Local billionaire Ben Navarro pledged to be a steward, not a classic developer, for the controversial downtown redevelopment of Union Pier, the last remaining large tract of open land in historic Charleston. On Tuesday, news came that he is purchasing Union Pier from the S.C. State Ports Authority, which, in turn, is buying the old WestRock paper mill in North Charleston to expand port operations.
In a 650-word statement, Navarro pledged to be a long-term steward instead of an out-of-town developer for the area.
A steward, according to Navarro, ”would care every bit as much about the long-term legacy of Union Pier as about the economics,” while developers “at their core are economically driven, thinking in terms of maximizing the financial value of a given piece of property. A developer’s perspective is how we ended up with the original plan for Union Pier.”
Until last year, the SPA worked with a private developer on Union Pier’s future, but paused the project — and later fired the developer — after community criticism. A second take at redevelopment of the area has been powered by the city of Charleston, College of Charleston and local advocacy groups.
But with Tuesday’s news, that future of that process is murky. Navarro, however, assured residents in his letter that he has the interests of Charlestonians in mind moving forward. He listed nine community-based principles to guide the future of the tract.
In other recent news:
CP NEWS: Union Pier, WestRock deals will change Charleston area. Local billionaire Ben Navarro will buy the 70-acre Union Pier site, the last large piece of undeveloped historic property in downtown Charleston, from the S.C. State Ports Authority (SPA), while the SPA will buy the WestRock paper mill in North Charleston, a 280-acre industrial waterfront site, to expand its shipping footprint.
S.C. to remove toxic waste from WWII aircraft carrier. South Carolina will continue to remove over 1.2 million gallons of petroleum and other hazards from the USS Yorktown as part of an $18 million remediation effort to prevent leakage that would imperil the commercial shipping industry and coastal ecosystems.
Charleston police working to improve rideshare concerns, traffic on King Street. The Charleston Police Department is working on new ways to clear up the confusion surrounding the way rideshare pickups and drop-offs are handled downtown on busy King Street.
New CARTA center to replace Super Stop in Charleston. The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority is working on finalizing the design of a new regional transit hub after it had received $25.9 million in federal funding.
A timeline of Boeing’s woes in 2024 so far. The aircraft-maker has faced renewed scrutiny this year, mostly going back to an incident when a rear door plug tore off a 737 Max 9. Things have compounded since then for the company.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.