More than 200 homes sold in Del Webb at Cane Bay as amenities center nears completion

The welcome center at Del Webb Charleston doubles as the amenities complex until a new facility opens in December. Leroy BurnellThe Post and Courier The open family room in 1,492-square-foot Gray Mist floor plan is indicative of the houses in Del Webb at Cane Bay. There are 11 styles sized at 1,100-2,800 square feet and priced from $160,000s-$360,000s. Leroy BurnellThe Post and Courier Ellyn Schilit (right) is a "resident host" two days a week at Del Webb Charleston. She lives in the community with her husband. At left is staff member Sheila Foxworth. When people enter the welcome center at Del Webb at Cane Bay, they may seek information from, or just chat with, Ellyn Schilit at the front desk. She is not just an employee, but a “resident host” who lives in the active adult neighborhood and works part-time two days a week. “I really like it a lot,” says Schilit, who with husband Dave Schilit were one of the first five families to move into Del Webb Charleston close to a year ago. “I meet the public. Most of the people are new. They have a lot of questions,” she says, noting just that day she helped out a couple from New Jersey, the same state where she and her husband lived. Schilit says she and Dave, the homeowners association president, enjoy volunteer work. The community makes it easy for them to stay involved. In the past year, Del Webb Charleston has grown from a handful of couples to 130 residents. There are 200 homes sold. Vinyl-sided residences weave around the neighborhood, in the southern corner of the Cane Bay Plantation on U.S. Highway 176 east of Summerville. As initial buyers, the current residents feel like they are pioneers of a new village, says Jennifer Burton, lifestyle director. The community, Del Webb’s third in South Carolina after Sun City in Bluffton and the new Carolina Lakes near Rock Hill, will have 1,009 houses when built out. While a healthy number, the total is about one-third less than Sun City making the Charleston-area locale more intimate, Burton says. Residents are eagerly awaiting the completion of a 20,000-square-foot amenities center in the gated community for seniors aged 55 and above. The complex is scheduled to open Dec. 4. just more than a year after the first homes were occupied. “It’s a great accomplishment, especially at this stage of the process,” Burton says. The complex will have indoor and outdoor swimming pool with zero depth entry, conference center, gathering center with coffee bar and fireplace, and an arts and crafts room. The facility, facing a lagoon, is next to outdoor attractions including four tennis courts, two courts for “pickle ball” — a game like table tennis but on tennis sized layouts — and four bocce courts. In a contest, residents named sections of the complex such as the Spoleto Room, the Piccolo Room and “The Market” Art Studio. They even named the tennis courts, which are “Court Sumter” and “Court Moultrie.” Burton says the neighborhood has had its share of events, including a golf cart parade and a remote-control power boat racing day on one of the lagoons in the property. Bike riding also is popular with the residents. The welcome center is adjacent to 11 floor plans at Model Park, where prospective buyers have a chance to go inside each of the one-story designs. Pulte Homes, the parent of Del Webb, designed homes with names such as Copper Ridge, Cumberland and Gray Mist. They are sized from 1,100 to 2,800 square feet and priced from the $160,000s to the $360,000s, says Tina Jones, real estate associate. The average price is around $240,000. The homes come with many standard features including extra wide door openings, 9-foot ceilings, kitchen stove, microwave and dishwasher; two or three bedrooms depending on the plan; two car garages; patios and sprinkler systems. Options include refrigerators and screened porches or sunrooms. Wentworth Management is the community’s property manager. “It’s such a lovely place,” Jones says. To get to Del Webb at Cane Bay from downtown Charleston, travel west on Interstate 26 to exit 209, U.S. Highway 52. Continue on Highway 52 to Goose Creek, turning left at the intersection with U.S. Highway 176 (St. James Avenue). Follow Highway 176 out of town. A few miles past the U.S. Highway 17A intersection, turn right at the Cane Bay Plantation entrance. Follow the road for close to two miles to Del Webb Charleston.