Redeveloped Aiken Mall to be called Aiken Towne Park

Matthew Christian, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read
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Aug. 16—Aiken, meet Aiken Towne Park.

Documentation provided to the Aiken Planning Commission ahead of its Tuesday meeting indicates the redeveloped Aiken Mall will be known as Aiken Towne Park.

Southeastern, an Augusta development company, provided the information as it sought and received a Planning Commission recommendation for the Aiken City Council to approve facades for four commercial buildings on the site.

Southeastern is the redeveloper and owner of the 44.44-acre site located at 2441 Whiskey Road. Aiken County property tax records indicate the company purchased the property May 5, 2016 for $3.03 million.

SD Clifton Construction is currently building two of the buildings; Buildings A and B, behind Red Lobster and Bank of America.

Plans call for extending Julep Way between Red Lobster and Bank of America through the center of the property.

Buildings A and B are to be approximately 5,200 square feet and feature drive-thrus. However, Building A is expected to be nearly 33 feet tall while Building B is only expected to be 30 feet tall. The facade plans call for white brick, fiber cement cladding and a combination of a metal and shingle roof.

Chicken Salad Chick and Tropical Smoothie Cafe will be located in these buildings, Southeastern Vice President Jason Long told the commission at its work session.

The other two buildings, Buildings E and F, are to be constructed beside the existing Belk store.

A road will be built between Belk and Building E. Building F will be further south, between Building E and the expanded Julep Way.

Building E is to be 12,400 square feet and 26 feet, 4 inches tall. Building F is to be 11,550 square feet and 26 feet, 4 inches tall. Both would have similar facades to Buildings A and B.

The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend the Aiken City Council approve the buildings' facades.

Clayton Clarkson made the motion to recommend approval. Sam Erb seconded his motion. Chairman Ryan Reynolds was not at Tuesday's meeting.

The four buildings were added to the plans for the site in a revised concept plan submitted before demolition began in summer 2021.

The revised plan also added two more 5,000-square-foot buildings to be built behind Buildings A and B. It also removed a hotel planned between Belk and East Gate Drive from the plans. The shapes and locations of the eight apartment buildings to be constructed also changed.

Clarkson asked in the work session about the differences between the revised concept plan as shown to the Planning Commission on Tuesday and the concept plan approved by the City Council in April 2020.

Planning Director Marya Moultrie said it was likely the revised plan was administratively approved by the city because although the shapes, locations and size of the retail buildings changed, the overall space allocations to retail and the apartments remained the same.