Charleston City Council approves several Lowcountry Lowline funding proposals

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Lowcountry Lowline Project is making progress as Charleston City Council approved of several funding proposals during a Monday meeting.

The city greenlit a $1.1 million contract, allowing for the design and construction of the lowline to begin. This will be the first phase of connecting three main districts on the peninsula.

“The first step is to create the path and once we get that path in, then we can start to build the network of parks that go with it. The linear park will be beautiful and awesome, people already use that corridor as a pathway. They already walk up and down there, we’re just going to kind of formalize it and put a place in place that allows for people to get around,” Logan McVey, chief policy officer of the City of Charleston, said.

The path is expected to serve both pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, leaders are now able to apply for a $6 million grant with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to restore Newmarket Creek.

“What that NOAA grant will help us fund is largely going to be the design of this stormwater park that’ll be there, which if you’ve ever been to Newmarket Creek it’s got the opportunity to beautiful,” McVey said. “Right now, it’s just a creek under an interstate, but there’s wetlands and there’s nature.” 

The 1.7 mile greenspace will have a north central corridor, parks, and an urban core as part of the phases, which aims to transform mobility downtown.

“In reality, it’s all incredibly walkable we’ve just not made it feel that way. This is about trying to restore some of the walkability and make it easier to for people to get around without a car. At the end of day, that helps reduce traffic as well,” said McVey.

The project has been in the works for a decade, but officials said it is progressing faster under the leadership of Mayor William Cogswell. Construction is expected to begin later this year.