After two years of being in a pandemic-induced funk, West Ashley got its groove back in 2023
by Jenny Peterson | Staff Writer
Leading into 2024, West Of Free Press took a look back at some of West Ashley’s biggest announcements, news, and shakeups from 2023. What lies ahead is unknown but we look forward being here and letting you know about what’s happening.
Here’s just a very brief glimpse back at a year that was filled with many highlights (and a few lowlights) here in West Ashley.
Community Announcements
Carr-Richardson Park
The city of Charleston held a ribbon cutting for the Carr-Richardson Park in February 2023 at 1071 Bender Street. The new park sits on about 2.86 acres of land in the Maryville/Ashleyville neighborhood. There are walking trails, new playground equipment, and a small parking lot. The park also includes a roughly 2,000-square foot indoor facility with pavilions porches, restrooms and a catering kitchen. The total cost of the project, including purchasing the site, is $2.7 million.
Ashley River Crossing Bridge For Bicyclists and Pedestrians
In October 2023, federal, state, county and city officials gathered alongside Mayor John Tecklenburg to break ground on the Ashley River Crossing, a forthcoming standalone bridge that will provide a safe connection for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling between West Ashley and downtown Charleston over the Ashley River paralleling the current Ashley River Bridge/US 17 causeway. When completed, the bridge will connect to the 8.5-mile West Ashley Greenway and provide intersection improvements on Lockwood Boulevard, the Greenway at Folly Road Boulevard and Wesley Drive and Wappoo Road. The project is expected to reach substantial completion in 2027.
Carolina Voyager Charter School
In 2023, Carolina Voyager Charter School broke ground on its new campus at Bees Ferry Road and Bluewater Way, the first time the school will be in West Ashley. The school serves grades Kindergarten – 8th grade and class sizes are limited to 23 students. The school will be temporarily located at the old St. Andrew’s Middle School (SAMS) while it builds the new campus. It will be the first time since the school was founded in 2014 that there will be a permanent location for its students.
Politics
Charleston Elects
a New Mayor
In November 2023, city residents elected William Cogswell as mayor, the first time the city has had a Republican mayor since the mid-1870s. Cogswell, a former state representative, unseated incumbent and Democrat mayor John Tecklenburg, who was seeking a third term, by 566 votes in a mayoral election that went into a runoff.
New Council Member
William Tinkler is the new West Ashley representative for District 9 on the Charleston City Council. When council member Peter Shahid put in his bid for mayor, it opened up a spot for new representation. Five candidates entered the race. After a runoff, William Tinkler ultimately defeated Mike Gastin with 63 percent of the votes.
Developments
Ashley Landing Publix
Redevelopment
The City of Charleston’s Design Review Board gave conceptual approval for the construction of a new 30-acre development that will include a Publix grocery store and retail buildings and approved plans to begin a partial demolish of the current shopping mall at 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. The board requested that the developers “fully develop the site and landscape plans to the same level as the renovations” and will study whether a planned second level cafe space will be an indoor/outdoor space.
Toll Brothers at Verdier Pointe
In March 2023, luxury home builder Toll Brothers Inc. is planning a new community of 101 two-story homes called Toll Brothers at Verdier Pointe off Bees Ferry Road. The first phase will include 50 homes in six home designs ranging from 1,516 to over 1,987 square feet. Sales began in late summer 2023.
Sumar Street Development
The 3.3-acre triangular site situated along highly-visible Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and Old Towne Road that the City of Charleston purchased six years ago continues to sit vacant. In 2023, the site was studied exhaustively and three development ideas were presented to the Charleston City Council for a public-private development that all included a civic/performing arts center, with the most expensive option—that many residents spoke in favor of—having a $45 million price tag. The council ultimately deadlocked on approving the plans and the motion failed. Newly elected mayor William Cogswell said in a previous interview with West Of that he’d like to combine the 3.3-acre city-owned Sumar Street parcel with the adjacent 30-plus acre Ashley Landing Ashley Landing Publix Redevelopment to have 33 acres of green space, neighborhood restaurants, low-density housing and locally-owned businesses. Stay tuned.
Trident Medical Buys Former Food Lion Space
The Nashville-based healthcare company continued it’s expansion throughout the Lowcountry when it announced last month that it had purchased the former Food Lion on St. Andrews Boulevard and Sycamore Avenue. The space had most recently beebn Rogue Motion boat storage. The property was sold by Lowcountry developer Ben Gramling and business partner Mikell Harper for $11.45 million in late November.
