News Release

Hilton Head Island Selects MKSK Consultant Team for Mid-Island Initiative Area Study

August 13, 2021

The Town of Hilton Head Island announces the selection of MKSK, a national consultant firm, to prepare plans for its Mid-Island Redevelopment Strategy and Community Park, a major Town Council policy initiative and capital project that will reinvigorate the center of the Island.

The MKSK-led team, including Dover Kohl & Partners, Kimley Horn, HDR, LS3P, and Cranston Engineering, met the requirements the Town sought for its Mid-Island Initiative Area Study.  Consultants will kick-off project work with a Town Council workshop at 1 p.m., Monday, August 16. They will also participate in a Parks and Recreation Commission workshop at 3 pm, Thursday, August 19. Both workshops will be held at  the Stephen G. Riley Municipal Complex (Town Hall), 1 Town Center Court, and are open to the public.

The proposed project includes preparation of redevelopment solutions for the center of the Island, which is comprised of a mix of old and new commercial developments, industrial uses, residential neighborhoods, the Hilton Head Island airport, Town-owned parklands and conservation areas, and significant cultural resources including Union Cemetery and St. James Baptist Church. The project also calls for preparation of development plans for a best-in-class community park at the 103-acre mid-Island tract, the Town-owned portion of the former Planters Row Golf Course, consistent with its Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Our Plan.

"After nine years, it's exciting to begin making plans for our mid-Island tract. We have a great team of consultants with the expertise to help us develop and carry out a vision for this property and surrounding community," said Mayor John McCann.

"The mid island property is a large, beautiful tract of land that sits right in the center of our Island. Our strategy is to use this significant open space as the catalyst for redeveloping and redefining this entire area so it becomes a bustling mix of commercial, residential, recreational and cultural activities. The park is going to be amazing when it is completed, and it will lead to other enhancements beyond the borders of the park," said Marc Orlando, Town Manager.

"We are excited to work with a highly qualified team to help us shape a vision for this section of the Island," said Jennifer Ray, Capital Program Manager for the Town. "With our investment in this project, we hope to manage growth, spur redevelopment opportunities, and develop a park that will make our community proud."

MKSK, which specializes in planning, urban design and landscape architecture, is currently working with the Town to prepare land use plans associated with the William Hilton Parkway Gateway Corridor project.

For more information, contact Jennifer Ray by phone at 843-341-4665 or email at JenniferR@hiltonheadislandsc.gov.

About MKSK
MKSK is a collective of planners, urban designers, and landscape architects, who are passionate about the interaction between people and place. They work with communities and clients to reimagine, plan, and design dynamic environments for the betterment of all. Founded in 1990, the practice has a network of eight regional studios in South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. For more information, please visit www.mkskstudios.com.

About Dover Kohl & Partners
Dover, Kohl & Partners was founded in 1987. Their expertise lies in balancing the visionary 'civic art' of planning with the practical consensus building needed to make projects succeed. They are trained in the principles of sustainable town planning, and have perfected techniques for documenting and understanding local traditions in building to enhance each community's sense of place. For more information, please visit www.doverkohl.com.

About Kimley Horn
Kimley-Horn is a national planning and design consulting firm that specializes in transportation and urban design. Founded in 1967, the firm has a history of partnering with communities to develop progressive and context-sensitive transportation plans. In each community where they work, they strive to understand the values of that community and transform them into a vision that guides the planning process. For more information, please visit www.kimley-horn.com.

About HDR
For more than a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what's possible. The firm's expertise spans more than 10,000 employees, in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. HDR's engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. For more information, please visit www.hdrinc.com.

About LS3P
LS3P is a multi-disciplinary firm offering architecture, interiors, and planning services to a wide variety of clients nationwide, with offices throughout the Southeast. The firm is committed to bringing state-of-the-art design, technology, and expertise of a strong regional firm closer to their clients on a local level. LS3P has 58 years of design excellence, with over 600 design awards across diverse practice areas. For more information, please visit www.ls3p.com.

About Cranston Engineering Group, P.C. 
Cranston Engineering Group, P.C. is a leading consulting firm that provides civil engineering, structural engineering, planning, and land surveying services throughout the southeast. Founded in 1967, the firm specializes in creating design solutions that meet their clients’ expectations and enhance the communities in which they are located. The firm provides professional services to governmental, industrial, and private development clients for a wide variety of projects. The firm has offices in Augusta, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Bluffton, SC For more information, please visit www.cranstonengineering.com.