Rendering of the Courier Square project created by PSC via Google Earth.

The final piece of one of the largest development projects in the city’s history comes before BAR-L next week. Courier Square Phase III will cap off an era of redevelopment that has fundamentally changed the upper peninsula, projecting three full blocks of new buildings into the city’s skyline.

The Courier Square project between Meeting and St. Philip streets has been unveiled in three distinct phases over the past decade. The four buildings and site design on next week’s agenda are the final piece of the puzzle, including Courier Square itself, as well as the tallest structures proposed for upper King Street, zoned for up to 12 stories.

The proposal on the BAR-L agenda next week includes more than 1 million square feet of real estate on 3.7 acres. Needless to say, the stakes could not be higher to make sure Charleston gets this right.

A Recent History of Courier Square Phase III

The site under consideration is the former headquarters of The Post and Courier and its printing operation. The building was approved for demolition in 2022.

In early 2024, Evening Post Industries succeeded in rezoning the site as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). City Council granted additional height to the developer in exchange for public benefits, including commitments to include meaningful public open space, affordable retail and workforce housing both on and off-site.

During the PUD review, PSC opposed the extraordinary request to build up to 12 stories. The ability to construct four stories taller than the baseline zoning, in our view, set a dangerous precedent that could further imperil historic buildings throughout the city.

Ultimately, City Council voted to approve the increased height in exchange for the developer’s commitment to create exceptional public spaces. Council seemed to welcome the proposed density as a way to catalyze the placemaking opportunity for the long-anticipated Lowline, which runs along the eastern side of the property.

BAR Review

BAR-L is the last discretionary review this project will face. On Wednesday, July 9, the Board will consider five separate applications for this ambitious development.

At the hearing, PSC will call on the Board to exercise its authority to uphold high standards for site planning and architecture, closely examining how the proposal interacts with the city around it. While we cannot expect the Board to question the underlying zoning, it is clearly within its purview to consider whether the site design and buildings are harmonious with what we know and love about Charleston. The Zoning Ordinance gives wide authority to the Board to, for instance, consider whether new buildings are “in consonance with the dignity and … prevailing character of the immediate surroundings.”

As we approach the design review phase, here are three themes the PSC is focusing on in our advocacy on Courier Square Phase III:

#1. Making truly public spaces

The public square proposed as part of Phase III is intended as the center of the entire Courier Square development. Bisected by the future Lowline, highlighted in green, expectations

Courier Square Phase III will be transformational for Charleston, and must deliver public spaces that are more than amenities for luxury housing and hotels, and which create new community assets worthy of the city’s most important commercial corridor.

Located between King Street and the future Lowline, the PUD contains requirements that this emerging pedestrian district will be animated with a new public square. Most of the area designated for community use is on the interior of the site, making gracious connections to surrounding streetscapes essential.

When all is said and done, the quality of the public space will be the gauge of successfor this development, and the BAR is empowered to modulate architectural and urban design elements to ensure Courier Square Phase III delivers on its promises to create an inviting and dynamic environment.

#2. Unprecedented height and mass means design quality is paramount

The Guild apartment building, part of Courier Square Phase I, is pictured behind Building Two. Currently one of the tallest buildings in the area, it is dwarfed by three of the four proposed buildings in Phase III. Courtesy of BAR-L image overview.

The height districts in the PUD allow for three of the four proposed buildings to reach 10-12 stories each — the tallest on upper King Street. For reference, neither Phases I nor II exceed eight stories, and the adjacent 40 Line Street development nearing completion maxes out at nine stories.

Charleston has no frame of reference for an entire block of 10-12-story buildings. This is unprecedented. The level of intensity proposed for this site will be an experiment in how a district that may be customary in larger cities can exist here.

In addition to modifying scale and mass, the BAR has the authority to require downward adjustment of one-half story based on context and must critically assess the impact of the proposed buildings on the streetscape and skyline. This will be especially important for corner buildings and those with long frontages along historically small-scale streetscapes.

#3. Activating new urban streetscapes

The three-story “Building Two” on King Street offers welcome relief from the adjacent 12-story buildings, but must be considered as the primary opportunity to draw pedestrians into the interior square.

Courtesy of BAR-L image overview.

Situated between Phases I and II, Courier Square Phase III will determine the cohesion of the developing district. While the BAR does not regulate land use, it is within the Board’s power to ensure architecture is responsive to its context and in harmony with the character of the city as a whole.

Key factors to make this block an accessible and inviting place include activated ground floors and visible public spaces that contribute new pedestrian passages to Charleston’s vibrant urban network. For example, the opportunity to use the smaller-scale “Building Two” as a gateway connection between King Street and the interior of the site should be a focal point of the Board’s review.

The BAR-L will consider the Courier Square Phase III design on July 9. PSC staff will attend and offer insightful comments based on the principles outlined above.

Zoning flexibility granted for this project means the Board bears a significant responsibility to carefully weigh this consequential proposal. It is critical that the applicants, city staff, BAR-L members, and the community take a critical eye to the impacts of this project, balancing the significant benefits it has the potential to bring. This is your chance to participate in an important discussion about the future of the city.

How can you engage?

View the BAR-L agenda
View the Courier Square Phase III application package
Submit comments online by Tuesday, July 8 at 12:00 PM
Weigh in at the meeting on Wednesday, July 9 at 4:30 PM in the 1st floor public meeting room at 2 George Street.
Please feel free to email your comments or observations to PSC at advocacy@preservationsociety.org.

Major skyline changes for King Street before BAR next week

#1. Making truly public spaces

#2. Unprecedented height and mass means design quality is paramount

#3. Activating new urban streetscapes