[Greater Charleston Projects & Developments]

Columbia has their Colonial Center and now Charleston has their Carolina First Center. This is more great news for certain, but I would have preferred the original project of building a bigger arena off of Meeting Street near the Visitor's Center which was to be built along with a hotel and convention center. Oh well!

Carolina First scores with gift

$2M wins naming-rights to new athletic complex at College of Charleston

BY MATTHEW MOGUL

Of The Post and Courier Staff

The new athletic complex at the College of Charleston will be known as the Carolina First Center, thanks to a $2 million gift to the university from the biggest banking company based in the state.A courtyard ceremony in front of Alumni Hall was held Monday to announce the naming-rights deal, which college president Lee Higdon said gave his school a "critical piece" of funding needed to begin building the $36 million structure.

For the bank, the money buys it broader brand exposure and cachet in the community, though Jim Terry, Carolina First president, said the deal means a lot more than marketing for his bank.

"The real value is not so much in the name on the building but what the building stands for, like the events, the academics and what it does for the community," said Terry.

Besides athletic facilities, the Carolina First Center will offer classroom and meeting space for events. Construction at the intersection of Meeting and George streets is set to start by the fall. The project is expected to be complete in about 18 months...

...The bank is no stranger to the name game. In December, Carolina First announced it would be relocating its regional headquarters in Charleston a few blocks from its current location on East Bay Street to a soon-to-be-expanded Charleston Gateway Center. Its payoff for moving: The new building also will bear its name...

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