Naval Base Redevelopment

[Spartan]

A brief summary of this is that North Charleston, the State Port Authority, and the Navy have reached an agreement on how the land will be divvied up. One company has a plan to develop one section. There seem to be plans to expand the Port of Charleston too. I wouldn't be suprised if we heard about some new development plans soon.

Navy base land deal is struck

N. Charleston, SPA set stage for development

BY KRIS WISE

Of The Post and Courier Staff

Racing to meet a federal deadline, the State Ports Authority and the city of North Charleston on Friday divided up the remaining land at the city's former Navy Base, including a highly contaminated section that would cost millions to clean up.

The land is vital to the Noisette Co.'s proposed residential development and is linked to the SPA's plans to build a new $600 million terminal elsewhere on the old base.

The agreement the SPA and the city signed off on Friday lays the groundwork for the federal government to hand over 500 acres of base property. The SPA needs some of the land for operations at its Veterans Terminal and the city of North Charleston has plans to sell other parts, including the Noisette-designated property and the Charleston Naval Shipyard, for a hefty profit.

North Charleston's acquisition of that land on the northern end of the base also is integral to the SPA's plans for a new terminal on the southern end. The city agreed two years ago that if it got the land for free from the federal government, it wouldn't fight the SPA's controversial expansion plans.

Transfer of the property has been held up for the past year, however, as the groups debated over who would be responsible for cleanup of about 100 acres, a highly contaminated area that used to be a landfill. Cleanup of the site could cost millions of dollars, and officials are uncertain whether it might ever be suitable for redevelopment.

The Navy gave the state and city until Friday to decide who would get the land. It planned to start selling off the entire 500-acre property at market value if no decision had been made by the deadline.

In the final transfer deal, North Charleston agreed to take the contaminated land and hold on to it for 20 years, giving the SPA a chance to decide whether the property is needed for future terminal expansion.

Other parts of the old Navy base were divided in previous deals. The Noisette Co. already has control of 200 acres for its planned 300-acre residential community. The multimillion-dollar redevelopment project, which has the strong backing of Summey, is billed as a way to reinvigorate an economically depressed part of the city.

Another 300 acres on the southern end of the base are designated for the SPA's proposed terminal, a project port officials deem necessary for the land-strapped Port of Charleston to expand and stay competitive.

The Navy's redevelopment authority controls remaining parts of the old base, which closed in 1991

I edited this article from the Post and Courier:

http://www.charleston.net/stories/Default....ction=localnews

[Spartan]

Here is a map of the area.

CL= City Limits

The US Naval Reserve still belongs to the Navy.

[Spartan]

NEW TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION

Plans for new port expansion include a three-berth facility and 250-acres of storage and support areas at the former Charleston Naval Complex. The South Carolina General Assembly has passed legislation approving port expansion in Charleston on the west bank of the Cooper River and has directed the Ports Authority to split the former Charleston Naval Base and Shipyard with the city of North Charleston. Permits have been filed. For more information on the permitting process, please see http://www.porteis.com.

This is from the South Carolina State Ports Authority.

edit: The SPA site works correctly with IE.