Reverie on the Ashley in the News

Upper-scale North Charleston condominium complex mixes woods, views and amenities.

“Daydreamin’ Natural Surroundings Give Exclusive Feel to Reverie on the Ashley
By Jim Parker
The Post and Courier

Thousands of cars daily cross the Mark Clark Expressway a mile away, and hundreds more skirt even closer on Leeds Avenue. Two office parks flank the nondescript entry road. But reach the entry marker to Reverie on the Ashley, and the atmosphere changes abruptly. Grayish hardtop gives way to gardenlike landscaping, towering oak trees and rippling marsh.

The new complex of 88 luxury condominium dwellings priced from $500,000 to $860,000 guards the Ashley River like castle turrets barely peeking out above the treetops. Rather than the proverbial bride-over-moat, these grounds have a 630-foot dock leading to a covered gazebo and 40-slip marina.
A riverside swimming pool and cabana will be built near the base of the wooden walkway, and the four-story stucco buildings with basement parking, floor-to-floor elevators and 600-square-foot rooftop gardens for parties offer water, marsh, and wooded views from top to bottom. Fulbright Partnership, which has worked with developer Gramling Brothers before, designed the buildings so that the condos have distinctive views and appearances.

The three-bedroom, two-bath Ashley and the two-bedroom, two-bath Stono run floor plans in size from 1,770 to 1,920 square feet. Interiors have high-end accoutrements such as crushed-quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, crown molding, wainscoting, porches and balconies.

If this sounds a bit like a fantasy, it’s not. The North Charleston-based complex is for real.
The development is the brainchild of Ben M. Gramling III, president of Gramling Brothers Real Estate & Development Inc. Gramling, originally from a small town in Spartanburg County, is involved day-to-day in two Lowcountry projects, Reverie on the Ashley and the sprawling Cane Bay residential village in Berkeley County.
While smaller than Cane Bay in the number of dwellings, Reverie on the Ashley took three years in the planning. Gramling pared down the complex, which was zoned for as many as 160 units. The developer also set aside numerous highland acres as open space to preserve the natural surroundings. Red-tailed hawks, ospreys and a family of foxes are among the wildlife sighted on the property.

"We took out less trees than the plan said to," Gramling said. "You can take out trees later, but you can't put them back."

The upshot is a chic, well-located neighborhood, where owners can fly private jets into Charleston International Airport and be home in 10 to 15 minutes. Typical buyers, Gramling said, "are people who want to be in a place with a fantastic view of the area."

Sales began last year, and marketing agent Atlantic Island Properties has sold two phases. It is beginning Phase Three. Most buyers have been from South Carolina outside the Charleston area, with about 25 percent of purchasers from out of state. The first of six buildings should be completed by October, with owners set to move in shortly thereafter.

The marina has some spaces that cost $90,000 for boats up to 30 feet long, and some for vessels up to 40 feet at a cost of $120,000.

"You have to be a property owner to own a slip," said Dick Stober, agent with Atlantic Island Properties.
The name "reverie" is a French word meaning to daydream. "My wife is a teacher. She helped me come up with the name," Gramling said with a laugh. It fits. Reverie, he said, conjures up "a state of contemplation, a restful state."

To reach Reverie on the Ashley from downtown Charleston, get on Interstate 26 to Interstate 526 and head west. Follow I-526 to the Leeds Avenue exit. Turn right on Leeds and make a left onto Faber Place Drive. Continue past various office buildings. Reverie on the Ashley is straight ahead.

Neighborhood: Reverie on the Ashley
Location: Charleston County
Developer, Marketing: Gramling Brothers Real Estate & Development Inc., Atlantic Island Properties

More Info:
Phone: 337-0194
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10a.m. to 6p.m.; Sunday 1-6p.m.
Website: www.reverieontheashley.com

Total Condominiums: 88
Condo Sizes: 1,770 to 1920 square feet
Condo Prices: $500,000 to $860,000

Typical Features:
Australian cypress hardwood floors
10-foot ceilings
Porches and balconies
Gourmet kitchens with crushed-quartz countertops
Covered parking

Property Taxes: $4,774 on a $600,000 condo

Area Attractions: Ashley River, Centre Pointe shopping plaza with Tanger Outlet Center, Charleston International Airport, North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston Performing Arts Center, Interstate 526, plantations and gardens off S.C. Highway 61, Citadel Mall, Interstate 26

Distance to downtown Charleston: 12 miles

Schools
Burns Elementary: Grades K-5; phone, 745-7113; enrollment, 550; certified staff, 39; PACT results, 5.6 percent of fifth-graders scored proficient or advanced on English/Language Arts, 11.2 percent on math, 1.8 percent on science and 3.5 percent on social studies
Brentwood Middle: Grades 6-8; phone, 745-7094; enrollment, 622; certified staff, 52: PACT results, 4.3 percent of eighth-graders scored proficient or advanced on English/Language Arts, 1.4 percent on math, 1.4 percent on science and 0.0 percent on social studies
North Charleston High: Grades 9-12; phone, 745-7140; enrollment, 1,102; certified staff, 95; SAT results, 427 verbal and 403 math. The 830 combined score is lower than the state average (993) and the national average (1028).

Housing Trends: North Charleston outside Interstate 526:
Number of sales in the second quarter of 2006: 256 (down from 269 in the second quarter of 2005).
Average sales price: $140,100 (up from $126,100).
Median sales price: $135,700 (up from $123,300).