New Jobs Coming to the Holy City

_Posted: Oct 25, 2011 12:34 AM EDT
_Updated: Oct 27, 2011 11:54 PM EDT

King Street is about to welcome a new business to the area. On Monday, the company, PeopleMatter, announced it is expanding to downtown Charleston.

Over the next four years, the company plans to bring 265 jobs to the area. For Mayor Joe Riley, this comes as good news for a street once considered a thriving commercial hub.

"Charleston will be a knowledge industry center of our country," stated Riley during the announcement.

The company will make its new home at 466 King Street by December of 2013 and by 2014 expand to 468 King Street. The second location is currently the home of Charleston Beer Works. ABC News 4 has been told that the lease is not being renewed for that business.

"We will knock this down and put two building right here," said Nate DePore, the CEO for PeopleMatter.

The company's main headquarters is located at the old Navy yard in North Charleston with offices in Atlanta and San Francisco.

"The company adds diversity and increases balance to our downtown. We've got wonderful restaurants and shops and now this," said Riley.

"You'll see a progression of a lot of utility work going on first. Then three to four weeks later, we'll go up with a scaffold. Truly, you'll see development operations starting to occur," said Chris Price, the developer for the project.

It's development that the mayor believes will encourage future growth along King Street.

"New technology companies, whatever they are, attract like minded companies or they spin off," said Riley.

The building is more than 123 years old. It was last occupied by a men's clothing store that was damaged by fire in 1989.