City Marks Milestone in Park Circle Revitalization Effort

Earlier today, the City of North Charleston announced that a news conference will be held on Friday, February 8, 11 AM, at the entrance of Oak Terrace Preserve neighborhood in Park Circle (1500 East Liberty Park Circle, North Charleston, SC 29405).

Mayor Keith Summey and Councilman Bob King will speak, marking the beginning of Phase 2 of the City’s award-winning Oak Terrace Preserve neighborhood, with comments on upcoming redevelopment projects in the historic district of North Charleston.

The news conference will also address the City’s pending plans to revitalize sections of Rivers Avenue, and the northern end of the former naval base, after the December 2012 rails settlement with the State of South Carolina.

As a follow up for the public, a block party will be held on Saturday, February 9, as a free event, from 11 AM to 3 PM. The event is designed to celebrate the neighborhood’s progress over the past six years, and the construction of Phase 2, featuring food, fun, games, kids’ activities, and live entertainment.

“Oak Terrace Preserve opened the doors for the revitalization of Park Circle’s residential neighborhoods,” says Summey. “Until construction began on Phase 1, there had not been a new housing development in the Park Circle area for 50 years. Now, young families are coming back to the neighborhood, and private residential developments, like Mixson and Hunley Waters, are now gearing up with new construction as the recovery is gaining momentum after the national housing recession of 2008.”

Summey cited the unique advantages of Oak Terrace Preserve for families, with the Charleston County School of the Arts and nationally-ranked Academic Magnet High School within short walking distance of the neighborhood.

As a city owned, public-private project, Oak Terrace Preserve has received national recognition over the past five years, including Green Builder Magazine lists for top ‘green’ neighborhoods in the United States. Other City honors include the National League of Cities Award for Municipal Excellence and the Home Depot Foundation Award of Excellence for Sustainable Community Development.

Over the past two years, publications like This Old House, Bloomberg Business Week, and Men’s Journal have all recognized Park Circle as one of the nation’s ‘cool,’ up-and-coming neighborhoods. The Charleston City Paper readers voted Oak Terrace Preserve as the Charleston area’s “Best New Development of 2009”. KaBoom! cited North Charleston as a Playful City USA Community.

“This notoriety is a product of public and private efforts to redevelop a neighborhood that could have easily been lost without careful planning and investment,” adds Summey. “We’ve come a long way in six years, but I truly believe the best is yet to come.”

Oak Terrace Preserve is a 55-acre sustainable community owned by the City, and developed by private contractors. Homes are EarthCraft® Certified, and feature neo-traditional designs with a Lowcountry vernacular. Upon build-out, OTP will feature 374 homes and town homes, which includes a network of pocket parks, and some hundreds of preserved trees, including many grand oaks. Phase 2 will encompass the construction of 52 single family housing units and 16 town homes over the next 18 months.

Recent videos on the neighborhood:

Oak Terrace Preserve – Community

Oak Terrace Preserve - Schools

Mayor Summey on Oak Terrace Preserve's phase 2 and proximity to schools

Mayor Summey on Oak Terrace Preserve and Park Circle's revitalization

Information and video on Oak Terrace Preserve are in the media kit, at http://bit.ly/otpmediakit

For questions on the news conference, contact Ryan Johnson at the above email address and phone number. For inquiries on Oak Terrace Preserve, call or email Keith West, at the above email and phone number.

Information on Oak Terrace Preserve can be accessed online at http://www.oakterracepreserve.com.

North Charleston sets path for revitalization of former Naval Hospital and Shipwatch Square

The City of North Charleston and Chicora Gardens Holding LLC are set to enter into a purchase agreement, which will transfer approximately 40 acres from the City for $9.2 million.  In October of this year, the City of North Charleston was the high bidder in an online auction conducted by the General Services Administration (GSA) for the former Naval Hospital located at 3600 Rivers Avenue.  After negotiations with GSA, the City purchased the 10-story, 368,000 square foot hospital on 23 acres for $2 million.

The developer will begin a due diligence period and will present a master plan for a Planned Development District to the City of North Charleston’s Planning and Zoning Department.

The project is expected to be a collaborative effort along with private businesses to utilize the best talents, innovation, and ideas to create a destination to bring together the community.  The area’s master plan is focused on attracting commerce and residents to the area with a plan for a sustainable interactive environment. 

An initial plan is to develop a mixed use project that will include a grocery store, office building, bank, restaurants, medical and dental services, pharmacy, library, and a continuing care retirement community with senior apartments, assisted living, and hospice services.  The project will also contain extensive public parks and gardens.

Chicora Gardens Holdings LLC has engaged Davis and Floyd for engineering work to include the initial site plan, structural analysis, and for the parks and gardens landscape architecture and design. Chicora Gardens is represented by Rick Brownyard of Mt Pleasant, SC.

Shipwatch Square: its history and current redevelopment updates

Update #7 September 20, 2012
An image of the cleared site taken from the former Naval Hospital.

Update #6 August 28, 2102
All of the building on the site have been cleared and grass has begun to grow.

Update #5 April 9, 2012
A Post and Courier article by Robert Behre from a recent interview with North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey.

North Charleston gambles big on old Shipwatch Square shopping center

Update #4 March 2, 2012
Demolition continues at Shipwatch Square with only a few buildings remaining.

Update #3 January 12, 2012
Building 2, which was parallel to Meeting Street Road (former home to Woolworth's and Belks) has been demolished, as has the bank at the intersection of McMillan and Rivers Avenue.

Update #2 November 21, 2011

Demolition continues.

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Update #1 November 8, 2011
The demolition of the old Shipwatch Square is ongoing.  The building that formerly housed a Chinese restaurant and the Howard Johnson restaurant has been demolished, as well as the shopping center building parallel to McMillan Avenue.  The contractors are currently demolishing the bank building (former home to Wachovia, and before that South Carolina National Bank) at the corner of McMillan and Rivers Avenues.

The removal of asbestos containing materials from the remaining two shopping center buildings is proceeding.  Afterwards, the final two buildings will be demolished.

Please note that Shipwatch’s last remaining tenant, “Citi Trends,” has relocated to the shopping center on Rivers Avenue at Aviation Avenue.  Auto Sound Specialist (747-0047) remains in business at its current location, as does “Lord of the Harvest” in the former movie theater at the corner of McMillan Avenue and Meeting Street Road.

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November 7, 2011

History of Shipwatch Square

In 1895, long before Pinehaven Shopping Center, the City of Charleston established 600-acre Chicora Park north of the its boundaries along the Inland Trail.  The Trail itself was a vital route of commerce, carrying goods between the sea coast and the Midlands of South Carolina.  Over the next decade, the United States Navy took possession of 1,575 acres along the west bank of the Cooper River, consuming the Park through its expansion.  Eventually, a 20-acre site was developed just outside of the Naval Base gates for the Pinehaven Sanatorium, a health care facility for tuberculosis patients.

In 1958, the Pinehaven Shopping Center was built on the site of the former sanatorium and consisted of 200,000 square feet of retail business. Pinehaven’s landmark structure was a central circle tower that bore the its name and held all of the lighting for the parking lot hidden within the top circle of the tower.
The shopping center opened for business September 17, 1959. Two grocery stores, a national retail clothier, one national five and dime store, one large local retailer, one bank and numerous small businesses made up the complex.  In future years a cinema was added.  The shopping center was very successful for decades and the occupancy of tenants remained high.  As the area continued to develop from the presence of the Naval Base, the center was renamed Shipwatch Square.

Although the shopping center began to decline with the establishment of area indoor shopping malls, a major blow came when the US Navy announced the closing of the Naval Base and Shipyard in North Charleston, displacing 12,000 civilian and 8,000 military employees. This was a large economic setback to the immediate area as many of the workers would use the retail outside of the base to shop and dine. Winn Dixie was the last major tenant, vacating the center in 2005 as part of the chain’s closure of all its grocery stores in South Carolina. The rest of the center maintained a few lower tier establishments, but was generally unoccupied.

In 2002, the City created a new vision for the 3,000 acres south of I-526 and east of I-26 from Cosgrove Avenue to the Cooper River known as the Noisette Community Master Plan. Real estate ventures began to rise as investors bought into the City’s new vision. Shipwatch Square was purchased by new stakeholders who had an ambitious development plan. However, the US economy began to slip in 2008 and the new development did not progress.  The City was patient in encouraging private enterprises, but in the end, redevelopment was not initiated.

Redevelopment begins

The City of North Charleston purchased 16.4 acres of the center in 2010, leaving the corner property for the former developer to negotiate a sale with a drug store.  After the developer’s negotiations fell through, the City acquired the final parcel on the corner of McMillan and Rivers Avenues in 2011.

North Charleston has created a number of conceptual plans for the property and is working with the surrounding businesses and an adjacent church to find the appropriate mix of tenants and financing to make the redevelopment successful. The City intends to create a complete master plan and secure development partners for its implementation.

The City approved a lease with Walgreens and a local developer to become the first tenant in the new center. The drug store chain will lease the property for 3 years and thereafter have the option to purchase the parcel located at the corner of McMillan and Rivers Avenues.  The City is also in negotiations with a bank to locate on site.

The City feels that housing should be major component of the development to attract residents into the immediate area. The North Charleston Housing Authority is investigating building its new offices at Shipwatch Square. In addition, the city has received interest in relocating to the site from Charleston County Library, Clemson University Extension Service, Fetter Health Care Clinics, Charleston County Health Services, the Pinehaven Post Office, and the Small Business Administration.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the area around Shipwatch Square has been classified as a food desert.  The Mayor and City Council are committed to attracting a full-service grocery as the anchor tenant of the location’s redevelopment.  This effort may also include community or urban gardens, farmers markets and educational activities for the community. The City is currently in discussion with several grocery store chains.

The City of North Charleston remains very optimistic about the success of the redevelopment.  This is a wonderful opportunity to create a new community in the south end of the city and provide the residents a deserving quality place to work, live, play, and shop.

North Charleston Receives National Award for Sustainable Urban Revitalization project

North Charleston, SC, was chosen as one of eight cities to receive the Award for Municipal Excellence from the National League of Cities (NLC).  The city was honored Friday, December 3 at a ceremony during NLC’s annual Congress of Cities & Exposition in Denver, Colo.  North Charleston was chosen as a Silver winner in the 50,001 to 150,000 population category for the Sustainable Urban Revitalization project.

The Sustainable Urban Revitalization project in North Charleston brought together public, private and non-governmental organizations to help revitalize the city impacted by the closure of the Charleston Naval Base.  The project has rejuvenated the East Montague Business District, which includes the first LEED Platinum building in South Carolina; created the Oak Terrace Preserve, a green housing development; and several new public schools including the LEED-certified North Charleston Elementary School and Charleston County’s School for the Arts.  North Charleston’s project has benefitted the community through increased economic development projects, new sustainable neighborhoods and the restoration of historic buildings and streetscapes.

Read the full award application here.

“The City of North Charleston has worked diligently to transform its urban core into a sustainable city center to increase the overall quality of life of our residents.  Over the past few years, we have seen a welcomed influx of young families, complemented by new businesses to provide an economic boost for our City,” said Mayor R. Keith Summey.  “North Charleston will continue burgeoning to become an even greater place to live, work, and play.”

As a Silver winner, North Charleston will receive an award of $1,000, which will be donated to the community non-profit of the city’s choice, the Sustainability Institute.

“We congratulate North Charleston and its Sustainable Urban Revitalization project for receiving an Award for Municipal Excellence,” said Donald J. Borut, NLC executive director.  “North Charleston’s program has improved the quality of life for all citizens by developing a creative solution to a pressing local problem.”

The Awards for Municipal Excellence recognize city programs that improve the quality of life in local communities through creative collaboration, excellence in city government and best practices in municipal policy.

Additional information regarding the awards program can be found at http://www.nlc.org/ame.aspx.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

Public Forum to discuss revitalization plans

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey and City Council invites the community to Felix C. Davis Community Center within Park Circle on Thursday, July 8, 2010. There will be a neighborhood cookout at 5:00 pm, followed by a public forum at 6:00 pm to discuss the potential implementation of the City’s ongoing revitalization plans.

North Charleston’s City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 7:00 pm will be at Felix C. Davis Community Center, rather than City Hall.

Thursday, July 8, 2010 at Felix C. Davis Community Center

5:00 pm – Neighborhood Cookout

6:00 pm – Public Forum

7:00 pm – City Council meeting

View Larger Map

Community Input Sought on LAMC Revitalization Plan

The Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC) is holding a public meeting and open house on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, at the Military Magnet School, located at 2950 Carner Avenue in the Chicora/Cherokee neighborhood, to gather input on its Revitalization Plan. The revitalization study is funded from the South Carolina State Ports Authority Community Mitigation Plan.

Attendees will receive information regarding the Plan and have an opportunity to make written or verbal comments. EDAW/AECOM will provide a brief, formal presentation of the Plan development process and proposed implementation strategies. Displays highlighting the Plan will be set up in the school auditorium with project team members from EDAW/AECOM, LAMC, and the City of North Charleston to answer questions.

Over the past eight months, LAMC and the City have worked to create a unified community vision and implementation strategy for long-term growth and equitable development in seven neighborhoods in North Charleston’s Neck area, including Liberty Hill, Accabee, Union Heights, Howard Heights, Windsor, Five Mile, and Chicora/Cherokee. “Neighborhoods deserve to participate as partners with policymakers, service providers, regulatory agencies, industry, and developers to improve the community,” said Coakley Hilton, LAMC President. “The LAMC Revitalization Plan gave us an opportunity to do that. How we act on that opportunity is up to us.”

The Revitalization Plan identifies a number of strategies and goals for economic development, housing, community facilities, and land use. Issues of concern include affordable housing, improving neighborhood appearance, increasing parks and greenspace, preserving existing neighborhoods, redeveloping vacant and dilapidated properties, and identifying traffic and transportation improvements.

The community was involved early in the planning process to help formulate the vision for the LAMC neighborhoods. More than 25 organizations and business leaders were interviewed to gain various perspectives about the future of the LAMC neighborhoods, followed by a series of public community visioning workshops that involved hands-on exercises and discussions.

LAMC is a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of advocating environmental justice and promoting community development, education, quality housing, and community involvement. The LAMC Revitalization Plan is a component of the Community Mitigation Plan between LAMC, the South Carolina State Ports Authority, and the City of North Charleston to mitigate potential impacts of the new port terminal development at the former Navy Base in North Charleston. LAMC now serves as the primary community liaison between elected officials, public agencies, planners, private developers, and the neighborhoods it represents.

More information on LAMC can be found on its official website http://lamcnc.org/.