I wrote in my first business column for The Gazette a short five months ago that, since my return to Beaufort, more than one person had remarked to me that Bluffton had "blown up" with new development. At the time, I figured I would document similar growth in my hometown for the foreseeable future.

The Lowcountry Regional Education Center serving Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties has hired Bill Cox as coordinator.

The initiative is one of 12 centers statewide being set up as part of Personal Pathways to Success, a program created by the Education and Economic Development Act of 2005 to help students define and achieve post-graduation goals.

Cox said he and the center’s advisory board will work to build partnerships that foster career development in the region, “a serious approach to work-force development … vital for South Carolina’s economic future.”

Five months after expanding, Alberto’s Tex-Mex Grill has apparently closed.

Restaurant co-owners Alberto and Pedro Tapia doubled the eatery’s size when they took over both sides of the building at 1422 Boundary St. in October, but the business is shut and its phone service is disconnected.

The owner of the property, John Trask Jr., said he thinks the Tapias are trying to sell the restaurant.

“I think it’s still kind of up in the air right now, what’s happening,” Trask said.

The Tapias could not be reached for comment today.

The owners of Barefoot Bubba’s at 2135 Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island have opened another beachwear business of the same name in downtown Beaufort, and they plan to open two high-end surf shops in the near future.

Brothers Tony and Eddie Yahav this week opened a new Barefoot Bubba’s at 722 Bay St., formerly the site of Picket Fence, a women’s apparel and cottage furnishings store. The Barefoot Bubba’s businesses are officially licensed to carry the “Life is good” brand.

The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors has unanimously voted to support two multi-county industrial park projects, a change in the state’s situs guidelines on boat taxes and improvements to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

The board backs a Greenlawn Drive project by Beaufort developer 303 Associates to create 112 mixed-use units at Beaufort Town Center. It also supports the Buckwalter Place project in Bluffton, a planned 94-acre development off Buckwalter Parkway that would include businesses, government offices and housing.

What is it with Beaufort Plaza and recent restaurant failure?

Just more than three months after Checkers closed, its next-door neighbor has also apparently shut without notice. The locked doors at Lotus Chinese Restaurant at 3 Robert Smalls Parkway left several potential lunchtime patrons wondering where to go next when I stopped by today.

Chamber sets dates for recurring events
The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce’s next “Business After Hours” event is planned for 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 13 at the Comfort Suites at 131 Big John Road at S.C. 170 and New Hanover Park.

Admission costs $7 for chamber members and $20 for nonmembers. RSVP by March 11 to Blakely Williams at 843-986-5400, extension 27.

Port Royal Stone Works at 1675 Ribaut Road is moving today to 212 Sea Island Parkway on Lady’s Island.

Kenn and Jodie Woods, the co-owners of Palm & Moon Bagel Co. at 221 Scott St. in downtown Beaufort, are talking with the Port Royal property owner about opening a new store at 1675 Ribaut Road.

“We’re looking at it right now,” Kenn Woods said. “We’re not sure exactly when. … We’ve got so darn much going on right now — we’ve got a store opening in Bluffton as well.”

Developer Matt McAlhaney’s City Loft Hotel project will bring three new businesses to downtown Beaufort in late fall. Plans for the former Red Carpet Inn site at Carteret and Port Republic streets include a coffee shop, a restaurant and a fitness center.

The National Federation of Independent Business is holding a seminar on 10 ways small-business owners can avoid lawsuits from 6 to 8 p.m. March 4 at Golden Corral in Beaufort.

Beth Milito, senior executive counsel with the federation’s legal foundation, will discuss the impact of hiring illegal immigrants and other issues facing small-business owners. The event is sponsored by AT&T.