A new waterfront development is headed for downtown, set to be located adjacent to Joe Riley Waterfront Park at 176 Concord St. The Cooper will be a full-service hotel and vertical construction was recently completed.

What will the hotel offer?

Real estate firm Lowe, which has a Charleston office at 8 N. Market St., says the hotel will offer 12,000 sqft of ground-floor retail space on Concord Street, nearly 20,000 sqft of indoor-outdoor event space, and a 7,000-sqft spa and fitness center.

Food and beverage offerings will include a waterfront cafe, rooftop lounge with a dedicated public elevator from the park, and signature restaurant. The outdoor pool will have views of the harbor and the historic downtown skyline.

McMillan Pazdan Smith and Robert Glazier served as the architects for the hotel. | Photo provided by Lowe

What does this mean for Waterfront Park?

Lowe is working with the City of Charleston to extend Waterfront Park by more than 400 ft in conjunction with the hotel's amenities. The extension will start at the park’s north entrance on Concord Street and end at Cumberland Street.

The firm will also be providing a new dock and marina facility which will allow for boat dockage and water taxi service as part of the park extension.

What is the project timeline?

The Cooper is expected to open sometime in late 2024 or early 2025.

This is a developing story, so stay tuned for updates.