It’s not hard to see why the City of Charleston — or a host of developers — would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for 1065 Bender St., an overgrown property along the Ashley River in the Ashleyville neighborhood.
Or, in the city’s case, recently launch an effort to condemn the property and take it for public use as a park.
Ancient live oaks frame a “view shed” that may be the last, best piece of undeveloped high ground along this side of the Ashley River that’s within city limits.
To the left, Charles Towne Landing sits, with its replica ship, Adventure, moored to a dock. To the right are unobstructed views of The Citadel, The Joe, and marinas stuffed with pricy boats.
Directly ahead juts a spit of land that pierces the marsh and offers even better views up and down the waterway, especially at dusk.
Earlier this year, the city had attempted to purchase the parcel, listed as a little bit bigger than 2.6 acres on various real estate websites.
City Councilman Keith Waring was worried one of those developers would that would be out of step and isolated from the Maryville/Ashleyville Neighborhood it resides in.
Maryville had been the state’s first incorporated African-American town, and the neighborhood has remained largely working class, with pockets of white homeownership.
Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. had spoken of his plan to include a Bender Street park in the groundwork for a riverfront, walkway-linked series of public parks.
Beginning at the new Northbridge Park, the walkway would snake downriver along the state-owned historic landing site, then onto a county-owned former horse plantation, then to the city’s soon-to-be-completed Higgins Pier Park, and then the Bender property.
It would be thematically similar to Riley’s efforts to protect and provide public access to the water like he had done in the past on the peninsula, mixing private development and the public’s best interests.
But, in doing the due diligence on buying the property for more than $650,000, Riley said this week that it’s actual size came into question. Riley said the actual size was closer to a third of what was being offered, about .92 acres, to be exact.
Riley claimed that over the years, as was the case in many parts of the city, its past owners had used fill dirt to extend the property further into the river’s domain, to the tune of close to 1.7-acres.
And, Riley contends, the Bender property had been added onto without state permits, meaning that the majority of what was for sale actually belonged to the state.
“And we believe the city can convince the state to convey the property over to us because our intent is for the land to become a park, which is in the common good of the state,” said Riley.
Both Riley and Waring said that the city has asked the family that currently owns 1065 Bender St. for a prorated price, based on its smaller size. That would put the cost closer to $200,000.
But, the current owner, Collette Holmes, demurred, according to Carey Burnett, the Carriage Properties broker who has listed the property.
In response, City Council earlier this fall voted to begin the condemnation process under eminent domain. Riley, acknowledging the process can sound more ominous than it is, said the city remains committed to paying a fair market price for the property.
Waring acknowledged that the delay has meant the park probably won’t be open to the public for at least a year.
That’s about the same time Riley will step down after serving as mayor since 1975. “The clock is ticking, and we’ve got a lot of work to do, in many parts of the city,” said Riley. “The problem is no matter what, the clock keeps ticking at the same speed.”
There is no timetable set for when the condemnation process will begin in court, said Burnett, who said a jury trial is next in the process.
“Clearly, the city is using condemnation as a negotiating ploy,” to apply leverage on Holmes, Burnett said Saturday morning. “And it’s a pretty big stick.”
Holmes, who did not respond to nearly two weeks of telephone calls for comment for this story, was widowed in February when her husband Constantine “Connie” Holmes passed away.
Her husband had run a respected demolition company that literally helped change the city’s landscape. “His company took down the buildings that made way for Charleston Place to be built back in the day,” said Burnett, referring to an early redevelopment success of Riley’s.
Burnett said that Riley’s appetite for his client’s property was such that the city paid $15,000 earlier this year to a developer for the contract he signed for the rights to purchase the parcel.
“Unfortunately, Mrs. Holmes now finds herself in a real mess,” said Burnett, who said a host of developers would still like to own the property.
Currently, the Bender Street property is being advertised for sale, at 2.6 acres, at $785,000. And while there may be many interested buyers, it’s not clear who will become its next owner.

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