North Charleston breaks ground on new $42 million Public Works complex

City of North Charleston officials broke ground today on a new $42 million Public Works complex off of Vector Avenue. The new complex features a state of the art design on a 38 acre multi-building campus to streamline Public Works functions and places the facility centrally within the City.

When the Charleston Naval Base closed, the City acquired off-base property at the intersection of Remount Road and I-26, where for years, a municipal court annex and several city departments operated. Additional property was later transferred to the City by the US Air Force. After the completion of the new city hall in the fall of 2009, all city departments were consolidated, except for public works. The consolidation allowed for the demolition of the former annex, freeing a large tract of land for a new public works facility.

On June 14, 2012, City Council approved the bond issuance to fund the construction of the new public works facility. With design, planning, and site preparation completed, building construction is set to begin.

The Public Works complex will consist of a multi-building campus, plus sheds for equipment and storage, spread across 38 acres. Its centralized location allows access to major thoroughfares and I-26. Construction is scheduled to be completed in April 2015.

Public Works is currently located at 1023 Aragon Street in a facility built in late 1975. At the time of construction, it was located very near the center of the City with room for expansion. After nearly forty years of growth, both in population and geographic area, the City has outgrown the now small, crowded facility.



“With our population now over 100,000, the replacement of our public works facility is long overdue,” said Mayor Keith Summey. “The new complex positions North Charleston for the next fifty years of growth, and ensures that citizens of North Charleston receive efficient and cost effective services.”

“North Charleston’s Public Works Department has come a long way since its formation in the early 1970s,” said Public Works Director Jim Hutto. “Starting with a used dump truck and a two man crew to fill pot holes, Public Works now employs nearly 200 and oversees a wide variety of services for the citizens and businesses of North Charleston. The new facility is ideally positioned to provide our employees the appropriate space to serve the people of our city.”

North Charleston’s Public Works Department is responsible for engineering, street and sidewalk maintenance, stormwater maintenance and utility, solid waste disposal, traffic signs and signals, landscaping, city facilities maintenance and repair, fleet maintenance, and construction contract administration.

Veterans Day in North Charleston, a Tribute to our Veterans

The City of North Charleston will host its annual Veterans Day tribute on Monday, November 12, 2012 from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm at Park Circle. We ask veterans and the public to join Mayor R. Keith Summey and City Council in this special ceremony. Last year, over 500 veterans in attendance were honored.

The Department of Defense and the Veterans Day National Committee has once again selected North Charleston as a Regional Site for Veterans Day 2012. North Charleston is the only regional site in the State of South Carolina and has been selected for 3 consecutive years.

All veterans in attendance will be recognized and will receive a specially designed commemorative coin. To receive a coin, Veterans are urged to RSVP no later than October 25 to (843) 740-5801, (843) 745-1028 or via email at cdambaugh@northcharleston.org.

Lieutenant Colonel Vernon F. Lightner will be the event’s keynote speaker. A native of Great Falls, South Carolina, Lt. Col. Lightner graduated Livingstone College in 1991 and subsequently received a commission in the US Army Military Police Corps. He has served in a variety of leadership positions from platoon leader to battalion commander, most recently serving as the Director of Emergency Services at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Lt. Col. Lightner stands at attention during ceremony - Flickr user Fort Bliss Garrison PAO

Lt. Col. Lightner served in several operational deployments, including Operation Intrinsic Action in Kuwait, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, and two tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He currently serves in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army, as the Regional Director, Southeastern Region, for the Soldier for Life Office.

More Photos of Lt. Col. Lightner

Prior to the ceremony, from 9:30 am – 10:30 am, a story swap will be held in the Felix Davis Community Center. Veterans will have an open opportunity to share memories and stories about their service with fellow veterans. The story swap is open to the public. Veterans wishing to speak should RSVP to (843) 740-5850.

Outback Steakhouse is once again sponsoring lunch for all of the event’s attendees. Outback has sponsored the event for four consecutive years.

From past Veterans Day events

Photos: Veterans Day 2011


Photos: Veterans Day 2010


Video: Medal of Honor recipient Major General Livingston on Veterans Day


Video: 10 year old Tre’ Williams on what it means to be a veteran


Video: Major Joe Lysaght on the history of the Pledge of Allegiance

City of North Charleston Appoints New Artist-in-Residence

Local fiber artist, Kristy Bishop, to fill role for 2012-2013

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is proud to announce the appointment of contemporary fiber artist Kristy Bishop as Artist-in-Residence for 2012/13. The City’s Artist-in-Residence serves as a key resource for the department’s outreach programs, especially in the area of art instruction. The selected artist shares his/her unique skills, talents, and experiences by providing services to senior groups, public schools, group homes, and various other groups within the city limits of North Charleston. Kristy will be available for visual art residencies of 12-15 hours at a minimum of two hour increments at North Charleston schools and is also available to host workshops for community groups of all ages.

Kristy Bishop, originally from Charleston, received a BA in Studio Art with a concentration in painting from the College of Charleston in 2008. In the spring of 2009 she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where the beauty and fragility of the Mojave desert became the primary inspiration for her paintings. It was in December of that year that Kristy began experimenting with fiber mediums, incorporating sewn and embroidered elements into her paintings. By the time she returned to Charleston in the summer of 2010, Kristy had made the transformation from painter to mixed media/fiber artist. Her most recent works are created solely from fabric, featuring hand-dyed silk that is cut, gathered, and sewn. By hand dyeing the fabric, she creates a multitude of colors that she uses as her palette for creating new work. Thousands of tiny pieces of hand-dyed silk are manipulated to create large scale abstract pieces that employ texture and color to convey and evoke a number of emotions. In March, 2012, Kristy was featured in Charleston Magazine. Her most recent works can be viewed in an exhibition titled Pinned Down, on view from August 17-28 at Stems, located at 208 Coming Street in downtown Charleston.

Art teachers and school liaisons may initiate the request for FREE services by the Artist-in-Residence by contacting the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. Community groups are also welcome to submit requests, which will be considered on a first come first served basis. All project requests should be placed at least two weeks in advance, with residences completed by the end of May, 2013.

The North Charleston City Gallery will host an exhibition of Kristy’s work throughout January, 2013. The gallery is located within the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. School liaisons, arts teachers, and the general public are invited to meet the artist at a free gallery reception on Thursday, January 3, 2013, from 5:00-7:00pm.

More information about the Artist-in-Residence program, as well as the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, can be found on the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org. For more information about Kristy, visit kristybishop.com.

North Charleston selected as Regional Veterans Day Site by National Committee

The Department of Defense and the Veterans Day National Committee has once again selected North Charleston as a Regional Site for Veterans Day 2012. North Charleston is the only regional site in the State of South Carolina and has been selected for 3 consecutive years.

The City of North Charleston will host its annual Veterans Day tribute on Monday, November 12, 2012 from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm at Park Circle. We ask veterans and the public to join Mayor R. Keith Summey and City Council in this special ceremony. Last year, over 500 veterans in attendance were honored.

Prior to the ceremony, from 9:30 am – 10:30 am, a story swap will be held in the Felix Davis Community Center. Veterans will have an open opportunity to share memories and stories about their service with fellow veterans. The story swap is open to the public.

Additional details about North Charleston’s Veterans Day event will be released over the coming months.

From past Veterans Day events
Photos: Veterans Day 2011
Photos: Veterans Day 2010
Video: Medal of Honor recipient Major General Livingston on Veterans Day
Video: 10 year old Tre’ Williams on what it means to be a veteran
Video: Major Joe Lysaght on the history of the Pledge of Allegiance

Firefighter Combat Challenge comes to North Charleston this weekend

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge will be coming to North Charleston this weekend. The event is being offered to promote the physical fitness of firefighters, and will be part of the 20-plus Challenge tour to be held throughout the United States in 2012.

While you must be a firefighter to take part in the competition, the public is encouraged to come and watch as the participants navigate the Challenge course or “The toughest two minutes in sports,” as it’s frequently known.

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge will be held at Tanger Outlet, located at 4840 Tanger Outlet Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29418. The individual competition starts at Friday, May 18 at 4:00pm. The tandem and team relays begin on Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 am.

Firefighters competing in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge will be competing in a five-evolution event, which includes a 5-story tower climb with high-rise pack, hose hoist, forcible entry, hose advance, and victim rescue. Competitions shall include individual, team, tandem, and relay. Firefighters will vie for times, points, and placement qualifying them for the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge World Challenge, to be held in November 2012.

 “The Firefighter Combat Challenge is set to showcase the hard work of our local fire departments that keep us safe during our times of need. The intricacy of their equipment and tasks are most often overlooked by the public, but the complexity of the profession is definitely real. This spectacular event, featuring the firefighter’s brain and brawn, will offer us the rare, yet exciting peak into the actions of the brave men and women that put their lives on the line for us every day,” stated Mayor Keith Summey.


This year’s Combat Challenge is being held in conjunction with the Annual Safe Kids Bike Rodeo and Safety Day at the Fire Museum. The North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Saturday, May 19, 2012, with a full day of family fun activities to entertain while raising awareness to prevent accidental childhood injury.

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge was founded 20 years ago, by Dr. Paul Davis, as a physical fitness research project at the University of Maryland. The Challenge is based out of Burtonsville, Maryland, and maintains a goal of promoting fitness within the first responder community.

For more information about the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, please visit http://www.firefighterchallenge.com, or call 301.421.4433.

North Charleston to swear in Mayor and new City Council

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey and City Council will be sworn in on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 6:00 pm in Council Chambers at North Charleston City Hall.  The swearing in ceremony follows the November 8 municipal elections for Mayor and all ten City Council seats.

Mayor Summey was re-elected to his 5th full term in office.  Re-elected Council Members include: Ed Astle (District 1), Rhonda Jerome (District 2), Bobby Jameson (District 3), Dorothy Williams (District 6), Sam Hart (District 7), Bob King (District 8), and Michael Brown (District 10).  Newly elected Council Members include: Ron Brinson (District 4), Todd Olds (District 5), and Dwight Stigler (District 9).

Replacement of Fire Station 5 has begun

The North Charleston Fire Department, City Council, and Mayor R. Keith Summey broke ground on Fire Station 5 on May 20, 2010. The new fire station will be located across the street from the current fire station on Dorchester Road between Covington Hills and Jericho on the Ashley.

When the City conducted inspections of all facilities in November 2007, it was determined that Fire Station 5 needed a complete renovation. The renovation would have taken 6 months and require temporary housing (trailers) for fire personnel. Instead of renovating the station at the current site, which the City leases from the Air Force, it was deemed wiser to construct an up to date station on city owned property.

The new station will contain an additional bay that will house reserve or specialized equipment, some of which is currently stored outside due to lack of space. It will contain a weight room for the crews to maintain a higher level of physical fitness and a day room equipped for classroom training for the crews while they maintain coverage in the area. The new station will also contain living space for a Battalion Chief, as our Battalion Chiefs currently stay at other stations dictated more by space limitations rather than strategic determinations.

View Fire Station 5 in a larger map