City of Beaufort and Town of Port Royal Fire Chief Reece Bertholf said at a press conference Nov. 16, 2016, that the fire Saturday at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce was accidental, with an electrical issue cited as the cause. BY JOSH MITELMAN
More than two years after construction started, a new building will open soon and bring art, office space and dining to downtown Beaufort.
The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce expects to move into its new building on Bladen and Duke streets by the end of the month, nearly two years after a fire gutted their initial effort. The three-story building will replace the nonprofit organization’s modest brick building across the street and include an art gallery, new businesses, a restaurant and a conference room in addition to the chamber’s new offices.
“We’re praying,” said senior loan officer Linda Mack Jenkins as contractors moved in and out of the building not long after a fire marshal’s inspection Monday.
Chamber President and CEO Larry Holman declined to reveal which businesses are moving in, but said they include an accounting firm, a food-related business and a locally owned soul-food restaurant with live jazz music. A ribbon-cutting is planned for Aug. 24 that will close the nearby block, and the building will host a gathering of Black Chamber organizations from throughout the southeast the following day, Holman said.
Even if the building is not ready for occupancy, visitors should be able to tour the building and see the space dedicated for a business incubator — a test kitchen where students can learn cooking skills and a state-of-the-art conference room.
The chamber will continue to offer the same services. As a Community Development Financial Institution, the organization offers financial counseling, help with emergency repairs and lending services. The organization is working to partner with the county’s municipalities on affordable-housing initiatives and plans to buy property to develop affordable housing within the next six months, Holman said.
