Groups leading Union Pier development efforts react to sale | News
Though it remains unclear how much of the property along the Cooper River might be set aside for public use, the city “controls much of the process going forward,” Cogswell said in a statement immediately after the sale was announced.
The public was invited during the Union Pier site tour on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 in Charleston.
Any redevelopment plans will require substantive city input regarding zoning and code changes, environmental cleanup and more. Cogswell made it clear that he would pull those regulatory strings to ensure the eventual plan is “an amenity that every resident in Charleston can enjoy.”
Cogswell also has said that he plans to lean on connections in Columbia, where he served for six years in the House of Representatives, and on lawmakers in Washington, DC, to bring state and federal dollars to Bill Stern, chairman of the SPA’s board , called “probably the most valuable piece of oceanfront property on the East Coast.”
Members of the advisory committee helping to guide the Riley Center’s decision-making for what should and what should not be built on the site said they were surprised by the sale, too, although they remained eager to carry on the conversation regardless of who’s at the helmet.
“Last summer’s reset of the Union Pier process was born out of the community’s valid interest that Charleston developed Union Pier responsibly, with a community-first, values-driven approach,” said Brian Turner, president and CEO of the Preservation Society of Charleston. “We were proud to be a voice then, and expect close engagement with the city and the buyers as their vision comes into clearer focus.”
Bryan Derreberry, president and CEO of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of the site.
“Union Pier offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop waterfront property that is accessible to all while incorporating attainable housing, infrastructure improvements, water mitigation and enhancing the livability of our community,” he said.
Josh Dix, representing the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors, said the committee has been working in good faith with the Riley Center, and is optimistic that Navarro will be a “good steward.”