SerpApi.Org
Summerville appears to be a hot spot for new bank branches.
The latest lender to set up shop in the fast-growing Flowertown area is Huntington National, following a recent big push by JPMorgan’s Chase subsidiary.
The Columbus, Ohio-based bank announced this week it has opened its 11th retail office in the Carolinas and the second of at least four full-service branches it’s planning for the Charleston-are at 103 Station St.
Trent Holland, regional president, said the move “represents another milestone in Huntington’s continued expansion across the Carolinas,” where the regional lender plans to open about 55 branches and hire 350 workers. Key markets include Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem.
Founded in 1866, Huntington entered the Carolinas about three years ago. The bank opened its first Charleston full-service retail office at 677 King St. on the peninsula last year. It’s now adding two branches along Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant and one on Savannah Highway in West Ashley.
Checking out
A Nashville firm that buys and sells buildings that are leased to health-care businesses has unleashed a local animal hospital.
An affiliate of Montecito Medical Real Estate has sold the recently expanded Charleston Veterinary Referral Center for $21.8 million, according to county land records.
The property at 3484 Shelby Ray Court off Glenn McConnell Parkway is leased to the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, which provides emergency and surgical services.
The new landlord is a major commercial real estate investor: San Diego-based Realty Income Inc., which owns nearly 400 properties in South Carolina and 15,500 nationwide, according to its website.
Montecito Medical paid $7.2 million for the Charleston specialty hospital in 2023, when the building measured 16,000 square feet. The company doubled the amount of space in an expansion that was completed in February.
The tenant is part of National Veterinary Associates of Augora Hills, Calif. The West Ashley care center was a Bassett Furniture retail store before being converted to its current use about 15 years ago.
Unscheduled stop
A Southwest Airlines flight traveling from central Florida to New England took a Lowcountry detour this week.
The crew diverted to Charleston International on July 20 after reporting a suspected fuel leak. The Dallas-based carrier confirmed the incident on flight WN4761.
The pilots decided to divert after receiving “a maintenance indication,” Southwest said in written statement Tuesday, without elaborating.
The Boeing 737-800 took off from Orlando around 9 a.m. and landed at Charleston International “without incident.” The airline said the passengers “were reaccommodated on a different flight. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”
The diverted travelers didn’t have time to take in the local sights. They left CHS around 2:30 p.m. and arrived safely in Manchester, N.H., at about 4:45 p.m., according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware.
Pub and pups
Dog owners will soon have a new place to relax while their pets play with the opening of GoDog Nexton Dog Park and Bar.
The new business will celebrate its grand opening July 29 from 3 to 9 p.m. in Nexton, its owners recently announced on Facebook.
GoDog combines an off-leash dog park with a bar, offering a professionally monitored, turfed play area where dogs can run and socialize while owners enjoy local beer and other beverages.
The facility is designed to provide a clean, supervised environment for dogs and their owners to socialize.
On ice
The South Carolina Stingrays have iced a new deal with MUSC Health,
The East Coast Hockey League team announced this week it has extended its partnership with the state hospital system to provide primary and multidisciplinary care services. The goal is to “support both performance and long-term health,” said Dr. Lee Leddy, chair of MUSC’s Department of Orthopaedics and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
MUSC Health and the Stingrays first teamed up in the 2020-21 season.
“Their sports medicine team keeps our players healthy and performing at their best,” said Rob Concannon, the club’s president.
