Lead design firm meets with Union Pier Stakeholder Advisory Committee

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Union Pier Stakeholder Advisory Committee held a meeting on Thursday night at the College of Charleston to discuss the redevelopment of Union Pier.  

The meeting was the first time the 14-member committee heard from the project’s lead design firm, Sasaki, and their partners. It came a few months after the City of Charleston and the South Carolina Ports Authority reached an agreement to extend the planning timeline and come up with a new plan.

Earlier this year, the plan to transform the 70-acre property into a mixed used neighborhood was progressing through the city’s approval process. However, the project was put on pause in June after the community expressed concern about the height and density, the environmental impact, and how quickly it was unfolding.

The Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston was brought on board to assist with a community engaged planning process.

“We really appreciate and admire the Ports Authority for making the decision, of course along with the City of Charleston. I think they made that decision together, to press pause on this process and give the community more of an opportunity to weigh in and really shape what value should be driving what goes on that land,” said Ali Moriarty, the Assistant Director for the Riley Center.

According to Chloe Stuber, a Senior Planner for the City of Charleston, the city’s focus is to amend the Comprehensive Plan to include a Waterfront Redevelopment Land Use District.

“This is part of the peninsula planning effort overall. So, we are looking at the entire peninsula waterfront not just the Union Pier site. So, what we are focusing on is bringing a holistic view to this conversation, zooming out from Union Pier, looking at the whole peninsula to understand what priorities should guide redevelopment along the waterfront,” Stuber told News 2.

There will be two “Water First” community open houses on Monday, Dec. 11 from 4-7 pm and on Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 9 am-12 pm. They will both take place at the International Longshoreman’s Association Local 1422 at 1142 Morrison Drive.