MORNING HEADLINES | Residents of the swanky Dockside Condominiums along the Cooper River have until 5 p.m. Friday to evacuate, according to emails obtained by the Charleston City Paper. The suspected culprit: Structural issues in the 19-story tower originally built in 1976.
“After additional meetings with our engineering firm, WJE, we received a phone call from city officials at 4 p.m. this afternoon that the city of Charleston has imposed an evacuation order for Dockside,” a Wednesday afternoon email from the board of directors said. “All residents must be out of the building no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, February 28 (48 hours), with the understanding that there will be no timeline for return.”
A city of Charleston spokesman confirmed the evacuation almost three hours later: “The city of Charleston was made aware today by Dockside Association board representatives that their engineering firm has recommended evacuation of the building tower. In response, the city immediately contacted the engineering firm and verbally advised the Dockside Association representatives that residents should be prepared to evacuate by Friday at 5 p.m..
“Formal documentation outlining the evacuation details will be issued to the Dockside Association as soon as possible. The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority, and we urge all affected residents to take the necessary precautions.”
“Lives upended”
The disruptive news about one of the city’s toniest addresses in its tallest building hit residents and their family members like a ton of bricks, with one saying, “It’s the story of the lives upended.”
The 19-story building, situated between the new International African American Museum and the Fort Sumter Visitor Center with sweeping views of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, was in the news two years ago about structural issues. In 2023, a report showed the building was found to “safely support the weight of firefighters, equipment and water in the event of an emergency.”
But in recent months, the building reportedly has continued to undergo examination, particularly on upper floors where borings were taken to probe structural elements.
“Extremely disruptive and stressful”
In its initial message, the board of directors asked people to remain calm and cooperate. But it suggested that it could be awhile before people could return, if ever.
“Please understand that this is not a ‘move out.’ It is an evacuation and, as such, no furniture will be permitted to be moved. Due to the constraints of the elevators, as well as the concerns about the building, moving furniture is not an option. The focus of your preparation should be those items that you need to have – clothing, important documents, medications, etc. No large trucks will be permitted on the premises.”
Three hours later, another message elaborated, advising residents they could get moving help once from someone with a regular vehicle, not a moving truck. They were advised not to “monopolize” elevators or trolleys. They were also advised to dump perishable foods, take trash to the street level, close hurricane shutters, limit visitors and to unplug refrigerators with doors open.
Also suggested: forwarding mail and contacting insurance companies to determine whether policies “includes ‘loss of use’ to defray costs incurred in finding a new residence.”
- This is a developing story. – Andy Brack
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CP NEWS: Feds charge 8 in sweeping North Charleston corruption investigation. Federal authorities on Wednesday charged three members of North Charleston City Council and five others in a sweeping public corruption investigation related to bribery, extortion, money laundering, wire fraud and other kickback schemes.
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Charleston Co. Council opposes continued funding for Charleston Animal Society. Many council members spoke against continued funding for the group in a Feb. 25 meeting, partially because of their distrust of the animal society, citing lack of transparency from the animal society regarding its services and information on exactly how many animals come from unincorporated parts of the county.
Charleston Co. school district changes school start times for 3 areas. The Charleston County School District will switch up start times for schools in constituent districts 9, 10 and 23 — Johns Island/Wadmalaw, West Ashley, and Hollywood/Ravenel and Edisto Island.
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