Realtors envision growth
The Presentations
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley outlining the city's vision for West Ashley, Johns Island and James Island. - (PDF)
Coastal Conservation League Project Manager Alex Dadok challenged planners to turn shopping centers dominated by big paved parking lots into mixed-use commercial and residential centers. - (PDF)
Charleston County Councilman Curtis Bostic, Deputy Administrator Kurt Taylor and Director of Transportation Development Jim Armstrong talked about the county’s commitment to preserve rural areas and outlined road projects. - (PDF)
Brushing off talk of a slowing economy, local officials and real estate agents gathered Tuesday to talk about how to handle the 85,000 new residents they expect to move into Charleston County over the next 12 years.
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley and Charleston County officials outlined growth plans for West Ashley, Johns Island and James Island, which include preserving thousands of acres of rural land, always a top priority in citizen workshops.
On the home front, Coastal Conservation League Project Manager Alex Dadok challenged planners to turn shopping centers dominated by big paved parking lots into mixed-use commercial and residential centers, with trees and other signs of life.
It was all great news to the 150 or so real estate agents who gathered at James Island County Park for the presentation, which was organized by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors. The new residents will require 42,000 new houses, according to the county's projections.
"With the economy the way it's been the last couple years, we've seen our industry affected just like everything else," incoming president Gettys Glaze said after the meeting. "But the beauty of it is, people still want to come here, and this outlines how we're going to deal with it."
Tuesday's presentation allowed the public to study the maps in detail.
Mapping the future
Read the series from The Post and Courier.
E-mail this story 
Printer-friendly version
Notice about comments:
The Post and Courier is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Post and Courier does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our Web site.
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
Comments
This article has 8 comment(s)
Posted by Neponset on October 22, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Real estate has been very profitable for the folks that develope and sell it, naturally they would like for this gravy train to continue and will say and do anything to jump start this depression in their biz. - “Happy days are just around the corner”. Or are they? What I want to know are the numbers for Sept. - how bad is it? When do they come out (sales compared to a year ago)?
Posted by mkris on October 22, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These realtors are smoking something.
Most economists are predicting a decline in values to 1998-1999 levels or minimally stagnating prices until 2010.
Posted by MMitchum on October 22, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sell whats out there first...before you build another thing...have enough empty buildings and residence already.
Posted by back2u on October 22, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree MMitchum. There's plenty of empty homes & buildings already out there. May take a little elbow grease for buyers to get what they want. But, there's no sense in clearing land & needlessly using up resources to build more until the current properties are gone. People talk so badly about the financial times of 98-99. Jeez, we all lived through that as it wasn't all that long ago. We can make it through again.
Posted by cntrygrl0707 on October 22, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Charleston is a beautiful place. Its a shame to see that all people want to do is cut everything down and put houses, and stores everywhere. Not to mention that there is enough traffic already. What do we need more people for?
Posted by KidYendor on October 23, 2008 at 12:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We need to slow new home construction until most of the current sellers have sold. I agree with cntrygrl.
Posted by willx45x on October 23, 2008 at 7:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A message for the Realtors - just because you say it over and over again and wish for it like a 10-year old wishing for Santa Clause doesn't make it so. For the good ones, you can probably weather the storm. The rest of you should find a new line of work. This ain't coming back for a long, long time and your 6% commissions, which you protect like the Cosa Nostra protecting its rackets, are about to be a thing of the past as well. Happy days are not here again, nor will they be any time in the next five years. Prices are falling like a rock.
Posted by LEYH on October 23, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I also agree, stop construction! There are houses sitting empty. People are hurting. We don't need more construction. We don't need to destroy any more land.
We also don't need more people here. Don't build it and they won't come.