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34 Higher-Density Development <br />MYTH EIGHT FACTEIGHT <br />I’On <br />I’On is a 244-acre master-planned community along the <br />deep-water marshes of Hobcraw Creek in Mount Pleasant, <br />South Carolina. Just six miles east of Charleston, the com- <br />munity features 700 single-family homes, community facili- <br />ties, and a small-scale commercial area. Vince Graham, <br />principal with the I’On Company, is developing six residential <br />neighborhoods connected by narrow streets, pedestrian <br />corridors, and community spaces. An I’On Guild member, <br />one of 18 builders selected for experience, talent, and finan- <br />cial strength, builds each individual home. The architecture <br />is inspired by classic Lowcountry style with large balconies, <br />deep front porches, and tall windows on even taller homes. <br />Homes now sell for $685,000 to $1.7 million. Community facil- <br />ities include I’On Square, I’On Club, the Creek Club, and the <br />Mount Pleasant Amphitheater. Residents also enjoy easy <br />access to the Cooper and Wando rivers, the Charleston har- <br />bor, and the Atlantic Ocean. One neighborhood boat ramp <br />and four community docks are available for crabbing and <br />fishing. Two miles of walking trails are available for resi- <br />dents; a five-acre pond, the Rookery, is a protected nesting <br />site for wading birds. In addition, the public and private <br />schools in Mount Pleasant are some of the best in the area. <br />Some home prices in the well-planned <br />higher-density community of I’On are <br />approaching $2 million. The traditional <br />neighborhood design combined with the <br />community amenities made possible <br />by higher densities have made the <br />community one of the most desirable <br />in the Charleston area. <br />PROFILE <br />As the problem of affordability worsens, workers on the lower end of the salary <br />scale may move to more affordable cities, leaving a labor shortage in their wake. <br />Such shortages make a region less desirable as an employment center. According <br />to PricewaterhouseCoopers, access to a large and diverse labor pool is the most <br />important factor in making corporate decisions on locations.61 Communities that <br />do not provide housing for all income groups become less desirable corporate <br />locations. <br />I’ON <br />COMPANY