CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — A proposed 300-unit apartment building in Charleston’s Harleston Village neighborhood is moving through the city of Charleston’s architectural approval process, but not without concerns from neighbors who say the project is too big for the area.
A future apartment complex at 295 Calhoun St. has been in the works for years and is now one step closer to becoming a reality.
“It’s the right kind of development. We desperately need housing in our region and in our city. There’s just no question about that,” Robert Summerfield, director of planning and preservation for the city of Charleston, said.
The project calls for a roughly 300-unit apartment building with ground-floor retail space and a pedestrian boardwalk along the lake.
“Ideal situation for a mixed-use development. You have a decent number of residences that you’re adding, but you also have a retail component that can serve, not just the residents of that building, but the residents in the neighborhood, as well as, again, significant employment center within easy walking distance,” Summerfield said.
But not everyone is on board. Some neighbors say the building, as proposed, still fails to respect the residential scale of the surrounding community.
There are also questions about whether the current infrastructure can support a project of this size, with concerns of flooding.
“This project, in order to get permitted, has to demonstrate not just how it is not going to negatively impact adjacent stormwater systems, but positively impact those stormwater systems,” Summerfield said.
The building is currently proposed to be seven stories, but the city says the architectural design is geared towards still being able to connect with the street and pedestrian scale.
“While it is going to have 300 units in it, the building’s mass will not be so overpowered that it overpowers the much lower scale development that’s behind it in Harleston Village, which is very responsive to Calhoun Street,” Summerfield said.
The city says it knows the stakes are high when considering new development, so Charleston still feels like Charleston.
“We have to grow smart, and we have to do it responsibly. And this is achieving that, I believe,” Summerfield said.
Joe McGee, president of the Harleston Village Association, said in a statement:
“This project is a significant mixed-use redevelopment with 300 units and retail, next to an historic and residential neighborhood. While zoning allows for higher density, the central issue for Harleston Village, as in our statement to the BAR-L in September 2024, is whether the scale and massing are compatible with the adjacent historic fabric of Harleston Village. They are not.
The project has advanced to preliminary approval, focusing on detailed design features, but earlier concerns of scale and mass remain. While Height District 7 permits substantial building height, allowances shouldn’t supersede the responsibility to achieve contextual compatibility and meaningful setbacks. Traffic impact is outside the formal scope of BAR-L, but the direct impact on adjacent properties and neighborhood livability is very real and warrants consideration. Street scape and urban design are paramount to enhance pedestrian experience through high-quality materials. The design should reinforce, rather than diminish the integrity of the neighborhood.
This is another case of growth outpacing infrastructure and undermining livability and neighborhood preservation. This is why we advocate for TST funding to improve Calhoun Street usability and why we urge the city to engage the public in “reimagining Calhoun Street.” Our position is not opposition to development, but a call for context-sensitive approach. Keep it Charleston!”
The project has passed the city of Charleston’s Board of Architecture Review and now will move to technical review and then the permitting process.
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