This week, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in downtown Charleston for The Cooper – a future waterfront hotel at 176 Concord Street (where the old South Carolina Ports Authority office was located).

What’s unique about this project: Aside from the hotel, the development will provide public access to the waterfront, connecting to Joe Riley Waterfront Park.

It will be the only hotel in downtown CHS with its own dock — which the public will be able to use to park their boats + walk right up to the future rooftop bar for a drink overlooking the park, the harbor, and the hotel’s infinity pool (which will also be located on the rooftop).

Former mayor Joe Riley – a major advocate for public access to the water’s edge – was in attendance at the event, along with current mayor John Tecklenburg, and Governor Henry McMaster.

This is what’s included in the hotel’s design:

🏨 225 rooms
☕ An outdoor, waterfront café
🧖‍♀️ A full-service spa
☀️ A rooftop lounge + observation deck
🛍️ Ground-floor retail space facing Concord Street
💼 Meeting + special event space
🍽️ An upscale restaurant
🌊 A rooftop infinity pool with harbor + park views
🌱 A 400-foot expansion of Joe Riley Waterfront Park
⛵ A public dock which the public will be able to use to park their boats + visit the hotel's bar and shops

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Renderings by Lowe via Lou Hammond Group

Real estate developers Lowe purchased the 6.5-acre property for $38 million in 2017. But this isn’t *just* going to be another luxury hotel. This development will actually be a key piece to solving the city of Charleston’s decades-long search for a way to provide the public with access to this property.

Rendering via Charleston Waterfront Hotel

Here’s the plan: Developers will extend Joe Riley Waterfront Park from Cumberland Street (near Fleet Landing, where it currently ends) to the front of the future hotel’s property on Concord Street. After that expansion is complete, developers have agreed to turn over its management to the city. Dubbed the “River Walk” project, it will create an additional 400 feet of public, harbor-front space to the north. River Walk will also include a marina facility for water taxi services + for use by the public.

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