Author: preservation-admin
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Union Pier Plan Shifting to Community-Focused Process After Significant Public Feedback
A coalition of Charleston advocacy groups is applauding the announcement Friday by the South Carolina Ports Authority and the City of Charleston that there will be a fresh start on the redevelopment of Union Pier, a significant project that for months has drawn overwhelming community feedback. At the June 7 Planning Commission meeting focused on…
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Preservation Society Now Accepting Nominations for 70th Carolopolis Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2023 Sam Spence | 843.722.4630 ext. 23 | sspence@preservationsociety.org PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF CHARLESTON NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 70TH CAROLOPOLIS AWARDS CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – The Preservation Society of Charleston (PSC) is accepting nominations for its annual Carolopolis Awards until September 15, 2023. Now in its 70th year,…
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Lost History: Rediscovering Union Pier’s Historical Wharves and Their Cultural Impact
The massive 70-acre concrete slab that comprises present-day Union Pier might, at first glance, seem like a blank slate, but it has a rich, storied past. Historical maps, newspapers, photographs, and other archival resources reveal that the wharves that existed within the Union Pier property footprint served as an anchor for Charleston’s domestic and international…
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Upon Reclaimed Land: Union Pier’s Ecological Evolution
Charleston’s waterfront landscape has changed drastically since the city’s founding in 1670. The downtown peninsula, once home to a network of inlets, creeks, and marshland, was slowly filled to expand buildable land area along the Charleston Harbor and Cooper and Ashley Rivers.
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June 7: Planning Commission Meeting on Union Pier
Planning Commission meets June 7 to hold a public hearing on the Union Pier redevelopment. Credit: Mike Habat On Wednesday, June 7, Charleston’s Planning Commission will hold an official public hearing about the redevelopment of Union Pier. The public is invited to attend and speak. This is the most significant meeting thus far about Union Pier.…
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Charleston’s Historic Neighborhoods added to America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list
A new GIS rendering developed by the PSC shows the stark contrast in massing and height between the proposed Union Pier development and the historic Ansonborough neighborhood. Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that the threat posed by incompatible development at Union Pier justifies placing Charleston in the national spotlight on its 2023…
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155 Meeting Street Heads to BAR
The proposal to build an 8-story hotel complex at 155 Meeting Street goes before BAR-L this week. Source: May 10 BAR-L image overview This Wednesday, the new design proposed to replace the old Days Inn building at 155 Meeting Street will be heard by the Board of Architectural Review-Large (BAR-L). Standing at 8-stories tall and…
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Your Ideas For a Better Way For Union Pier
Detail of an 1872 aerial map of Charleston showing the historic Union Pier site. Source: Library of Congress On Thursday, May 11, you’re invited to a community gathering to learn more and share your ideas for Union Pier. Community Workshop on a Better Way Forward for Union Pier We’ll briefly discuss the Union Pier project’s…
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Risking Death by a Thousand Cuts: Upzonings in Charleston
Interested in zoning issues? The City is holding a public kick-off meeting for its zoning code rewrite on April 17. It is an opportunity to meet the consultant team getting started and learn more about the project, which is expected to take two years: Zoning Rewrite Kick-off Meeting Monday, April 17 at 6 p.m. The…
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Thursday: Make your voice heard about Union Pier’s urban design
Planning Commission holds its next Union Pier meeting this Thursday, and you have a chance to shape the questions they ask. This will be the second informational session on Union Pier, and will discuss the overall urban design, density, and height of the proposed redevelopment. The design approach the State Ports Authority (SPA) has proposed…