5/19 NEWSBREAK: Union Pier project continues to be work-in-progress

In an unusual move, S.C. State Ports Authority (SPA) officials may try to advance the Union Pier redevelopment proposal to a vote from the Charleston Planning Commission without a stamp of approval from a city review committee, according to media reports.

The Technical Review Committee, which reviews the finer points of proposals such as storm water management and parking requirements, asked the port to revise its zoning document May 18 and return it before the committee to show the revisions. However, the real estate development firm Lowe, hired by the SPA, may not bring the proposal back since the port had already requested review from the planning commission, according to The Post and Courier.

Meanwhile, advocacy groups like the Historic Charleston Foundation and Coastal Conservation League voiced their concerns over the proposal of the area’s redevelopment at the Union Pier Advocacy Forum Thursday evening, claiming the designs would impact the integrity of the city’s history and skyline.

In other headlines:

CP: Charleston businesses on the rise, but older ones may struggle. Despite the love of local businesses in the Charleston area, rising costs of businesses have forced longtime favorites like Red Orchids China Bistro and Mr. K’s Used Bookstore to close its doors after years of serving the area.

CP: Long-awaited Ma’am Saab to open May 26 in Charleston. Ma’am Saab, the Workshop pop-up that introduced Charleston to Pakistani cuisine, will open its long-awaited downtown brick-and-mortar restaurant May 26 in the old Jestine’s Kitchen space on Meeting Street.

CP: MUSC named in top half of of medical grad programs. The U.S. News & World Report recognized The Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Medicine in its list of top graduate schools in the nation. Out of 172 medical graduate schools in the U.S., MUSC’s College of Medicine ranks No. 56 for research and No. 58 for primary care on the list.

CP: Charleston Co. in a maternal health crisis. The 2022 March of Dimes Report Card gave South Carolina an F grade for indicators such as infant mortality and inadequate prenatal care. The March of Dimes report indicates South Carolina has a higher infant mortality rate than the U.S. standard, with no improvement in sight.

CP: Flowertown Players host auditions for Season 47. Interested actors can audition this weekend for Summerville’s Flowertown Players’ 47th season featuring a lineup of shows ranging from dramatic plays to campy musicals. Those who wish to participate should prepare a one-minute monologue as well as 16 to 32 bars of music with a backing track to be considered for musicals.

CP: Charleston musicians Daddy’s Beemer to drop new album. Charleston indie outfit Daddy’s Beemer will drop a new album Friday called Tangles on the sixth anniversary of the band’s first self-titled EP.

Memorial Day gas prices expected to be $1 lower than last year. The national average price for gasoline this Memorial Day weekend is projected to be around $3.53 per gallon, $1.10 less than it was the same time last year.

Charleston’s new airport budget includes higher pay, more jobs. Charleston International Airport’s $119 million spending plan for the new budget year includes money for more employees, pay wages for current workers and a seventh security lane.

Coastal Community Foundation names Lowcountry artist of the year. The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina announced Katy Mixon as its 2023 Griffith-Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year. The award comes with a $6,000 grant to fund new quilted paintings.

Charleston mental health facility first in 30 years. Trident Medical Center is set to open Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness June 6, a $47.5 million state-of-the-art mental health hospital in Ladson. It will be the state’s first free-standing mental health hospital in 30 years.