New apartments, park envisioned at Folly and Albemarle

Plans are underway to put an approximately 300-unit apartment complex on the West Ashley side of the lower Ashley River bridges into Charleston, on space occupied by the Turky’s towing lot and a closed fitness gym.

Part of the land in the area will also be bought by the city of Charleston for a one-acre park and green-space.

Neil Robinson, an attorney for developer Flournoy Development Co., said rates at the site would be geared toward MUSC, College of Charleston and food and beverage workers who can’t afford downtown’s more expensive rental rates.

The site is at the intersection of Folly and Albemarle roads. The land is under contract, Robinson said.

City Council this week approved re-zoning the site from general business to mixed use. Council also agreed to buy the acre of land for $175,000, after the developer cleans the site up.

A closing date would be in either 2014 or 2015. Flournoy’s Vice President Ryan Foster said the apartment would be four stories tall but that a formal rendering has not been done yet.

The apartments would become even more attractive to downtown if one lane of the Highway 17 bridge into Charleston is closed for pedistrians and cyclists to use, as city officials are advocating.