Union Pier revival

Behind rusting walls concealed by an emergency coat of paint, Charleston's grossly outdated cruise terminal drew a standing room-only crowd that buzzed with new energy Thursday.

The State Ports Authority kicked off its planning for 15 waterfront acres at the end of Market Street with a public presentation. Charleston Mayor Joe Riley shared the podium with Jim Newsome, SPA chief executive, and Helen Hill, Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director, to explain how the next four months could determine the future for some of the city's most valuable and under-used property around the Union Pier Terminal.

They introduced Jaque Robertson, founding partner at New York-based urban design firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners, whose resume includes Waterfront Park, the Visitor Reception and Transportation Center and the College of Charleston School of Education.

Referring to the opulent building across the street, Robertson said, "You've got this Customhouse situated in an abandoned part of town. That's an impossible juxtaposition. ... This is going to change that."

The SPA in 1996 commissioned a master plan for the area under consideration, which does not include the vehicle-handling portion of Union Pier Terminal. That report envisioned a two-story system of shops, lodging and dining, yet the past 13 years saw condominiums pop up within that footprint but only further deterioration at the terminal.

Officials said Thursday that the new plan, while technically an update, should bear little resemblance to the 1996 design. Reluctant to share anything specific, Robertson likened the process to exploratory surgery.

"No matter what, only when you get in there do you understand what you can do and what you need to do," he said.

Newsome of the SPA said the new plan has five goals: developing a viable facility that fits within historic Charleston; making security adjustments required by federal law; reducing cruise impacts on city traffic and infrastructure; increasing public access to the waterfront; and developing future purposes for the rest of Union Pier.

The SPA eventually aims to transfer its roll-on/roll-off cargo business from the north end of the downtown terminal to Veterans Terminal in North Charleston, but nothing has been finalized.

As to the area of Union Pier to the south, SPA officials said they envision a modern new passenger terminal will be built on the site of the existing building and that the nearby warehouses that stretch to East Bay Street will likely be razed to make way for other uses.

This latest Union Pier redevelopment plan follows closely behind an announcement from Carnival Cruise Lines to depart from Charleston at least once a week beginning in May, marking the city's first year-round cruise call. Given that news, Newsome said, "This is the right time to move forward."

The SPA will remain owner of the 15 acres, which includes the agency's executive offices. Asked about leasing the prime real estate to commercial tenants, Newsome said, "I call it an annuity, a development annuity."

The SPA agreed to pay Cooper Robertson & Partners about $700,000 for the planning project, which should produce a preliminary report in mid-December and a final plan in late January. The process calls for extensive public input, including a "listening session" set for Oct. 28.

Robertson likened the project to the once-criticized Charleston Place development, which revitalized King Street.

"There, every name brand in the bloody country is on King Street in a tiny space in a small city," Robertson said.

The project coincides with another major overhaul: the old City Market. Hank Holliday, a principal with the City Market Preservation Trust, called the existing cruise terminal "a non-functioning eyesore" but said a proper rehabilitation could increase quality of life for residents.

"We think it's mighty important that the two projects connect and interact appropriately with each other, particularly the parking aspect," Holliday said. "The biggest obstacle we have to overcome in the City Market is parking."

Riley said the SPA "couldn't have gotten a better team in America" to meet those objectives. That group of experts includes business consultant Peter Rummell, the former president of Disney Development who helped create the Florida town of Celebration.

Robertson said residents might not see results from the next four months for another decade. But he called that a short wait if it lets people within the city look out on the water for the first time.

"You never had a claim to it," he said. "It's not reclaiming it. It's claiming it."

Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.