Charleston committee backs $15 million for first phase of Low Line, urges wider TIF plan

The City of Charleston Traffic and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 recommended that City Council and the Ways & Means Committee approve $15,000,000 in Cooper River Bridge TIF funds to pay for the first phase of the Low Line linear park and multiuse path.

Committee members said the money would fund the path from Mount Pleasant Street to Line Street, with a proposed Phase 2 extending to Marion Square. The committee vote to carry the request forward passed with the ayes prevailing and one abstention.

The Low Line proposal, first conceived in 2013, is planned as a linear park and bike-pedestrian corridor that its proponents say would link redevelopment projects and provide a nonvehicle connection for peninsula residents. City speakers said the $15 million figure covers the path itself; additional park and resiliency features around Newmarket Creek and elsewhere would be pursued later and could be funded by private developers tied to nearby redevelopment projects.

The mayor’s office told the committee the Cooper River Bridge TIF currently holds roughly $30 million in realized receipts and that the city has capacity to borrow about another $30 million against the district, producing roughly $60 million of investment capacity for the area. Committee members noted other proposed uses — including an outstanding offer to Charleston County on 995 Morrison and several drainage and park projects — and urged the city to coordinate spending across those priorities.

Several members pressed the administration for additional analysis before committing substantial sums. “All I want is a comprehensive plan with regard to the TIF district and the contiguous areas,” Council Member Gregory said, arguing that water and drainage problems in the district should be addressed first. Committee members and staff said some drainage actions depend on federal Army Corps decisions affecting Newmarket Creek and that certain improvements could be premature without clarity on larger resiliency works.

Council Member McBride and others raised neighborhood questions: McBride said constituents had asked whether existing facilities such as the Bridal Spot skate park would be affected; staff said the skate park would not be negatively impacted by the Low Line as proposed. The administration said design and construction would proceed in increments, beginning with the portion between Mount Pleasant Street and Line Street, with a target to have phase-one work under way and substantial progress by year-end.

The motion before the committee was for the body to recommend that Ways & Means and City Council approve the $15 million allocation; a motion to move the item passed and was seconded. The committee carried the recommendation forward for council consideration.

The committee directed staff to provide more detailed information about prior TIF expenditures in the immediate Cooper River Bridge area, short- and long-term drainage cost estimates, planned timelines, and the relationship between the Low Line build and other TIF projects. The mayor’s office and finance staff said they will supply those clarifications as the item moves to Ways & Means.