I told you last week to bear with me, we just have a few more weeks of this. But the competition for the Charleston City Paper’s Best of 2025 is pretty stiff. So if you haven’t voted yet, time is running out! Voting ends March 22nd and you won’t have to endure my obnoxious promotions to get your votes. So click this link and I’m the top option due to alphabetical order, so it’s easy! VOTE HERE
Thank you and I can’t wait to stop pushing this too, so let’s bring home the win!
-Bill Olson
Around Charleston
1 - Carolopolis Award Winners - A few weeks ago the Preservation Society of Charleston held it’s annual awards for preservation & restoration. SEE WINNERS
2 - Downtown Pub Closing - After 5 years, family owned Bumpa’s Irish Pub has announced that on March 18th they will be closed for good, meaning that St Patrick’s Day will be their last big hurrah. READ MORE
3 - Flood Prone Road Fix - The City of Charleston awarded a contract for $2.7m to address the flooding on Central Park Road on James Island near Riverland Drive. READ MORE
Historic Home of the Week
38 State Street 2 - An upper-level, three-story condo in the circa 1815 James Ross House. This French Quarter home features a wrap-around porch and Elizabethan plater ceiling.
3 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 3568 sqft | $3,195,000
Land Protections and Street Conversions OH MY!
Land Preserved on Johns Island
The Lowcountry Land Trust recently purchased 40 acres on Main Rd on Johns Island halfway between the Limehouse Bridge and Maybank Hwy. The park will be called Main Road Park.
Purchased for $1.67m with a grant from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program
13 acres for Active Recreation - Dedicated to supporting the Barrier Islands Little League with ballfields, seating, and a reservable outdoor space
27 acres for Passive Recreation - Focuses on preserving scenic forest views along Main Road and protecting 17 acres of wetlands.
Approx. 1000 feet of wooded road frontage along Main Road to preserve the island’s rural character and support the urban growth boundary.
This comes after the purchase of Grayson Oaks, a 94-acre property directly across the street, back in January.
The property will remain an active farm, leased to local farmers.
Plans to create walking trails to promote outdoor recreation
Community events will be hosted on the property to engage local residents.
Future fields trips and farms stands are planned to educate the community.
Purchase was funded by $2.9m provided by the Charleston County Greenbelt Program, $600k contributed by the South Carolina Conservation Bank, and a notable $500k property sale discount offered by the former landowner.
The purchase of Grayson Oaks stopped it form being developed into over 50 houses or repurposed as a burn debris site.
Main Road Park and Grayson Oaks are set to be connected by a network of walking trails across both properties. Pedestrian improvements along Main Road will create a safe, accessible route connecting the two parks.
One-way to Two-Way Street Conversion Study
Charleston City Council just approved a contract with Kimley Horn to study 3 one-way streets in downtown Charleston to be converted to two-way streets.
The streets being studied are Coming Street, parts of Ashley Avenue, and parts of Rutledge Avenue
The study will cost $230,000 and if the results are positive, the city could decide to fund the conversions.
The study will examine factors like roadway infrastructure, parking impacts, Carta bus routes, and intersection visibility.
According to Charleston Moves, local advocates for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, two-way streets are much safer and calm traffic, particularly in a dense, downtown area.
There will be options for public comments as the study and potential project takes shape.
It has been 25 years since the city conducted a comprehensive one-way street review of the entire peninsula and a specific study on Coming Street was last done 13 years ago.
I have heard from a few residents in this area via Instagram comments and they stated they are excited for the possible conversion, stating:
“I welcome these streets becoming two-way which will make them more safe and pleasant streets to live on. When Cannon, Spring and Line were converted it was a tremendous improvement to people that live nearby.”
“People absolutely speed down Coming St. It’d be inconvenient for commuters, but a real positive for residents and students. Let’s do it!”
“I have to cross Rutledge on foot daily and always feel like I'm risking my life. Would love a two-way street!”
One commenter was against it stating: No thanks. People already can’t drive on these streets - making it two ways will only add more congestion. Could you imagine coming street between Spring and Line at 5pm rush hour if it were only one lane going west?
1459 Central Ave, Summerville, SC 29483
3 beds | 2.5 baths | 1898 sqft
$304,000
Move in ready! Sought-after Dorchester II School District. This home was built less than 2 years ago and is very well maintained! As you walk in from your 2-car driveway, you'll notice the very large open living room/kitchen area with LVP flooring throughout. The kitchen showcases granite countertops and all GE Stainless Steel Appliances, with a large island. Just past the kitchen before you reach the front door you have a half bath and an office room with 2 large windows. Heading upstairs, on one side of the home, you'll find two oversized guest bedrooms with a full bathroom and storage closet in the hallway. On the other side of the hallway, you'll walk into your huge master bedroom, consisting of a walk in closet, and a master bathroom with a dual vanity setup.
Question: How do I get my home as the featured listing?
Answer: Email Bill ([email protected]) and ask!
Click the graph for more details OR to select another market.
Public Meetings Highlights
A collection of some of this week’s city and county council meetings, summarized and easy to read (without sitting through actual boring council meetings).
Parting Words From Bill
Did I tell you there are only 14 more days left of City Paper Best of 2025 voting? 😂 I won’t put the link again, it’s at the top of the newsletter if you haven’t voted yet. In other news, Charleston Wine + Food is in full swing and I have a confession to make…I’ve NEVER been. Maybe next year is my year! This week looks like the weather is finally, maybe, hopefully turning a corner which means the good news is the cold is behind us and the bad news is the pollen is in front of us. I’ve already seen some on my truck. Time for a Costco run for an industrial size container of allergy meds!
I hope you all have a fantastic week!
-Bill Olson
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