Magnolia Project underway to develop neck of peninsula

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - After years of planning, work is finally underway on a major Charleston development.

The first phase of the Magnolia Project is now under construction just north of historic Charleston between downtown Charleston and North Charleston.

The nearly 200 acres of land sits off of Milford Street, along the Ashley River, in the “neck” of the peninsula.

The City of Charleston says this site will soon have apartments, workplaces, shops, restaurants, parks and a public waterfront on the Ashley River.

It’s a project that has been planned for years. The land is all former industrial sites that had to be combined and cleaned up from industrial pollution.

City plans have called for the development of this site because they say it’s an area that is high and dry, has good connections to other cities, and is a great area for our region to grow.

“This is a site that I think could become a new center for our city, both in terms of a place where people could go and work, and for people to live,” city planning director Jacob Lindsey said. “Eventually it will be connected on our bus rapid transit line and it will connect into the developing brewery district where there is already great technology employment. So, this has the potential to become a new hub for the region.”

The city has long anticipated that Magnolia will bring thousands of jobs and residents to the location and they are excited to see construction finally underway.

The goal is to have it all complete by 2028, but the city says it will be a rolling process and the first phases will open much sooner. There is not a timeline for exactly when that will be yet.

However, they do say that phase one will be roughly less than 1/4 of project, and the first openings will be in the southeastern quadrant of the site.

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