Community, Comfort, Connection, and Convenience in Beaufort Town Center

If you’re looking for an affordable, centrally located, community-focused studio apartment in the Beaufort area, look no further than The Pearl. The Pearl has been open since September 2025 and is a studio apartment community in the heart of the Lowcountry. Featuring modern studio apartments with five-star-level amenities, The Pearl is giving Beaufort something it has been missing for a long time.

When evaluating options for repurposing the property, it became clear that the building’s exterior-corridor design made rebranding it as another hotel impractical. This prompted a broader vision: to transform the space in a way that would generate meaningful value both for investors and for the Beaufort community. There has been, and continues to be, a desperate need for affordable, workforce housing in Beaufort, so that is what they decided to do with this space — turn it into housing that first responders, teachers, retail workers, and those in the restaurant industry could all afford and live in comfortably. All the amenities that an upscale apartment complex has would also be provided and included in the rental price.

The ballrooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms of the hotel were transformed into a business center for the residents; a very large game room (featuring a pool table, foosball, and ping-pong tables, two big screen TVs that stream every service you can imagine, darts, and more); and the breakfast area was transformed into a dining room. “Living in a studio apartment does not provide you with a lot of space to entertain any company or family from out of town. We put large and small dining room tables in that area and it is open for residents to use whenever they need to,” says resident manager, Melissa Brown. There are also convection ovens and air fryers available along with two loaded vending machines with everything from candy bars and sodas to grab-and-go foods, noodle bowls, and more. Another space that needed to be transformed was the former garden room. Melissa Brown came onboard before all of that was finished, and she and Courtney Worrell (the CEO of 303 Associates) collaborated and decided to turn the garden room into a library. They added bookshelves and a large table where you can sit and study or do research. Melissa stocked the library with books that she sourced through donations from friends, Facebook finds, and more. Not only is the room full of books, but there are also board games available that residents can borrow.

“When we were creating the idea of The Pearl, we were thinking about how to build a community in this place because we did not want to just be another apartment complex. We wanted to foster a sense of community.” This led to them prioritizing resident activities. “We do a lot of resident events, and they are obviously not mandatory in any way, but it is an option to choose your own adventure. On Tuesdays, the residents meet up and we go to one of the Mexican restaurants that is within walking distance. We might visit Moe’s one Tuesday night and then a few Tuesdays later we will walk to Poncho’s.” They have established a book club that just held its first meeting last month. Bingo night is hosted once a month and football watch parties happen on the weekends. “We cook out, set up cornhole, and have the top college games on the TVs inside. It is like a family cookout. You can wander down whenever you’re ready and know that you can eat a hamburger or hot dog and chat with your neighbors.” Melissa is also planning future craft nights for the residents. “We try to get everyone who lives here involved in the sense of community. That is what we were seeking to create by opening The Pearl.” Not only is this sense of community a benefit for the property itself but bringing these residents into Beaufort Town Center will help local businesses. “Our residents can walk to Moe’s, to Wayback Burger, or make their way over to Urban Brew and The Beaufort Bookstore. Along with their other amenities, they are provided a membership to The Foundry, so they have the opportunity to work out just half a mile away from their residence.“ All of these new residents will contribute to increased activity and customer traffic for nearby businesses. The addition of 150 studio apartments within walking distance to Beaufort Town Center businesses will further enhance the vibrancy and connectivity of the area.

Before The Pearl opened, they did some research on other apartment complexes in Beaufort and found that studio or one-bedroom apartments start at $1600 a month with no utilities or amenities included. Renters are paying that much just to live and then having to also pay for electricity, water, WiFi, trash, and more. Because of this, tenants end up paying over $2,000 a month at times to live in a studio or one-bedroom apartment. That is not an affordable option for most workforce employees or for those living paycheck to paycheck. “We priced The Pearl so that it is affordable, and we included everything into the rental price — water, electricity, internet, all of it is included in the rental price.” There are three different size options at The Pearl, and they range from $1100 to $1250 a month. This provides people the opportunity to move without having to pay not only a deposit for their apartment but also having to pay deposits for all the other amenities. With one price locked in, the tenant can have the confidence of knowing that all utilities/amenities are turned on day one without spending thousands of dollars. “We wanted to take the burden of that off hourly employees, people that work for tips like servers, anyone who does not have the ability to spend all that extra money when they are moving. That is what makes The Pearl unique. It is affordable for just about everyone.”

The studio apartments have a two-person max occupancy. There are 3 model units fully furnished in different ways so that you can tour them to get an idea of how you can utilize your space. The kitchenettes feature a full-size refrigerator, an induction cooktop, a microwave, a large farm-style sink, and upper and lower cabinet space. The space is perfect whether you are a college student, a younger married couple, or a retiree looking to downsize. And if the space ever starts to feel small, you can make your way down to the library, the game room, or the dining room.

For these workforce employees, who may not have family in the area or may have just moved here for a job, The Pearl provides them with the opportunity to get to know people, build connections, and live comfortably. “We had some residents recently telling us that it is a different experience to sit in a room with your neighbors and eat while you watch a football game together. That is what we are proud to be creating.”

There is a good diversity when it comes to the age ranges at The Pearl. “Courtney says that it is like 90210 meets Golden Girls,” Melissa says, laughing. “We have a group of USCB students that live here, there are retirees who live here that are 65 and older, and then the middle-of-the-road group who are between 30-55. We have police officers, drill instructors, waitresses … our demographic is truly diverse.”

”We did not want to open another apartment complex where people don’t know their neighbors, and they also don’t shop or support local businesses. We are operating on the four C’s that are our core values: community, comfort, connection, and convenience. That was the idea behind creating The Pearl, creating a community that was comfortable living, a connection to not only your neighbors but the area of Beaufort Town Center and Pigeon Point, and conveniently located, walkable to just about anywhere. This is a community. It is not just a place to live.”

To learn more about The Pearl visit their website: www.pearlbeaufort.com or call 843-986-8645.

story by JENNIFER BROWN CARPENTER