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Committee approves $15 million Cooper River Bridge TIF commitment for Low Line phase 1
Summary
The City of Charleston Committee on Ways and Means voted Jan. 28 to commit $15 million in Cooper River Bridge TIF funds to build phase 1 of the Low Line between Mount Pleasant Street and Line Street; Friends of the Low Line will match design-service costs.
The City of Charleston Committee on Ways and Means voted Jan. 28 to commit $15,000,000 from the Cooper River Bridge tax-increment financing (TIF) district to construct phase 1 of the Low Line, a linear public-space project between Mount Pleasant Street and Line Street. The committee also recorded a matching-design commitment from Friends of the Low Line for the project’s design services.
The committee’s action authorizes the city’s funding commitment for construction of phase 1; the item was introduced as a request from the chief policy officer for special projects. The request states the anticipated funding source as Cooper River Bridge TIF funds and lists the amount as $15,000,000. The committee approved the item following a motion and second; the chair announced, “The ayes have it.”
Why it matters: the Low Line is a publicly scoped linear park and streetscape project that the city and private partners have discussed in prior committee meetings. Committing TIF funds for construction is the major fiscal step recorded at this meeting and moves the project from planning toward capital work and contracting.
Committee discussion and context focused on the funding source and prior committee review. The chair noted the matter had been reviewed earlier by the Traffic and Transportation Committee; that committee’s vote was not unanimous and included one abstention. No specific construction schedule, procurements, contract awards, or implementation milestones were presented at the Ways and Means meeting.
Discussion-only points recorded in the transcript included reference to the Traffic and Transportation Committee’s earlier review and the single abstention there; no commissioner requested amendments to the funding amount or the source during the Ways and Means discussion recorded in the transcript.
Votes at a glance: - Commitment of $15,000,000 Cooper River Bridge TIF funds for Phase 1 of the Low Line (Mount Pleasant St to Line St). Outcome: approved. Prior Traffic & Transportation review: 1 abstention noted.
Ending: The committee’s approval authorizes the city to proceed with the funding commitment. The transcript does not specify next steps for contracting, exact design milestones, or an implementation timetable; those items may appear at future committee or council meetings.
