Early plans called for 78 lots, but that's since been bumped up to 180 homesites.

Graced with a more substantial subdivision, Century Development realized it made sense to construct attractions for residents. The developer designed an amenities complex with two tennis courts, a distinctive clubhouse and a large swimming pool with a deck and pergola, an arbor with latticework roof.

"He (Copeland) designed it with a lot of authentic antique pieces," Driggers says.

Adjacent to the amenities center is a traffic circle with a fountain on Tanner Hall Boulevard. From the entry circle, drivers can see through the breezeway to the pool, offering an aesthetic impression.

That's not all. A few blocks south of the entertainment complex is a private boat ramp, floating pier and community dock on Goose Creek, which ties into the Intracoastal Waterway and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.

"The boat ramp is nice. It's very tough to get access to the waterway," Driggers says.

Next to the pier is a natural attraction: a multistory platform constructed by the developer where an osprey has built a nest.

Meanwhile, Century is involved in developing a commercial center just outside the entrance at Tanner Hall and Tanner Ford boulevards.

Designed to resemble a train depot, the 30,000-square-foot Tanner Station will include a fitness center, real estate office, karate school and several restaurants set around a courtyard.

Less than half the lots in Tanner Hall have sold, and homes continue to be built. Atlanticville Custom Homes, Artistic Design and

Construction and the Charleston Group are among the builders, Driggers says. There are also resales. Buyers include young professionals, families of various ages and sizes and empty-nesters.

Anna Cusick, a real estate agent, lives in Tanner Hall with her family and has listed homes in the subdivision. She says the community's location can't be beat.

"The greatest thing about this neighborhood is it takes 15 minutes to get to Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and downtown," Cusick says.

To reach Tanner Hall from downtown Charleston, travel west on Interstate 26 to Remount Road and take the east exit. Follow Remount to North Rhett Avenue and turn left. Travel on North Rhett across Goose Creek, and turn left at Tanner Plantation. Take the first left. Tanner Hall is straight ahead. One alternate route is to take Remount, angle left onto Yeamans Hall Road, continue to North Rhett and turn left at the plantation.

Neighborhood

Tanner Hall.

Location

Berkeley County.

Developers, marketing

Century Development, Tidelands Real Estate.

More info

phone: 345-9069.

HOURs: By appointment.

Total homes

180.

Typical features

--Custom-built homes.

--Large decks and porches.

--Roomy interiors.

Home sizes

2,000-6,000 square feet.

Home prices

$500,000-$1.7 million.

Lot sizes

0.22 of an acre to 2.5 acres.

Lot prices

$145,000-$500,000.

Property taxes

$3,697 on a $700,000 home.

Area attractions

Goose Creek tributary, Hanahan Municipal Complex, Trident Technical College, Cooper River, Charleston International Airport, North Charleston Coliseum, Centre Pointe shopping center and Tanger Outlet, and Interstate 526.

Distance to downtown Charleston

14 miles.

Schools

Hanahan Elementary

Grades K-4; phone, 553-3290; enrollment, 907; certified staff, 62.

Hanahan Middle

Grades 5-8; phone, 820-3800; enrollment, 738; certified staff, 53; PACT results, 41.5 percent of fifth- graders scored proficient or advanced on English/ Language Arts, 48.8 percent on math, 51.3 percent on science and 36.3 percent on social studies; 26.9 percent of eighth-graders scored proficient or advanced on English/Language Arts, 22.1 percent on math, 26.8 percent on science and 22.6 percent on social studies.

Hanahan High

Grades 9-12; phone, 820-3710; enrollment, 838; certified staff, 62; SAT results, 508 verbal and 513 math. The 1021 combined score is higher than the state average (984) and the national average (1017).

Housing Trends

Hanahan:

Number of sales in the first quarter of 2008: 63 (down from 80 in the first quarter of 2007).

Average sales price: $196,100 (down from $201,900).

Median sales price: $195,000 (down from $203,000).

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com.