Mount Pleasant leaders discuss possibility of adding housing to shopping center

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) – Mount Pleasant officials are looking to implement more livability options in a popular shopping area.

Leaders held a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss early plans to transform parts of the Towne Centre shopping area into a hub for attainable housing, greenspace, parking and business. This specific item workshops the idea of 421 new living units across 51 acres of property and the consideration of heightened parking garages over expansive lot options.

“Towne Centre has never had a residential component to development, so this would go a long way to diversifying the development itself,” Senior Planner Peter Stone says.

Property owners brought the topic to the town more than a year ago in hopes of a collaborative effort to keep the area vibrant. The conversation is in response to other shopping malls or centers across the Lowcountry that have closed their doors or diminished significantly in popularity.

“I was at a regional mall the other day and I was appalled,” Mayor Will Haynie says. “You look around at major retail centers, they are all changing. Big stores are going away. We’re trying to look at Mount Pleasant, 5, 10 or 15 years down the road.”

Haynie says the group is trying to prevent an increase in vacant spaces, which could bring more crime to the area. Changing the landscape would support the town’s most recent comprehensive plan goals of creating a community hub, Haynie says.

“This is Mount Pleasant’s equivalent to the Union Pier tract in Charleston. It’s 52 acres. It’s the largest business center we have and we want to get this right,” Haynie says.

Leaders noted a concern for overcrowding at nearby Charleston County School District schools. District officials anticipate Moultrie Middle would not be affected, but Lucy Beckham High and Whitesides Elementary could see a hike in student populations.

The session was a workshopping council meeting and leaders do not anticipate a vote anytime soon. Haynie explains they want to make sure everything is considered before bringing the idea into public comment.

“This is potentially a multi-generational impact on the community,” Stone says. “It reduces traffic because you have people living, working, and shopping in the same place.”

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