New West Ashley, who dis?

Rebuild, renew, rediscover West Ashley.

Equating to 44.29% of the total population of Charleston, the 44.93 square miles of West Ashley accounts for the largest portion of the city proper. And yet, of the 75,142 residents, 84% commute elsewhere for work.

Enter Plan West Ashley. A 300+ page document which outlines the goals, objectives, and specific strategies related to land use, quality of health + life, housing, sustainability, + more.

But what does the revitalization west of the Ashley River really mean? What steps have already been taken, + what is next on the docket? We’ve taken on two of the topics– economic development + transportation, to see what would be worth heading out west for.

Economic Development

Even though there are about 30,000 jobs in West Ashley, only 16% of residents are working within the boundary lines. The master plan hopes to diversify the economy by repositioning the area to attract business sectors that are tied to the regional export-based economy, thus bringing jobs back over the river.

Working with the One Region Global Competitiveness Strategy, five “high impact clusters” were identified as drivers to the economy: aerospace, information technology, life sciences, advanced logistics, + automotive.

A few short-term goals address the aforementioned topics include:

• Utilizing vacant shopping center space for call centers, which can have high employment
• Working with local hospitals to explore the possibility new offices + medical facilities. This has already seen traction, with MUSC leasing the old J.C. Penney at the Citadel Mall last October. The first floor of the 126,000-square-foot outpatient facility will be used for surgery + procedures, radiology, and therapy. The second floor will hold physician offices + examination rooms. Renovations will take 12-18 months. The $168,192/month lease is signed for 15 years, (for a total of approximately $37.5 million), with the option to extend the agreement for two terms plus five years for each period.
• Integrating into the efforts of the Charleston Digital Corridor initiative. One idea here– a business incubator to promote the assets in the area for growth. An example of this on upper King St. is the cohort groups hosted by the Harbor Entrepreneur Center. The program includes a free workspace throughout the 14-weeks, where startup entrepreneurs will improve the profitability, scalability, + efficiency of their business through mentorship. The HEC positioned itself next to Workshop– an exploratory food court which rotates restaurants, allowing chefs to test their skills, + business savvy at an affordable brick + mortar before taking the plunge themselves at a larger scale.

While increasing the available job opportunities addresses one side of the coin, after work comes play.

Most residents would consider the shopping hub to be Avondale. With residents spending a total of $89,820,276 on recreation/entertainment (an average of $2,646.13/household) and $98,059,579 on food away from home (an average of $2,888.86/household) in 2016, retail is a definite must-do in the master plan.

But how do we support more small-scale community shopping opportunities in outer West Ashley that look and feel more like Avondale in inner West Ashley?

Here’s what’s currently cookin’:

In West Ashley Station 📍 1127 Savannah Hwy.

• Construction is underway on a new 45,020-square-foot Whole Foods Market, on the corner of Farmfield Drive + Savannah Highway. Mayor John Tecklenburg considers the arrival of the Texas-based market the ‘first concrete step’ in bringing new life to the neighborhood. The grocery is slated to open Spring 2018.
• Zoe’s Kitchen, a café-chain serving up healthy Greek-inspired cuisine, is opening up a 5,008-square-foot space in September 2018. There is currently a location in Mt. Pleasant.

In Westwood Plaza 📍 1812 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.

• The plaza is nearly at capacity, with only two spots available. The square is currently home to 17 businesses, including the new Harris Teeter. Other coming tenants include: Ulta, HomeGoods, North-Carolina based Duck Donuts, Jacksonville, FL-chain Metro Diner, + Tropical Smoothie Café.

In Ashley Landing 📍 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.

• With the openings of Frothy Beard Brewing Company, Charleston Amish Furniture, + Zombie Bob’s PIzza, West Ashley is landing some traffic. And popularity– Frothy Beard recently announced they would be expanding, taking over the space next door from Push Digital, one of the brewery’s investors. The 3,500 sq. foot space will be transformed into a private area for parties, meetings, + receptions. It will be the first brewery in Charleston to offer this type of space. Additional tenants landing here: Famous Toastery, Wingstop, Navy Federal Credit Union, The Bicycle Shoppe, and the Charleston Stage– which is leaving its Mt. Pleasant location after 4 decades + doubling its size in West Ashley.

Read the full retail report here.

Transportation

There is no need to grow, if you have no way of getting there. The master plan is looking to cut down travel times, and to expand + develop alternative ways of travel to better connect West Ashley to its inner + outer areas, as well as the peninsula.

Green means go:

• A feasibility study has been proposed to determine the viability of a private water taxi to connect West Ashley to the peninsula.

• A physical connection from the West Ashley Greenway to the peninsula via a bridge, using existing infrastructure, a cantilevered structure, or a new standalone facility, would provide a means similar to the Ravenel for pedestrians to forgo their cars and walk it out.

• To maintain connections throughout the area, + increase the feasibility of easily traveling from one section to another, the city is looking to install or complete continuous shared use paths on major corridors including: Savannah Hwy., Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Old Towne Road, St. Andrews Blvd., Ashley River Rd, Glenn McConnell Pkwy., Bees Ferry Rd., + Folly Road Blvd.

One lingering question that has everyone stumped– whether or not the 8-mile extension of I-526 to the James Island connector will be completed. The extension was to be funded by the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) + the half-cent sales tax for transportation, however, after Charleston County sued SIB before the S.C. Supreme Court, alleging breach of contract, the roadway construction has not moved forward, as state + local officials have failed to agree on a plan that would put the $750 million project back on track. Surrounding parties have weighed in, including the Coastal Conservation League providing their alternative, “A New Way to Work,” but the ability to bridge the connection between West Ashley, Mt. Pleasant, James Island, + Johns Island by means of highway expansion, is still TBD.

Interested in learning more about what’s going on west of the Ashley River? You can check out Plan West Ashley here + see their upcoming events/meetings here.

As community participation will be critical to shaping the vision of the new West Ashley, we want to know– what do you want to see? Are there businesses missing? Parks needing repair? A better way to travel? Let us know by emailing hello@thechstoday.com.

– Nicole, Engagement Editor