MORNING HEADLINES | Charleston Mayor William Cogswell on Tuesday night lauded successes in development and infrastructure in his first State of the City address since taking office more than 15 months ago.
In a 10-minute speech during a city council meeting, Cogswell celebrated large-scale projects that got under way, including long-pushed-back undertakings like the Sumar Street redevelopment in West Ashley.
“Council worked tirelessly to negotiate the largest investment in West Ashley’s history, which will result in a transformative development that will improve resiliency measures, housing for our workforce, beautiful public spaces and places for local businesses to thrive,” Cogswell said. “This success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of this council, and it proved early on that when we listen to our communities and are willing to act decisively, we can make meaningful change in real time.”
Cogswell also touted successes on the Union Pier project on the peninsula, especially the establishment of a tax-increment financing district to help the city offset the cost of the massive redevelopment of the historic property.
“It was the product of thoughtful deliberation, learning from the past and a genuine desire to ensure that this critical area was developed in a way that benefits all of Charleston,” he said.
Infrastructure improvements
Cogswell added that improvements to the city’s infrastructure are an important goal for his administration, especially stormwater improvements, sidewalk repairs and progress on the Lowcountry Lowline project.
“We are putting into action both short- and long-term plans to provide much-needed relief for our residents and businesses,” he said.
Cogswell admitted there is more to be done, especially to the city’s dilapidated roads, which were one of his campaign platforms in 2023. He said road repairs will be a top priority over his next years in office and that he is confident city leaders will be able to work with other government agencies and officials to bring “meaningful relief to our clogged arteries across the city.”
Public safety boosts
Cogswell praised work done by the Police Chief Chito Walker and members of Charleston City Council to improve public safety across the city. From new fire facilities on Johns and Daniel islands and on West Ashley to overall drops in crime throughout the Holy City, the mayor said keeping residents safe has been one of the biggest priorities of his administration in the last year.
He pointed to a 10% drop in overall crime across Charleston, major milestones on King Street safety efforts, a 40% increase in drunken driving arrests and a 40% decrease in traffic fatalities as evidence of the year’s success.
“In summary, focusing on public safety is paying off in our community,” he said.
Changes to city government
Cogswell said another point of pride has been how Charleston City Council meetings have run in the last year — “civil, productive and, well, short,” he said.
“We have built consensus rather than lost it. We have conducted the people’s business in a way that priorities results over rhetoric. … It is clear that we are all committed to the betterment of Charleston.”
Last year, Cogswell quietly restructured the city’s organizational chart, moving from a strong-mayor form of government to a city planner–focused system that consolidated power to a paid city employee rather than elected officials. Cogswell said the change was one that improved efficiency and better poised the city to take advantage of modern technology. Council did not vote on the restructuring.
“While this restructuring has been a step in the right direction, we recognize that it is not perfect,” he said. “That is why we remain committed to continuous learning and adaptation in pursuit of making Charleston a city of the 21st century that, again, puts residents first. It is time to think big, identify issues and propose innovative solutions.” —Skyler Baldwin
Editor’s note: A more detailed report of the address will be provided Friday in this week’s print edition of the Charleston City Paper.
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