Grand Vision to tie the Charleston area together

[Vourmbianigoat]

The excruciatingly gradual pace of the development of Charleston boggles my mind to no end. In an area with the potential to be a regional hub of the arts, education, green development, and more broadly represent the state of South Carolina in an international view I just can't figure out why people aren't doing more to strive for these things.

On my most recent ride on the CARTA bus south from the airport down to Mary st. in downtown Charleston I saw development pushing down from the Coliseum/Airport, tanger outlets area and devolopment pushing north from the upper king st. (ode to Charleston place) hotel/condominium complex (as well as the new piggly wiggly on meeting) sandwiching an absolutely depressed corridor along Spruill ave. through the Charleston neck. This area holds the key to the area's future as it's the place which has the most potential in such a centrally strategic position in the Charleston area. Exactly defined the area is from the coliseum running south along interstate 26 to the a point perpendicular to hampton park and the citadel along 26.

The vision:

Tree laden boulevards stretching from the coliseum south to the downtown area. One of the boulevards will have a raised aesthetically pleasing single lane light rail which will facilitate movement from the Summerville area, to the airport, through the new business corridor in the neck suggested above to where the current cross town (U.S 17) is situated (crosstown and king). The new business area will court businesses to set up regional offices in the Charleston neck through easy access to transportation such as the suggested light rail system and a 15 year tax-free business luring period to be followed by low taxes in the period following.

The massive project will run in conjunction with the reworking of the crosstown into a double decker highway along the stretch currently known as the crosstown with the upper level acting as an expressway through charleston towards west ashley with a middle area devoted for a single light rail line. The lower level would facilitate local traffic and there will be easily achieved movement between the two levels. The public work will also be very visually appealing utilizing ivy and tree canopy to blend in the highway with its surroundings.

A third and final project would be a light rail project which connects the suburbs of west ashley via a pedestrian/rail bridge (running in front of joe riley park) to the aforementioned new crosstown to a terminal connecting the line to the business corridor line then on to mt. pleasant (along 17) which will bring in workers of the suburbs to the newly opened corridor. Effectively creating two cities in one the historic area will remain intact while new jobs and growth will be brought to the city as a whole.

The new area will get its electricity from underwater turbines on the bottom of both the cooper and ashley rivers and utilize green building techniques.

[krazeeboi]

Welcome to the forum, Vourmbianigoat! Thanks for posting and we hope to see you around on a regular basis.

I will admit that I'm not as familiar with the Neck area, but this sounds like something that fits right in with the area's vision to revitalize that area. Development must work hand in hand with transit if that area is to see long-term success.

[Spartan]

Interesting vision. Clearly you have a dream for Charleston

Do you not see the work that is going on in the Neck area today as part of this dream? Ultimately Charleston will have to reinvest in the upper parts of downtown (uptown?) and tie in the future neck area to downtown.

These transportation projects you mention interest me because as I understand it, Mount Pleasant is already gearing its long range plans for rail service along 17, and Charleston is already planning on rail service to the north area and the other northwestern suburbs. The only area lacking seems to be West Ashely. I haven't seen any concepts for rail service there, but you coudl argue that of all the sub areas of Charleston, West Ashley needs rail service the least, and would be the more difficult to set up.

[digital_sandlapper]

Have you seen the The Magnolia Project and Noisette Project forums here on Charleston UP? Many parts of your interesting vision are going to happen as part of those projects.

Check this article out concerning light rail:

http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/11_6/news/4283-1.html

Check out these websites, too, for more info on the projects:

http://www.noisettesc.com/

http://www.cctre.com/index.php?view=mag&Itemid=53

[krazeeboi]

^But the question is, will these projects happen as planned? I know that Noisette in particular is experiencing some major difficulties right now.

[Infinite1]

^But the question is, will these projects happen as planned? I know that Noisette in particular is experiencing some major difficulties right now.

[krazeeboi]

That's definitely good news for Noisette. Hopefully all of the issues with the Noisette Co. have been worked out so that there will be no more delays.

[Vourmbianigoat]

haha wow I just noticed how randomly I threw in that hydroelectric power idea at the end. Sorry about that, hah I was thinking of a plan which models the turbines being put in the east river in New York City. Well I looked over the plans on those two sights and they definitely get my thumbs up... as long as they don't make one of those fake-communities which just creep me out. I like their idea of using multiple developers it should diversivy the look of the buildings a bit.

[krazeeboi]

As if on cue, here's the feature article for the most recent edition of the Charleston Business Journal that covers the efforts to develop the Neck area.