Park gets finishing touches
Town plans big July 4th opening
By Prentiss Findlay
The Post and Courier
The Post and Courier
The Mount Pleasant Visitor Center sits at the front of Memorial Waterfront Park.
Opening Friday
Friday
-- 4 p.m.: Park opens to the public.
-- 6:30 p.m.: Park dedication ceremonies.
-- 8 p.m.: East Coast Party Band on the pier; Charleston Community Band on the lawn; Nick Collins acoustic.
Saturday
-- 6 a.m.: The pier opens for fishing. The fishing fee is $5 for a daily pass for Charleston County residents; $8 for non-Charleston County residents; $3 for children 12 and younger.
-- 6 p.m.: The pier closes to fishing, becomes available for viewing the fireworks at Patriots Point.
July 5
-- 2 p.m.: Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion dedication with basketmaking demonstrations, African fabric art and performances by We Be Brethren.
-- 6:30 p.m.: War Memorial dedication, military re-enactment groups and Marine Corps Band.
Parking
-- Free parking all weekend.
-- Shuttle available from College of Charleston Athletic Complex near Patriots Point.
-- Starting July 6, parking will be 50 cents per hour.
MOUNT PLEASANT — Eric Deutsch had fishing fever as he surveyed the scene from the end of the new Memorial Waterfront Park pier. It wasn't open to anglers yet, but he just couldn't stay away.
"I think it's awesome," Deutsch said. "I've been counting the days."
The 1,250-foot-long pier, the area's longest, extends to near the shipping channel and offers dramatic views of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. "This is deep water here," he said, meaning it should be good for catching a variety of fish.
The $14 million park next to the Ravenel Bridge will open over the Fourth of July weekend with events beginning Friday. The 14-acre park includes a Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Center, 6,200-square-foot visitor center, war memorial, playground and the pier. An 8,100-square-foot covered pavilion for dances and other events will be at the end of the pier. The park also has a lot of green space planted with Bermuda grass.
Lopped-off pilings for the old John P. Grace Memorial Bridge provide the foundation for the pier.
"We expect some good fishing out there," said Eric Couch, pier manager. Workers at the site have found the pier hard to resist, too. "We had one or two people sneak out there from the construction crew and give it a try," Couch said. They caught some black drum, sheepshead and spotted sea trout, he said.
On a recent steamy morning, shade from the Ravenel Bridge fell across part of the end of the pier where Deutsch considered his future angling ground. He noted that being out of the sun in the bridge's shadow was an advantage. Three structures that provide shade are spaced along the pier.
The park pier, which like the pier at Folly Beach will be managed by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, began with the demolition of the Grace Bridge.
"This is one of those things where we made something out of nothing. This was going to be a waste site. Now we've turned it into one of Mount Pleasant's biggest assets," Deputy Town Administrator Eric DeMoura said.
The state Department of Transportation donated land for the park, which is bordered by the Ravenel Bridge, marshland, the Cooper River and Palmetto-tree-lined Harry M. Hallman Jr. Boulevard.
Carol Poplin was at work in the sweetgrass pavilion putting finishing touches on the interpretive exhibit. "We're basically trying to tell the history, the heritage of basketmaking in Mount Pleasant," said Poplin, a senior project manager for Brockington and Associates.
On early plantations, slaves used "fanner baskets" to winnow rice. From those beginnings, sweetgrass basketmaking has evolved into an art form. The exhibit tells that history, and the open-air pavilion provides places for basketmakers to display and market their work, Poplin said.
The visitor center has bathrooms, tourist information and a room festooned with Lowcountry-themed murals that is available for events such as weddings and receptions. Images of the Old Village, Shem Creek and Patriots Point decorate the walls. Two chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The Charleston Area Convention & Vistors Bureau will manage the visitor center.
The playground sits in the shade of the bridge. It will have a shrimp boat and bridge reproduction as well as a sand castle.
"A lot of climbing. A lot of slides. This is going to be truly unique. Most of the day, it will be in the shade," DeMoura said.
The War Memorial has a three-tiered fountain on one side of a sculpture and columns on the other side that are engraved with virtues such as duty, honor, commitment and sacrifice. The centerpiece is an 8-foot-tall bronze female sculpture. In the woman's left hand is a trifolded flag like the one presented to widows and mothers. Her right hand rests on a World War II helmet, supported by a rifle. The 74 war dead from east of the Cooper will be remembered on a wall over the fountain.
The park will have a police substation, security cameras and emergency call boxes. At least three officers will be assigned to the park, which will be open 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
"There will be surveillance at all hours of the day and evening," DeMoura said.
It's about 50 yards from the park to the pedestrian entrance of the bridge. Parking will cost 50 cents per hour.
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Comments
whalernut (anonymous) says...
Cant wait to ride my bike to the park. It will beat peddling up that bridge.
June 28, 2009 at 5:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
This park can also be easily accessed from the CARTA #40 bus, running from the Vistor's Center in Downtown Charleston to the Super Walmart past Highway 41, once an hour.
June 28, 2009 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tides (anonymous) says...
East Coast Party Band rocks!
June 28, 2009 at 8:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
williamwitte (anonymous) says...
They have done an awesome job with the park and it will be the Pride of Mt. Pleasant! You will be very happy with what was done there over the past year. I can still see the Old Bridges in my mind! It just seems like yesterday that I was taking pictures of the Old Bridges coming down , from that very spot! I have thousands of them!
What a kick off it will be with the East Coast Party Band. They too are the Pride of Mt. Pleasant!
I will see you there and promise to take lots of Pictures!
Sparky Witte
June 28, 2009 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
postman01 (anonymous) says...
Glad it's here. Let's be honest. A lot of time has been WASTED on something that could have been accomplshed far more expeditiously and quickly; however, better late than never.
June 28, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
If we don't catch any fish can we get a credit or refund? Will the pier police be out there examining caught fish for proper size or banned fish? I'd hate to be arrested or ticketed in the parking lot upon leaving by SCDNR agents inspecting everyone's catch. What are the catch amounts? What kind of baits will the tackle shop have? Can we bring our own bait? Can we jump off the pier into the water to cool off? Will there be a diving board? Can we bring chairs, umbrellas and big coolers? What about licenses and fishing string and poles and hooks? Is there a swimming area? A harbor beach with renourishment sand would be nice. Are there public showers and toilets? Is free drinking water available? I have many more questions.
June 28, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
postman01 (anonymous) says...
Intelligent questions kidyendor, to which you will receive canned answers that are not nearly as intelligent.
June 28, 2009 at 12:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Fire_Storm (anonymous) says...
Sorry to be a kill-joy but I have been to the Memorial Waterfront Park and it's very noisy. The sound of the trucks pounding on the bridge above is quite disturbing and distracting. It is indeed beautiful looking out at the harbor there but nonetheless this park is very poorly located with the bridge running alongside it. Maybe the pier will offer some serenity but I doubt it.
I hope Mt. P can get a mover-and-a-shaker-mayor to secure Patriots Point. That's where a waterfront park belongs.
June 28, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
I don't doubt it FireStorm. Maybe the noise turns into white noise after we adjust to it for hours sitting and fishing. We will know what it means to be homeless and living under an overpass. Clickety clack clickety clack. I am anxious to hear what the public says about the park and the noise and fishing when it is opened. The East Coast Party Band is cool and should drown out truck noise during their show. Fire-Storm, how did you get on the property if it is not open? Can we get down there close to test the decibel level? Don't worry, you are not a Debbie Downer/kill-joy for mentioning your troubles with the location. The more Debbie Downers the better. The world would be a better place if people would intelligently discuss the probable results of new proposals. Lets hope any park problems will be rectified.
June 28, 2009 at 7:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammanofdi (anonymous) says...
Have they ever addressed the issue of people throwing things off the bridge down onto that pier below? Remember, they were considering banning windows down on vehicles going across the bridge, but they canned that stupid idea. Regardless, eventually someone is going to get hurt or killed by a wayward bottle.
June 28, 2009 at 9:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Fire_Storm (anonymous) says...
"Fire-Storm, how did you get on the property if it is not open?"
KidYendor, it was not difficult at all. I knew where it was located and out of curiosity just drove in and checked it out. I did not see the pier though because it was blocked off and had workers working on it.
Clickety clack clickety clack is right! There was plenty of that! I can not imagine enjoying a band play over that disturbance. I also don't want to take my children to the Waterfront Memorial overpass playground- again, due to the noise, very disturbing. I prefer the shade and serenity of trees not a noisy man-made structure overhead, thank you.
I think a mistake was made not making that park a dog park. I imagine the Town Council felt they needed to justify the $14M price tag. The lawn area is too small to accommodate a gathering of more then 200 comfortably.
I left the park feeling very disturbed. Mostly for residing in a town led by incompetent Town Councilmen than anything else. I predict that park will prove to be an embarrassment, not the crown jewel of the town the TC is hoping for.
June 28, 2009 at 11:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Fire_Storm (anonymous) says...
Final thought:
The quicker the TC makes that lawn a dog park the better. People love their dogs and they need a good open space for them to run and to socialize (dog and canine-lover alike). I think if the park also had tables and seating for nearby office people to enjoy the space on their lunch hour would be a plus. It's possible there is such seating I just don't remember seeing it.
June 28, 2009 at 11:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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