Midtown Charleston

[vicupstate]

Anyone know anything about htis project, it is the first I have seen or heard of it. To be of such size, it is no doubt going to have a big impact on the Upper King Street corridor. Hopefully B of A will be a part of the project. That area has redeveloped to the point that other banks ought to be looking to that area too.

Bank closing to make way for Upper King Street project

[Infinite1]

Robert Clement owns a large portion of the land between upper King and Meeting. I have heard rumors of all types of plans for that area that include hotel/office/retail complex that would sun from Meeting to King. The hotel would sit on Meeting (near the new Piggly Wiggly), the retail would be on King with offices between. The rendering I saw had the building straddling the rail lines that run through there.

Keep in mind this is all speculation. I have seen/heard about him doing something in that area for at least 3 years now, and this is the first real move he's making. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Spartan]

^ That would be a great way to bring new life the that end of King St.

I thought that they were talking about the streetscaping project in that article?

[Infinite1]

^ see this quote from the article...

Among the investors betting on another rebound is Charleston Midtown LLC, which includes local developer Robert Clement III and two real estate groups from North Carolina.

The company bought the Bank of America site and several adjoining properties for $10 million three years ago, creating a contiguous parcel that stretches from King to Meeting streets, two of the city's busiest arteries.

[Spartan]

Oh ok. Thats interesting. Is that the BofA that is at the terminus of Cannon St (or maybe is Spring St.) If so, that seems like a cool building, and I hope that it is old enough to be saved.

[Infinite1]

Oh ok. Thats interesting. Is that the BofA that is at the terminus of Cannon St (or maybe is Spring St.) If so, that seems like a cool building, and I hope that it is old enough to be saved.

that is the one.

[Charleston native]

Oh yes, this is the Midtown Development. I did not know that Clement was waiting on BOA to move from their location before starting the project, but while the temporary displacement of the bank will frustrate bank members, this is good news, especially since the developer is allowing for BOA to be back in the general location.

This is Clement's link for the project known as Midtown.

Here are two photos of the land area for the proposed development:

[tablrock]

Oh yes, this is the Midtown Development. I did not know that Clement was waiting on BOA to move from their location before starting the project, but while the temporary displacement of the bank will frustrate bank members, this is good news, especially since the developer is allowing for BOA to be back in the general location.

This is Clement's link for the project known as Midtown.

Here are two photos of the land area for the proposed development:

sounds promising, let's get this party started

[Spartan]

Thats great- There is an old rail line through there, so hopefully that is spared for the future light rail system

[Charleston native]

I believe light rail transit is part of the plan here. Let's hope that it will become a connection to a transit system connecting the Visitor's Center to the airport.

[vicupstate]

Rezoning approved for Midtown project

I felt this project deserves its own thread, since it is in the very early stages and has been 10 years in the making. This has strong potential to be not only a catlyst project for redevelopment in that corridor, but also a national example. This one hits all the 'hot buttons' of the urban world. This one involves mixed use, historic preservation, affordable housing, and even rail. Of course, since it is in Charleston, height restrictions come into play as well. Just about any issue that urban development involves, is in play in this one project. No doubt it will be closely watched. Given Charleston's reputation, it will be expected to be a textbook example of how to do such a project right.

Someone needs to take some 'before' pics, so we can track the changes.

[krazeeboi]

Wow, that sounds awesome. Yeah, it would be nice to see some pictures of the site at present.

[krazeeboi]

Any updates on this project?

[krazeeboi]

^See above question. I don't think I remember seeing anything on this block when I was down there a couple of weeks ago.

[Infinite1]

nothing is moving specific to this project, but as usual, Clements words/actions have spurred other developments in the area. A 5 story condo/retail development is planned for the corner of King and Wolf. There is also a "workforce housing" project (4 stories w/ garage) planned for Meeting and Reid. There was an article in the Post and Courier not too long ago above all the activity on Upper King. most of that activitiy has been spurred by the completion of the streetscpaing and anticipation of the Midtown project.

[krazeeboi]

We now have an update on the Midtown project proposed by Clement. A 250-room luxury hotel is being planned for the site. It will serve as the anchor for future residential and retail construction.

[Spartan]

Awesome. Thanks for the find. I can't wait to see this one go up

[knightrider162]

The plans for the midtown project associated with Regent Partner and Robert Clement have been presented to the B.A.R. and alot seem to think it parallels the Charleston Place development. I happen to think that this has the potential to be better.

Conceptual Plans : Midtown

[Spartan]

Thats beautiful. I'm glad that they are integrating the existing retail buildings. This is going to add a lot to 'midtown' Charleston (I hope that name catches on). Great find, thanks for sharing

[pompusmaximus]

More midtown coverage

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/feb/19..._unveiled31081/

[Spartan]

A comparison of Midtown to Charleston Place from that article:

Midtown

-- 235 luxury hotel rooms

-- 140 to 205 condos

-- 35,000 square feet of retail space

-- 8,000 square feet of meeting space

-- 4.3 acres

Charleston Place

-- 440 luxury hotel rooms

-- 56,645 square feet of retail space

-- 25,000 square feet of meeting space

-- 4.25 acres (including city-owned parking garage)

[krazeeboi]

Wow. I had no idea this development would be so similar to Charleston Place. Although I was but a chap when Charleston Place was constructed, it's easy to see how it has revitalized the area around it. It would be awesome to see that the same thing happen live and in person along Upper King with the Midtown development.

[Spartan]

[krazeeboi]

This appears to be nothing short of an impressive development, at least in terms of density. I'm really itching to see detailed renderings now. I just hope this project can get off the ground without being held up or scaled back.

[vicupstate]

This appears to be nothing short of an impressive development, at least in terms of density. I'm really itching to see detailed renderings now. I just hope this project can get off the ground without being held up or scaled back.

While anything is possible in this economy, such as a delay, I doubt it would be 'scaled back' for any reason. The cost of Peninsula Charleston real estate is so high (and heights are limited), the developer has to 'max out' the utility in order to turn a profit.

I too look forward to seeing this come out of the ground. I need to take some pictures of this area, before it all starts to change.

Edited February 22, 2008 by vicupstate