Plumber in Goose Creek, SC

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - Goose Creek residents will have more opportunities to hear Mayor Greg Habib’s State of the City address in “Creek Conversations.”

Mayor Habib is switching up his traditional style of deliverance when it comes to the annual State of the City address since his election into office back in 2018.

Goose Creek residents will now have three chances to take part in the city’s Creek Conversations.

The first Creek Conversation takes place Thursday at Crowfield’s Planters Walk Clubhouse at 6 p.m. City spokesman Frank Johnson says the effort is meant to give residents space to share their thoughts and ideas directly with city officials.

“What this is a chance to do is to let everyone know what’s going on with each city department,” Johnson says. “We’ve got a lot of exciting projects that are both in the works and coming up and then really hear from residents. It’s a chance to ask questions and share their thoughts.”

Residents will hear updates from the mayor, police department and department heads on city projects and economics during these town hall style meetings.

“The new projects, I know, are something people are very interested in,” Johnson says. “We have a new amphitheater here that’s about to crank up its second full season. We have some exciting concerts coming in, so people are excited about that. They want to learn more about this new multipurpose [installment]; the assembly at Goose Creek will be built here on the municipal center campus.”

The Creek Conversations will also take place March 27 at Northwood Church Building A and April 3 at the Calvary Church of Nazarene.

Johnson says the city’s growth continues with an estimated population of over 50,000. The number of Portuguese speakers in the area is increasing as well, he says. The Latin Advisory Committee will participate at the April 3 meeting along with Spanish and Portuguese translators as a resource.

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GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Goose Creek has officially started construction on a new building that will serve several purposes.

As the city continues to grow, leaders say they saw a need for a new venue on the lake right behind City Hall. Once open, both residents and city leaders will be able to utilize this venue known as the “Assembly.”

The Assembly will act as a wedding and event venue and serve as the new home for city council meetings.

Leaders have just started construction, but once complete, the building will be about 13,500 square feet and will include additional parking. This $13 million project is fully funded by the city.

The spokesman for the City of Goose Creek, Franklin Johnson, says the City and its residents will get a lot out of this space.

“Well, I just think it’s another dynamic gathering spot for Goose Creek residents. You know, the city has grown so much. This is a much-needed multi-purpose space. And again, we talk about the wedding, it being a great, beautiful wedding venue. And there’s just not that many of those choices in the area. So, we think the Goose Creek residents will love it and use it and that’s going to be a great thing,” he says.

Johnson says that when the Goose Creek Municipal Center was built in the 1990s, the population of the City was about 30,000. Now, they have over 50,000 residents and as the City has grown, so has the staff.

This new building will allow them to convert the existing chamber into more office space and utilize the new Assembly building for meetings and other needs within the City.

Through the duration of construction, parking at City Hall will be limited, but there are visitors spots open and the visitors can park at the Municipal Court and the Recreation Center. The City Hall drive-thru will remain open.

Johnson believes the inconvenience will be well worth it once the venue is up and running.

He says the city doesn’t have many event space options like this so it will be something that serves the community in many ways and for a long time.

“The city will also use it for other city events, but the main purpose will be a venue for residents to be able to rent out for weddings, banquets, family reunions, all sorts of events. We think it’ll be a great thing for the city for many, many years to come,” Johnson says.

Johnson says they anticipate the Assembly to be completed and open by December 2026. Once the building is finished, they will open it up for bookings and reservations.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A major industrial milestone was celebrated Friday morning as Leonardo DRS, a defense technology company, placed the final support beam atop its new manufacturing and testing facility at Bushy Park Industrial Complex in Goose Creek.

“We’re doing the top off, which is a ceremony that shows the progression of the plant and its completion. It’s a very big item for the community and our industrial site here. With DRS coming here, it’s going to employ a lot of folks with good-paying jobs and economic development for our community,” Cody Baker, Vice President of Business Development and Manufacturing at Bushy Park Industrial Complex, said.

Employees, local leaders and project stakeholders gathered to witness the placement of the final beam, marking the end of two years of hard work and commitment.

“So, the completion here will be roughly 140,000 square feet, a manufacturing facility focused on propulsion systems for the US Navy. So, it is very big, particularly given the history in Charleston with the Navy,” Baker said.

As the Navy continues its modernization efforts, the Charleston facility is set to play a vital role in advancing submarine propulsion technology, further solidifying the region’s significance in the defense sector.

Senior Vice President and General Manager for Naval Power Systems at Leonardo, Jon Miller, said this project marks a key moment in the future of U.S. naval capabilities.

“This is not just your average building. We’re going to be doing pretty special things here. We will be building large electric motors, which are the propulsion system for the next class of submarines for the US Navy. And then ultimately, we’ll also be building and testing steam turbine generators, which will power that motor and also provide the power for the submarines,” he said.

Miller said the 140,000-square-foot building will be used to support the U.S. Navy’s submarine and shipbuilding efforts.

“This is a great day for Leonardo DRS, and I’ll be a little bold and say a great day for the U.S. Navy. This is a big milestone for us to help. If you watch the news today, you know we’re in the middle of a Navy buildup, and this is a very important capability for the Navy. And this will be a national asset, one-of-a-kind facility when we’re finished. The only one in the country providing capabilities for our nuclear submarine,” Miller said.

He said Friday was a deeply patriotic day not just because the facility will help strengthen national security, but will also create jobs and boost the local economy.

Miller highlighted that one advantage of choosing the Charleston area for the facility is the opportunity to engage with local college and university students to help connect new graduates with job opportunities right out of school.

“So, one of the advantages of the Charleston area is we’re able to engage with local school systems and colleges in the area. So, we’ll be drawing both technician talent and engineering design talent to come in and help us with development and testing. So, we’ve already begun a great interaction with the local community, and I expect that just to continue to grow,” Miller said.

He anticipates the facility will start with just under 100 employees, with plans for the workforce to grow over time.

The facility is set to open in 2026 and is on track to receive its certificate of occupancy by November.

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