Initial steps have been taken to turn a cove of Lake Murray into a destination resort community

If fully approved, the $733+ million cove project would include a Regional Conference Center, a marina, hotels, retail space, and homes near Beekeeper Court and North Lake Drive.

By Samantha Robertson
, May 3, 2023
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Lake Murray from an aerial view. | Photo by COLAtoday team

Lexington Town Council took initial steps to approve a new destination resort community that will potentially come to Smallwood Cove on Lake Murray — a project that has been in the works since 2012, according to Mayor Steve MacDougall.

The 93.53-acre property would include a marina, hotels, retail space, homes near Beekeeper Court and North Lake Drive, and is expected to take ~15 years to complete.

Land use concept plan for Smallwood Cove. | Rendering from the Town of Lexington

The project is set to be a shared public + private economic development, with $733 million to be donated from private developers.

Town Council and other developers are hoping this undertaking will support destination tourism, provide access to lakefront properties, and generate tax revenue and economic benefits — one of those benefits being the creation of ~400 jobs.

Construction would likely begin in two years and The Regional Conference Center, which has already received $6 million to build from the State of South Carolina, could be completed by 2028.

Click here to see the development guidelines for Smallwood Cove, including the Executive Summary, area breakdown, zoning, parking, drainage basin analysis, and more.

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Samantha Robertson
Sam is based in Columbia, SC and previously worked in PR marketing for several local brands and startups in the Soda City before joining COLAtoday as a City Editor in 2021. When she’s not content creating, she loves staying active, brunching around town, rooting for the Gamecocks, and spending time by the rivers.