I had the opportunity last week to talk with folks involved with the Ginn Company’s plan to develop landfill property on the Charleston peninsula’s northern tip, east of Morrison Drive. The property encompasses about 188 acres of landfill on Town Creek and several parcels on Romney Street near the Bridgeview Apartments, which were formerly known as Bayside Apartments.
I toured the area several months ago with community advocate Arthur Lawrence. At the time we had no idea what sort of development was being planned for the landfill or how it would impact current residents of the area. Ginn Co. officials gave us some answers.
Developers of the Promenade project plan to construct some 1,500 hotel, condo, and townhouse units, as well as a 10,000 seat amphitheater, possibly a performing arts center, and commercial properties that might include a grocery store. I found the developer’s vision for the property awesome.
As a native Charlestonian whose family has spent nearly the last 40 years as peninsula residents, I’ve seen a lot of change occur in the area. When my family first moved to the North Central neighborhood, the post-World War II community of mostly single-family homes was in transition. Prior to the mid 1960s, the community’s residents were almost exclusively white. But anti-discrimination housing laws gave the folks who would ultimately live in the North Central and neighboring Wagener Terrace communities the opportunity to realize the American dream of becoming homeowners in better neighborhoods.
In one generation, the upper peninsula changed from being almost exclusively white to becoming almost exclusively black. But with another generation maturing, I see that change reversing itself. If the redevelopment of the lower peninsula below the Crosstown Expressway is any indication, redevelopment of the upper peninsula will yield a predominantly white residency.
Change is often a good thing. The problem I have with the change coming to the peninsula is its apparent exclusion of the peninsula’s black residents.
Charleston City Councilman Wendell Gilliard, one of five blacks on the council, was recently quoted saying he approves of the Ginn Co. development as long as it offers jobs to those residents who will most be impacted. Right now those are the predominantly black residents of North Central.
I am concerned that council’s black representation has not been keeping the black community abreast of the forthcoming changes. Those involved in business and economic development here locally obviously have been kept in the loop about what was coming to the area, but residents of the black community seem woefully unprepared.
As a result, the children and grandchildren of blacks who took a giant leap toward realizing the American dream face taking a not-so-small step backward in realizing the dream of economic empowerment.
I applaud Bobby Ginn and his company for their vision. Ginn said he first considered the property’s potential in 1974. I only wish black political representation on city council and business people in the black community had the same kind of vision.
North Central resident and Nation of Islam Imam Idris Mohammed thinks it’s not too late for the black community to become involved in the project, as well as the Magnolia project in the neck area. Mohammed suggests petitioning the developers and the city’s administration to encourage economic partnerships between business people in the black community and developers.
The development can’t be stopped nor should it be, Mohammed says. But he thinks that despite a lack of foresight and leadership from black elected officials and businesspeople, the black community still may have an opportunity for inclusion.
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