James Island Town Council voted Nov. 21 to move forward with plans for a new arts and culture center after learning its existing facility on Camp Road needs extensive repairs, including a new roof and exterior waterproofing.
A representative for the town of James Island said council members decided they didn’t want to use taxpayer money to make repairs to the building, which the town does not own. There were also issues with parking at the site.
Before it was converted into an arts and cultural center in August 2021, the Camp Road building housed a county library, which meant the building wasn’t properly equipped for the arts workshops it hosts, a spokesman said. Now, the town is planning to build a new arts center on its Hillman Lot property, which is adjacent to Town Hall.
“The old library building has served us well, but it just doesn’t make sense to keep pouring taxpayer dollars into a building the town doesn’t own,” Mayor Brook Lyon said in a Nov. 22 statement. “The new arts and cultural center will give our residents the great facilities and programming they deserve, without the exorbitant repair and maintenance costs at the current location.”
The town invites James Island residents to share ideas, requests and feedback at a community meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 11 in the Town Hall Council Chamber, 1122 Dills Bluff Rd.
This public brainstorming session will be a chance for residents to weigh in on the conversation before definitive plans are made for the new center. Additional public input and design feedback sessions will be scheduled throughout the planning process (check out the town’s Facebook page to stay up to date).
Current arts and cultural programming will be moved to James Island Town Hall in the interim.
“Our goal with these public input sessions is to make sure the new cultural center truly serves the needs of our community and residents,” the mayor said. “We want this to be a place people will use and love for generations to come.”
In addition, the town has approved another quality-of-life project for island residents: a new James Island family park on six acres of waterfront land on Mill Point Rd.
The town is purchasing the land with a combination of Charleston County greenbelt and hospitality funds. Over the coming weeks, town officials will announce the details of the public-input process. In the meantime, officials said they’re “pleased the land will now be preserved and protected from future development.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.
