Construction to begin on Lowcountry Lowline project this year, officials say
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — City of Charleston officials met Tuesday afternoon to discuss funding for several transportation initiatives, including the long-awaited Lowcountry Lowline project, which will be a connecting path for pedestrians and bicyclists through downtown Charleston.
Tuesday afternoon, officials voted to approve millions of dollars towards phase one of the project.
Lowcountry Lowline has been in the works for nearly a decade since Charleston City Council approved it back in 2015. On Tuesday, the city approved $15 million from the Cooper River Bridge Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, to fund phase 1 of the project, which will be a path for bicyclists and pedestrians connecting Mount Pleasant Street to Line Street.
“People from both the east and west side of the peninsula will have this artery, which is a beautiful place to walk your dog, walk your kids, commute to work, down the spine of the peninsula,” said City of Charleston Mayor William Cogswell.
Charleston Mayor William Cogswell says it’s fiscally responsible to fund this project now before borrowing rates begin to increase, and that money generated through the Cooper River TIF has to go back into the neighborhood, which is where the project will be next to. The TIF currently has generated $30 million and $15 million will be used for this project.
“Costs are going up far faster than our bonding rates so every day that goes by that we don’t issue a bond on a project like this the cost keeps going up and we keep trying to play catch up and that’s why you’re seeing a lot of projects stalled out and when you have a dedicated funding source for something like this I think it’s prudent to move quickly and get shovels in the ground,” said Cogswell.
Once finished, the project will connect the greater Charleston area to downtown Charleston including Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and North Charleston. Phase two of the project will connect Line Street to Marion Square.
Construction on phase one of the project is expected to begin at the end of this year.
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Author: Emma Charles