Plumbers in North Charleston, SC

NORTH CHARLESTON — A key bill passed through the state legislature that will help propel one of the city's largest development projects forward.

On May 8, Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill that amended a state law to allow a special tax district to finance affordable housing on former military bases.

"With this signing, our local municipalities will be able to make significant investments in infrastructure, workforce housing, security, and economic development," McMaster wrote in a statement.

In North Charleston, city officials said the legislation is critical for the future development of the former Naval Base, a large scale project along the Cooper River helmed by a joint venture between Jamestown, L.P., Weaver Capital and WECCO.

City Council approved contract agreements with the development group at the end of 2023 for the 50-acre riverfront property called Battery Park located north of the Noisette Creek Bridge. The same development team is also revitalizing several old Navy buildings in the southern portion of the base through its Navy Yard Charleston project.

In October 2024, City Council extended the contract's due diligence period, which was set to expire that month, giving the development team additional time before finalizing the sale. The extension was set to expire in July 2026 or 30 days after the state bill is signed into law, whichever came first.

Now with the bill signed into law, the contract is expected to be finalized in the beginning of June. The main reason for the due diligence extension was for the passage of the bill, said Ryan Johnson, the city's director of administration.

Base closures lead to revitalization

South Carolina established a law in 1994 to outline the redevelopment of military bases as the federal government closed or downsized a slew of military installations across the country through its Base Realignment and Closure plan. The Charleston Naval Base and Myrtle Beach Air Force Base were part of these closures.

Redevelopment authorities were then created to oversee the disposal of federal property and provide the opportunity to create tax increment financing districts to fund public infrastructure improvements.

A TIF district is a funding tool used by municipalities to revitalize neglected areas. These tax districts allow local governments to take on debt for infrastructure improvements in the district, then use the increased property tax revenue after the area's revitalization to pay off the debt.

Guidelines for most TIF districts are outlined in the state's Tax Increment Financing Law. However, former military bases follow a separate set of rules that are included in the Federal Defense Facilities Redevelopment Law. This law previously did not provide guidance for affordable housing.

The goal was to amend this law to follow the state's general guidance on TIF districts, Johnson said.

Now, new property tax revenues generated in the former military base TIF district can be used for the creation of publicly or privately owned affordable housing, which is defined as 80 percent or below the area's median income.

The bill also allows for these TIF funds to be spent outside of the designated district if it's for the benefit of the district, Johnson said. This clause will help fund the relocation of Department of Defense operations that still exist on the property.

Additionally, the bonding period extended from 15 to 35 years.

"A TIF is the primary driver for redevelopment in a municipality because it can fund all the public infrastructure," Johnson previously told The Post and Courier.

A similar version of the bill did not pass during the 2024 session. The bill received letters of support from Gov. Henry McMaster and Col. Michael Freeman, commander of Joint Base Charleston, said Erica Wright, a legislative and public policy advocate with the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

The vision for the 50-acre Battery Park site is to create 1,400 residences, 20 acres of public open space and a mix of commercial uses. According to the agreement, at least 250 of the housing units would be reserved for "attainable housing" for residents earning less than 120 percent of the area's median income, which is $88,350 for one person in the tri-county area.

The development team's past work includes large scale redevelopment projects, such as Ponce City Market in Atlanta and Chelsea Market in Manhattan, both helmed by Jamestown.

Charleston Mayor William Cogswell is principal of WECCO, the group that has been involved in a number of local development projects, such as the Cigar Factory in Charleston and Garco Mill in North Charleston. Lucile Cogswell, his wife, now serves as president of WECCO, according to its website.

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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — The North Charleston High School performed a full three-act play for the first time in 20 years Saturday.

"We know this is something we can do," said T'mani Woodward, the North Charleston High School theatre teacher. "I've been in theatre my whole life, and I wanted to share that experience with these students."

"When people think of North Charleston High, they think of athletics, they don't think of theatre of the arts." said Leo Brown, an actor in the play. "They used to use this auditorium as a place to dump students and for storage and stuff, and we've developed it into something that's proud to look at."

To produce a show of this magnitude for a school which had not seen theatre for decades was no small task, and for faculty and students, everything had to start from the ground up.

"Dressings rooms were doubling as storage space for desks and chairs, so I had to advocate for myself and my students," said Woodward. "We have had faculty working here for 15 years and they didn't know that there was even a stage back here."

READ MORE | "North Charleston Arts Fest returns with five days of free performances and exhibitions"

The students who performed in the play stepped onto the stage knowing it had not been done for generations at the high school.

"My first time doing this was my first time acting ever," said actor Samantha Williams. "But getting on stage and seeing all the work you put in pay off, it's really good. It's a really good feeling."

The performers remarked that the student body enjoyed the performances, although it is a new experience for many.

"We had to teach all the students proper theatre etiquette," said Woodward, "But they loved the performances and they were shocked by a lot of what happened on stage."

"They all complimented us." said Williams, "They said this play was actually cool and they didn't expect the play to be this cool. They all thought plays would be just boring."

North Charleston High School does not have anymore plays planned as of now. There could be some surprises next year, Woodward commented, as she plans on taking the performances up a notch.

(NewsNation) — A deal has been signed by Qatar Airways to purchase betweeen 160 and 200 Boeing jets, according to the White House.

“This historic agreement will support 154,000 U.S. jobs annually, totaling over 1 million jobs in the United States during the course of production and delivery of this deal,” the White House said.

The jets will be produced and delivered over a seven-year period, from 2029 to 2036.

Boeing has not yet confirmed or commented on details of the agreement.

The deal, which includes Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets, could give one South Carolina city a major job spike at its Boeing manufacturing plant.

The North Charleston plant is where all 787 Dreamliners are assembled, said Scott Stocker, who is the vice president and general manager . It currently employs more than 8,000 workers.

Mayor Reggie Burgess said while he’s not sure exactly how many jobs the Qatari deal could bring, his city will “fill them all.”

“We’re talking about thousands and thousands of jobs,” he added.

Local business owners told NewsNation the deal would be a game-changer.

“Most of our business, our contractors, they are truck drivers, they’re just working-class people. And if it can bring more of those in here, then it would definitely, definitely improve everything for us,” said Li Farmer, a restaurant manager in North Charleston.

Korean Air recently agreed to purchase up to 50 Boeing planes, some of which will be assembled in North Charleston.

It’s a big boost for Boeing after a tough year, production problems and worker strikes.

Though the company has seen some layoffs in recent months, Boeing announced a plan in December to invest $1 billion in North Charleston’s plant, with a goal of adding 500 jobs in the next five years.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The devastating and deadly impacts from Hurricane Helene last year proved hurricanes are statewide events in South Carolina, not just on the coast.

With the next hurricane season just days away, Gov. Henry McMaster headed to North Charleston on Thursday to share the latest on preparations and what South Carolinians need to do now to be ready.

State leaders said they have been preparing since last winter for this hurricane season.

Now they say it’s time for all South Carolinians to get ready.

“Don’t wait for the warning,” Rob Perry, deputy secretary for engineering with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, said. “Don’t wait for the press conferences. Do it now — that way you’re prepared.”

The director of the state’s Emergency Management Division, Kim Stenson, said South Carolinians should take three important steps: prepare their homes; know their evacuation zone, if they live in one; and remember their route to evacuate.

“We always hope to never be faced with an evacuation, but in the event an evacuation is ordered, our goal is to ensure there’s a safe movement of traffic and distribution near evacuation routes,” Lt. Col. Travis Manley, the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s deputy commander of operations, said.

SCEMD also reminds the many South Carolinians who live in low-lying areas to take that into consideration during their planning by preparing for potential flooding.

While South Carolina leaders emphasize annually that the impacts of hurricanes can and will be felt across the state, that reality was unscored last year with Helene, the deadliest storm in state history.

Stenson said Helene’s impacts in the Upstate and on the western part of the state as a whole, further away from the coast, did not change South Carolina’s hurricane preparations this year or its response plans.

“You can easily have hurricane-force winds all the way up to our northern border with North Carolina,” Stenson said. “So it really hasn’t changed anything. It’s just opened up a few eyes because we’ve not had that here in South Carolina for a number of years.”

Stenson and McMaster said they believe the state’s plans held up well then and feel confident in them headed into this season, if South Carolinians take them just as seriously.

“If a hurricane slams right into us, then it will qualify as a disaster, more than likely,” McMaster said. “But a disaster does not have to have a loss of life, with preparation and understanding of what’s happening.”

The state’s preparations will continue into next month, including the annual lane reversal drill on June 4.

South Carolina Highway Patrol said traffic will not be impacted, but they ask drivers to be aware of law enforcement who will be along the roads, preparing to keep people safe in emergencies.

SCEMD encourages South Carolinians to pick up one of its 2025 hurricane guides, which are available around the state and accessible online.

The guide is full of vital information like what to do if power goes out, how to file an insurance claim, what to do with pets, and maps out all the state’s evacuation zones.

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