CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Ports Authority says they’re pausing and shifting its planning process for a future neighborhood at Union Pier for a year.
SC Ports Authority President and CEO Barbara Melvin announced the change during a Friday morning press conference on the pier.
“To get to the best solution, there must be a willingness to listen and compromise,” Melvin said Friday. “That’s exactly what we have done here today with the plans for Union Pier. We listened to the community and what they want, and we are now responding.”
Melvin said the Ports Authority would defer future plans for the pier’s 70 acres to the City of Charleston. The decision follows a public input meeting where hundreds of locals weighed in on the Union Pier Project.
During the announcement, Melvin was flanked by city of Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and local advocacy groups, such as the Preservation Society of Charleston, the Historic Charleston Foundation and the Coastal Conservation League.
“While there will always be differing perspectives on a project of this scale, we took note that the same themes kept emerging,” Melvin said. “We heard the calls to slow down the process and gather even more community input. We heard the need for this city, for this process, to be city-led with third-party experts weighing in on every aspect of the proposal.”
Officials said the city will now lead the process along with the community, and the Riley Center for Livable Communities from the College of Charleston acting as a third-party consultant.
Current plans for the 70-acre plot of land on the Charleston Harbor are to create a mixed-use district. The plan includes affordable housing, retail, commercial and office space.
READ MORE: Environmental groups continue to weigh in on Union Pier Plans
During a June 7 meeting, port officials said the latest plans were adjusted to reflect public feedback received over the last six months.
The presented plan included lower building heights, reduced square footage, the expansion of the Rice Mill Mall and 367 units of affordable housing.
Tecklenburg called Friday a day of celebration and a sigh of relief, stating the city needs to get the proposed neighborhood right.
The mayor said there are six tracks the city will focus on during the pause:
During a June 7 meeting, port officials said the latest plans were adjusted to reflect public feedback received over the last six months.
The presented plan included lower building heights, reduced square footage, the expansion of the Rice Mill Mall and 367 units of affordable housing.
“Today is, in a way, a day of celebration because we kind of breathed a little sigh of relief that we’re going to have a pause, a reset, so we can get this right,” Tecklenburg said.
The mayor said there are six tracks the city will focus on during the pause:
Advocacy organizations applauded the change in process from the ports.
“It needs to be a process that’s independent and third-party and driven by the community first,” Preservation Society of Charleston President and CEO Brian Turner said. “It needs to be proactive, and that’s exactly the puzzle piece that the port is helping us put into place today.”
Melvin said they still want to build a mixed-use neighborhood with parks and waterfront access but hopes the shift could bring a way forward everyone can agree on.
“We are so fortunate to live in a place where people care so much about their city,” Melvin said. “We, too, care deeply about what happens here. We believe that we will have a new plan that all can embrace.”
State Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston County, penned a letter to Melvin earlier this week asking to restart the planning process on the redevelopment.
Gilliard said he believes “the best path forward is to pause, reset, and restart the process.” He submitted the letter citing concerns over the lack of communication and transparency while the plans for the land were being created.
“We call upon you to set aside the current plan and begin the process anew, this time including all the affected, interested, and appropriated community leaders and stakeholders,” Gilliard said.
Melvin said the port is listening to the community and considering feedback heard during the June 7 public meeting.
“This is an ongoing, collaborative process with both the city and the community. We have been listening to community members and stakeholders for the past year, and we are continuing to listen,” Melvin said in a statement. “As we consider the community feedback we received from last week’s Planning Commission meeting, we have deepened our conversations with city officials and stakeholders to further evolve the plan.”
Tecklenburg said he will be meeting with the local advocacy groups throughout the day to outline a path forward for the site.
“We have a world-class city where people travel from all over the globe to see this wonderfully fine-grained, historic, walkable city,” Historic Charleston Foundation Chief Advocacy Officer Cashion Drolet said. “We have every opportunity mess that up and one opportunity to get it right.”
Peter Shahid, a councilmember running for Charleston mayor this November, released the following statement on the announcement, which reads in part:
“I commend Barbara Melvin for slowing down the process of redeveloping the Union Pier site. This is a wise decision.”
Clay Middleton, another candidate for Charleston mayor, also released a statement regarding the announcement.
He said, in part, “Never underestimate the power of what a committed group of individuals can do. The citizens of Charleston have spoken. Because of the leadership and advocacy of neighbors and non-profit organizations, the development of the Union Pier site will truly provide the right plan we can be proud of now and a generation yet born will thank us for.”
Ports officials said they ideally would want a revised plan for the pier adopted around July 2024.
They also said they still own the Union Pier site, but it will be put out for bid in the future. However, they do not know who will eventually purchase the land.
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