A 185-acre Developer Buy + Union Pier's Ferris Wheel Plans 🎡

Charleston County
Less than 1 week left to take the transportation tax survey
Charleston County's Transportation Sales Tax survey closes this Friday, April 10 at 11:59 p.m., and they want your input before it does. The county has been gathering feedback since September on roads, transit, and greenbelt priorities, and more than 4,200 residents have already weighed in. The results go straight to County Council later this month as they shape a program projected to generate $4.25 billion over 25 years for infrastructure across Charleston County. Take the survey at CharlestonTransportation.com.

Charleston County School District - Audit and Finance Committee
Capital savings redirected to tennis court renovations at two high schools
The committee approved a Phase 4 capital maintenance budget reallocation presented by Steve Hammond, redirecting savings from two completed projects — HVAC at Pleasant Academy and Doors & Hardware at Whitesides — toward tennis court renovations. St. John's High School will receive $400,000, bringing its total project budget to $2.4 million to construct four new courts, replacing two courts previously used as batting cages; work begins August 2026. West Ashley High School courts will be demolished and rebuilt starting after the spring boys tennis season, with completion targeted before the fall girls season.

City of Charleston · History Commission
Resident petitions to rename Hampton Park
A Wagner Terrace resident formally petitioned the History Commission to recommend that City Council rename Hampton Park, arguing the highly visible park's name carries significant symbolic weight. The resident outlined four historical problems with Wade Hampton's legacy as South Carolina Governor and U.S. Senator and proposed 'Memorial Park' as an alternative, citing the site's role as the location of the first Memorial Day observance. They also referenced the park's history as a racecourse, exposition grounds, and zoo as name-worthy alternatives. The commission could not act without a formal resolution and the chair instead floated funding a historical context plaque.

City of Charleston · Board of Zoning Appeals (Site Design)
Complex multi-part tree variance approved for Whitney Lake
The board considered a three-part application for the final build-out of the Whitney Lakes subdivision, covering variances to remove 5 grand trees, a special exception to remove 2 additional grand trees, and a setback reduction near 10 grand trees. Developers demonstrated significant concessions, reducing density from 185 multi-family units to 89 single-family attached units and preserving 85% of on-site grand trees and 100% of wetlands. The board split the request into three separate motions to address each component individually. Approval was conditioned on preserving tree 27, planting 167 caliper inches of native canopy trees, using stem walls for townhomes, and submitting a full arborist preservation plan with aerospading and root pruning.

City of Charleston · Health and Wellness Advisory Committee
Cooper River Bridge Run’s Record-Breaking Results
Paul Richmond reported that the 2026 Cooper River Bridge Run was a resounding success, with 38,755 registrants and 33,755 official finishers. Records were broken in all four racing categories, and cooperative weather contributed to an optimal race-day experience. Roughly 1,000 public safety officers were deployed to ensure participant safety.

Mount Pleasant's largest undeveloped tract of land quietly changed hands last week, and the implications for Highway 41, local schools, and the town's growth future are significant. The 185-acre Republic Tract, a stretch of Wando River waterfront near Rivertowne Country Club off Highway 41, sold on March 27, 2026 for approximately $38 million.

The buyer is Highland Resources, a Texas-based developer best known locally as the company behind Magnolia Landing — the massive $2 billion mixed-use project now under construction on Charleston's Ashley River. No formal development plans for the Republic Tract have been announced yet, but Highland has promised a "thoughtful approach."

Why This Land Has Been So Controversial

The Republic Tract sits in unincorporated Charleston County, not within Mount Pleasant's town limits — and that distinction has been the source of years of legal and political conflict. The prior owners, the Deierlein family, wanted to develop the property at a meaningful density, but doing that required connecting to town water and sewer infrastructure.

Mount Pleasant's position has been firm: if you want our water and sewer, you need to annex into the town first. The town even tried to buy the property for around $20 million to preserve it as public greenspace and a boat launch — an offer the family declined.

The Deierlein heirs eventually sued the town in 2023, arguing the town had no right to hold utilities hostage in exchange for annexation. That lawsuit has been actively discussed behind closed doors at Town Council meetings ever since.

The Density Question Is the Real Story

Here's why density matters so much on this particular parcel: Charleston County's industrial zoning for the tract includes a residential use provision. Under county rules — without town water and sewer — density is capped at one unit per acre. But connect to municipal water and sewer, and that cap jumps to 16 units per acre, potentially enabling up to 1,600 residential units on the site.

For context, Highway 41 already receives the worst possible traffic grade — an "F." Wando High School and nearby elementary schools are at or near capacity. Adding a large-scale development without significant infrastructure investment would push both to a breaking point.

This is exactly why the town has used its utility access as leverage — and why the outcome of the lawsuit matters so much.

The Sale Changes the Legal Dynamic

When Highland Resources bought the property, they also took over the active lawsuit against the town. But here's the telling detail: they dropped the financial damage claims against Mount Pleasant.

That's a significant olive branch. It suggests Highland wants to negotiate a development agreement with the town rather than fight it out in court. A negotiated annexation deal could allow the town to impose its own zoning — limiting density far below what county rules would otherwise permit.

Mount Pleasant's Town Council has been meeting in executive session to discuss this matter at nearly every special meeting since April 2024. Mayor Haynie, re-elected in November 2025, specifically named resolving the Republic Tract as one of his top priorities for his new term.

What Happens Next

The lawsuit is still active — now under the name Eysen et al. v. Town of Mount Pleasant — and its outcome could be decisive. If the court rules against the town's annexation-for-utilities policy, Mount Pleasant loses its primary tool for controlling what gets built there.

Separately, Charleston County is in the middle of buying right-of-way from roughly 172 properties along Highway 41 for a widening project — a related infrastructure story that will directly affect whatever eventually gets built on the Republic Tract.

The question is no longer if the Republic Tract develops. It's how dense, on whose terms, and whether the town can shape it before a judge decides for them. This one is worth watching closely.

80 Church St - This 126-year-old home sits prominently on the corner of Church & Tradd. It features a courtyard, all brick exterior, and even a finished lower-level…a rarity in Charleston.

4 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 3300 sqft | $4,600,000

SEE ALL PHOTOS AND DETAILS

Coming soon to Mount Pleasant!

- 5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths (including 1st floor guest suite)
- 2361 sqft
- No carpet and updated throughout
- Zoned for Carolina Park Elementary, Cario Middle and Wando High
- Will be priced between $675,000-$700,000

Charleston posted a strong week with 339 residential properties going under contract between March 27 and April 2, including 268 single-family homes carrying a median list price of $553k at $266 per square foot. The headline, though, was the islands. James Island logged 18 contracts, Johns Island 16, and Daniel Island put up 8 deals for the second consecutive week, every single one priced over $1M and ranging from $1.6M to $4.6M. Isle of Palms produced three contracts at $3M, $7M, and $18M. That $18M number says everything you need to know about where the luxury ceiling sits right now. Mount Pleasant added 35 contracts with a $925k median and 16 homes over $1M. Peninsula Charleston saw 9 go under contract at a $915k median and $755 per square foot. Beach season has officially arrived, and the upper end of this market is feeling it.

For buyers and sellers, the data is telling a clear story. Sellers in the islands corridor, Mount Pleasant, and Daniel Island are in an enviable position. Prices per square foot are holding firm, buyer urgency is building as the season turns, and the luxury segment has real momentum. For buyers, the affordability play is still alive in Summerville and the Hanahan/Goose Creek/Moncks Corner area, which combined for 113 contracts with medians under $400k. But across the broader market, do not expect prices to soften. Only 4 of the 268 single-family homes went under contract below $250k, and distressed sales remain a non-factor at just 5 bank-owned or short sale properties in the mix. This market rewards preparation and decisiveness, and spring is not the time to wait.

If something in today's issue sparked a question, just reply. Seriously. I read every response.

Specifically, I'm good at three things:

1) Address research - Got a lot, a street, or a neighborhood you're curious about? Send me the address and I'll dig into what's planned or permitted there. This is genuinely my favorite thing to do.

2) Your neighborhood numbers - If you want a quick snapshot of what's selling (and what's sitting) near you, I'll put one together. No pitch, just data.

3) Buying conversations - If a move is somewhere on your radar in the next year or two, I'm a good early sounding board. No pressure, no hustle.

So hit reply and let me know what you're thinking about.

Until next week,
Bill Olson
Father, Husband, REALTOR®, Civic Storyteller

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