Work continues on projects in and around the Commons at BullStreet, the 181-acre development site at the former home of the South Carolina State Hospital.

Projects include:

• Infrastructure construction has started for TownPark at BullStreet town homes. The project will feature 28 two-and-three-bedroom homes near Calhoun and Barnwell Streets.
• Interior work has started for the 24,255-square-foot offices of software company TCube Solutions/Capgemini on the third floor of the First Base Building.
• Renovations continue at the Ensor Building, which will house Scott Hall’s Bone-In Barbeque restaurant and office space on the second floor. The restaurant is scheduled to open this winter.

Projects that are slated to begin in the coming months include:

• Renovations to the Central Energy Facility, which will be the new home of Downtown Church.
• Construction of the 196-unit Merrill Gardens senior living community at Gregg Street and Freed Drive.
• Two miles of new roads and underground utilities.
• Land is being prepared for a 20-acre public park along Smith Branch, which will be brought back to the surface as a restored creek.

“We are committed to creating a destination neighborhood that reflects the authenticity of the Midlands over the long term,” said Robert Hughes, president of Hughes Development Corporation, in a news release. “We are excited that such a large amount of progress is being made across the BullStreet district, and we encourage businesses to reach out to us with their long-term plans for expansion.”

BullStreet development has been slow to capitalize on the momentum generated by the opening of Spirit Communications Park and the securing of the first tenant in the 85,000 square feet of office space available in the First Base Building in April 2016.  Last month, Hughes announced a shift in strategy for the 20-year buildout, which will focus on developing smaller, individual stages of the 400,000 square feet of available retail space.