2026 REWIND: Charleston's Biggest News & Development Stories

Charleston's most watched waterfront property became the year's biggest real estate disaster when structural engineers declared the 19-story tower at 330 Concord Street unsafe for occupancy.​

On February 25, 2025, engineering firm WJE, the same firm that investigated the Champlain Towers collapse in Florida, determined Dockside's concrete columns were at risk of "punching shear failure," where columns punch through floor slabs. The building's 702 columns lacked the strength to safely support its weight.​

By February 28, approximately 200 residents were evacuated with just 48 hours notice, told to take only essentials and leave furniture behind. The evacuation order extended to 21 townhomes, though they weren't structurally connected to the tower.​

By June, the Dockside Homeowners Association revealed the shocking cost: $151 million in repairs. Divided among 133 units, some owners faced assessments exceeding $1.5 million, potentially triple what they paid for their homes.​

In August, desperate owners voted not to repair and to pursue selling instead. Individual units sold for $90,000–$120,000, down from pre-evacuation prices of $430,000–$1.125 million.​

Thompson Whitney Blake, a Florida investor who'd offered $30 million for the entire property, sued CBRE (the real estate firm marketing Dockside) in October, claiming they listed his unit without permission.​

Meanwhile, owner William Wiggins sued the Dockside Association and insurers in October for fraud and negligence, alleging the board knew about structural issues before his April 2022 purchase but failed to disclose them.​

As 2025 ended, the building remained vacant, residents still paid mortgages on homes they couldn't occupy, and no clear path forward existed, only mounting legal bills and uncertainty.​

After more than ten years of planning, fundraising, and community engagement, Charleston's most anticipated infrastructure project finally broke ground on December 15, 2025.​​

The Lowcountry Lowline, a 1.6-mile linear park and pathway system transforming an abandoned 1830s railroad corridor into a modern pedestrian and bicycle route, moved from concept to construction as dozens gathered beneath Interstate 26 despite the cold.​​

"Today, we break ground on a project that's more than a decade in the making, built for the community by the community," said Courtney Olson, Executive Director of Friends of the Lowline. "The Lowline will continue to reconnect neighborhoods, expand access to public green space, create nature-based solutions to flooding, support active transportation and act as a new backbone of community life on the peninsula".​

Mayor William Cogswell framed the project as infrastructure designed for people: "The Lowline is more than a park and a path. It is infrastructure that works for people".​

Phase 1 construction will cost approximately $15 million, funded by the Cooper River Bridge Tax Increment Financing district. Friends of the Lowline announced $3 million in contributions, including a $2.5 million gift from the Speedwell Foundation honoring late advocate Tom Bradford, who passed away in October 2024.​

Construction is expected to take one year, with Phase 1 completion targeted for early 2027. The project will address two critical needs: reconnecting neighborhoods severed by Interstate 26 construction decades ago, and managing stormwater through rain gardens and passive parks designed to reduce Charleston's chronic flooding.​

The groundbreaking marked the end of waiting and the beginning of transformation.

The Medical University of South Carolina finalized a transformational $83.5 million acquisition of Citadel Mall on December 17, 2025, reshaping healthcare delivery in West Ashley.​

MUSC purchased 53.03 acres and 556,000 usable square feet, including its existing 126,000-square-foot West Ashley Pavilion, the vacant Sears building, an inline mall space, and more than 2,000 parking spaces. Major retailers Belk, Dillard's, and Target retain their own buildings; current inline mall tenants will continue operating short-term.​

The deal was approved by MUSC's Board of Trustees on December 12.​

MUSC Health CEO Dr. Patrick Cawley called the acquisition part of a national trend toward "medical mall" concepts, converting retail spaces into comprehensive healthcare hubs. "By expanding our footprint and embracing innovative models like the medical mall concept of repurposing retail spaces into comprehensive health care hubs, we are laying the foundation for groundbreaking research, world-class education and exceptional patient care," he said.​

The purchase addresses two critical needs: expanding clinical, research, and educational capacity beyond downtown's flood-prone campus, and solving persistent parking challenges.​

In early 2026, MUSC will begin employee parking and transportation logistics. Long-term plans include converting structures into clinical space, adding modular facilities, and supporting MUSC's new comprehensive cancer hospital.​

The 130,000-square-foot vacant Sears building will be first priority for conversion.

Genetic testing revealed 90% of Charleston restaurants were serving imported shrimp while marketing it as local, sparking a federal lawsuit dismissed on a legal technicality.​​

In May 2025, SeaD Consulting tested 44 randomly selected Charleston restaurants using portable genetic testing that delivers results in two hours. Undercover testers ordered shrimp, asked if it was local, then tested tissue samples.​

The results shocked: 40 of 44 restaurants (90%) served imported, farm-raised shrimp despite local claims. Most devastating? Even restaurants on historic Shem Creek, where shrimp boats dock, failed.​​

Only four passed: Coosaw Creek Crab Shack, Grace & Grit, Rappahannock Oyster Bar, and Acme Lowcountry Kitchen.​

On July 1, 2025, the South Carolina Shrimpers Association publicly named 25 defendants, including Hyman's Seafood, Pearlz Oyster Bar, Page's Okra Grill, and Red's Icehouse. Shrimpers testified they'd been forced to tie up boats because restaurants bought cheap imports and sold them as local.​​

Attorney Gedney Howe sued under the federal Lanham Act and South Carolina's Unfair Trade Practices Act, seeking damages and transparency.​​

By August, several restaurants had settled with the association.​

On October 31, US District Judge Richard Mark Gergel dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the Shrimpers Association lacked legal "standing" to bring the case. The dismissal came before merits could be litigated, meaning the court never addressed whether fraud occurred.​

Howe called the ruling "emblematic of the uphill struggle the shrimpers of South Carolina have faced for years".​

While the lawsuit failed, awareness succeeded. The SC Shrimpers Association now maintains a verified list of 100+ committed restaurants.

What a year it’s been for me! And a lot of it is thanks to YOU! When I first began this reporting on Instagram in 2024, I never had any clue where it would take me and the opportunities and doors it would open, both personally and professionally.

I was given numerous opportunities to share my story, processes, and more on stages big and small. The highlights were a Realtor event in San Antonio, sharing a stage with 2 good friends at our brokerage’s biggest conference in Orlando to a standing room only, capacity crowd, to the North Carolina Realtor’s Association, and most recently an intimate talk to local entrepreneurs at the West Ashley Public Library. I was also a guest on the local podcast “Between Two Brokers” which you can listen to on SPOTIFY or watch on YOUTUBE.

I would have to say though, that the biggest highlight of my year was being voted the Best Local Lifestyle Influencer in the Charleston City Paper’s Best Of Awards. This was voted on by YOU! It was incredible and completely unexpected. And what’s even cooler is I’m in the running again this year! Nominations are now open, and I need your help again! Let’s win this back-to-back! Click the link below and type in my name (Bill Olson) to nominate me! Thank you in advance!

Johns Island for under $200,000!

- Almost vacant .38-acre lot ready to build
- 2-car garage with 378 sqft apartment
- 10 minutes to Kiawah & Seabrook
-$185,000

Check out all the photos and details here

Not much to report on in the market over the holiday, but will have a year in review in next week’s newsletter. I do want to note that in a time that is typically slower until the new year, this Christmas week has been one of my busiest weeks in a few months. I had three pending offers going into Christmas, 1 ratified the day after Christmas, and 2 still out there (fingers crossed for my clients 🤞🏻). As we move through winter and towards spring, we expect things to get busier in the market overall, with more buyers entering amid talks of potentially lower interest rates.

If you’ve thought about buying (or selling, I help with both!) next year, now is the time to start keeping an eye on the market if you want to get in before demand spikes and you’re competing against other buyers.

1) Buying a Home - If you’re planning a move in the next 12-18 months, it’s never too early to start chatting.

2) Market Conditions - I can send you a quick snapshot of what’s going on in your neighborhood or area.

3) Request an Update - Share a lot or address, and I’ll research what’s being planned or built there

Until Next Week,

-Bill Olson

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