Beemok Hospitality Collection kicked off a new one-acre urban community park called American Gardens during a grand opening Saturday morning that attracted more than 300 people.
“This is such a gift to the community,” one bystander observed. The gift, worth an estimated $11 million that came through the leadership of Beemok founder Ben Navarro and his wife Kelly, protects a historic parcel at 174 King St. that might have become condominiums otherwise.
These youths played in a fountain near the front of the park. 
A close-up of some of the plantings. 
Attendees walked past an honor guard from the King Street entrance, at rear. 
Guests enjoyed treats and coffee prior to the ceremony. 
Members of the Charleston Symphony performed before the grand opening. 
Cogswell delivered remarks. 
More than 300 people attended. 
Gibbes Museum of Art President and CEO Alex Rich, left, talks with former Mayor John Tecklenburg. 
This dog got a lot of attention throughout the morning.
Spanning a city block between King and Meeting streets and adjacent to the Gibbes Museum of Art and the Charleston Library Society, the gardens feature an allee of 68 crepe myrtles, more than 100 magnolias and eight live oak trees. Two four-tiered fountains anchor the ends of the gardens, which includes a large grassy area perfect for picnic lunches. A cafe is expected to open on King Street soon.
Navarro, the local billionaire and philanthropist who wasn’t able to attend the ceremony, said in a statement that the new park was dedicated to the American dream.
“This park honors that dream which my father so believed in,” he said. “And despite all of our challenges as a nation, it stands as a testament to the fact that we live in the greatest country on earth.
“Our hope is that this new park will bring together the citizens of Charleston and become a place to celebrate all that we have in common as members of one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said during the opening that the park was a place that showcases the best of the Holy City.
“It gives family and friends a place to slow down, talk, listen and appreciate the joys of nature and place and, perhaps, most importantly, the joys of being together.”
Former Mayor John Tecklenburg, also on hand to celebrate, tipped a hat to Dominion Energy President KIeller Kissam, for facilitating the process to turn the land, once owned by his company, to Beemok through the city.
The park will have seasonal programming throughout the year, Beemok said. After Thanksgiving, it will transform into a Christmas village as “a glowing winter wonderland adorned with twinkling lights, a 30-foot Fraser fir and a whimsical carousel for guests of all ages.”
The park is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. More: americangardenschs.com
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