Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
Gather MTP, a community campus in Midtown Mount Pleasant, a mixed-use apartment community, moved a live oak to the center of its campus as opposed to clearing it during construction. (Photo/Matt Ray Photography)
Gather MTP, a community campus in Midtown Mount Pleasant, a mixed-use apartment community, moved a live oak to the center of its campus as opposed to clearing it during construction. (Photo/Matt Ray Photography)
Historic live oak relocated for Gather MTP campus
Hollie Moore // December 10, 2025//
- Gather MTP relocated a massive Southern live oak instead of removing it during construction.
- The tree was moved 700 feet to anchor the community’s central campus area.
- Environmental Design Inc. used its ArborLift system to relocate the 400,000-pound tree.
- The move preserves greenspace while enabling new office, dining and hotel-connected amenities.
A staple of the southeastern United States, another Southern live oak tree in Charleston has been relocated for both the tree’s health and pedestrian space.
Gather MTP, a community campus in Midtown Mount Pleasant, a mixed-use apartment community, moved a live oak to the center of its campus as opposed to clearing it during construction.
“This tree has been at the center of our thinking since the very first sketches,” Mack Cross, partner and co-developer of Gather MTP, said in the release. “Instead of designing a project and then forcing the landscape to fit, we designed Gather MTP around this live oak. It will be the visual anchor, the brand marker, and the place people instinctively meet when they say, ‘Let’s go to Gather MTP.’”
After prepping the move for over a year, Gather MTP said the tree was moved 700 feet to allow the completion of a 10,000-square-foot office building, outdoor food space, and a restaurant and brewery. The greenspace connects to a park and Hyatt Hotel outdoor space.
“We’ve been working on this vision for more than four years, and today feels like a turning point,” Preston Wendell, co-developer for the project, said in the release. “We’re glad we chose to invest the time, resources, and expert care to keep this live oak and make it the soul of the campus. Our hope is that neighbors will feel proud of this place, like it’s an extension of their own backyard.”
The final stage of the tree relocation was done by Environmental Design Inc., a large tree relocation firm. Gather MTP said the firm has also been involved in high-profile projects for the White House and the 9/11 Memorial.
“Moving a tree of this age and size is never routine,” Phillip Zellner, project manager for Environmental Design Inc., said in the release. “Roughly 80 percent of this tree’s 400,000-pound weight is in the root ball, which is about 38-and-a-half feet across and four feet deep. We root-pruned it in October 2024, encapsulated the root ball last week, set it on a pipe platform yesterday, and today we’re using our patented ArborLift system to roll it into place without pulling on the canopy or tearing up the soil. When you take those steps and provide good aftercare, heritage trees like this can thrive.”
s
