An inn and restaurant could once again be headed for a contested corner lot at Hibben and Whilden streets in Mount Pleasant’s historic Old Village neighborhood.
Plans for the Seabird Inn were submitted by Jeremy Graves of Basic Projects LLC to the Mount Pleasant Commercial Site Review Board for review at a July 26th meeting. Basic Projects already operates a boutique hotel in Old Village called The Post House Inn, as well as two nearby restaurants, Basic Kitchen in Downtown Charleston and Sullivan’s Fish Camp on Sullivan’s Island.
Local developer Vince Graham and his company I’On had previously planned an inn called Earls Court Hotel, an extension of their nearby Earls Court mixed-use community, at the same site more than a decade ago. Due to objections from locals and legal disputes with the city, the project was stalled, finally reaching a settlement in 2019.
Now, Graves is reviving those plans under a new name, the Seabird Inn, with Graham as a minority investor. Graves’ company Village Inn LLC purchased the property in 2021 for $925,000.
Renderings submitted to the city show a three-story building with 23 guest rooms, a 1,185 square foot restaurant and a lounge. There is currently no expected date for completion of the project.
Basic Projects gave the following statement in response to a request for comment:
“Seabird Inn is an approved hotel project located at the entrance of Old Village in Mount Pleasant. We will be meeting with the town tomorrow as we are seeking approval to update the front elevation. As this is our second hotel in the neighborhood, we are very excited to continue to be a part of the Old Village community, and look forward to working closely with our neighbors throughout this process. Having recently received recognition with Post House as Travel + Leisure’s Number 1 Resort Hotel in South Carolina, we could not be more excited to bring this project to light. We are honored to be a part of this incredible community and to continue serving the Mount Pleasant and greater Charleston community.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
