Charleston City Council approved a settlement with entrepreneur Martin Sprock on March 26, agreeing to pay $2.75 million for a tiny piece of waterfront property between Joe Riley Waterfront Park and the East Bay Dog Park.
The price tag is nearly twice what Sprock, founder of national chains Moe's Southwest Grill and Planet Smoothie, paid for the .157-acre parcel in 2020, and $1 million more than the city first offered to pay when trying to condemn the land in 2022.
Sprock wanted to build a home at 10 Concord St., currently a parking lot. It would have been the only home in the immediate area on the east side of Concord Street, blocking views of Charleston Harbor from properties across the narrow road.
MARTIN SPROCK'S WATERFRONT PROPERTY: Entrepreneur Martin Sprock has tried twice to get plans approved for a proposed house at 10 Concord St., drawing opposition from the neighborhood. The city of Charleston plans to try to buy the property, which currently houses a parking lot, and connect it to the Joe Riley Waterfront Park. Brandon Lockett/Staff (SOURCE: ESRI)
His building plans were contested by the Charlestowne Neighborhood Association, Preservation Society of Charleston and Historic Charleston Foundation, whose leaders argued before the Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals that the "project was too large for the lot" and did little to mitigate flooding in a vulnerable area.
The day after that appeal was filed, City Council voted Nov. 23, 2021, to acquire the property "by any and all legal means available," according to the meeting minutes.
The legal maneuver allowed the city to seek to condemn the property through eminent domain, which allows governments to seize properties for "public purposes." The city plans to expand Waterfront Park "for the use and enjoyment of all citizens and visitors," according to the condemnation notice filed in January 2022.
The city made a similar maneuver when pursuing the purchase of a former Piggly Wiggly property in West Ashley in 2017. The city ultimately purchased that site for $3 million and now plans to transform it into a civic space, offices and retail space.
The city offered $1.78 million as "just compensation" for the Concord Street property, according to court documents. Charleston County property records valued it at $1.48 million in 2022.
A month later, Sprock sued the city to stop condemnation proceedings. In the complaint, Sprock alleged that the city's stated public use is a "pretext, and the real purpose is to provide a private benefit to a small group of landowners."
Attorneys for Sprock and the city reached a settlement, which was approved by a 10-2 vote by council. Councilman Kevin Shealy and Councilwoman Caroline Parker voted against the measure, while Councilman Ross Appel abstained. Appel, an attorney, successfully represented Sprock in a separate suit last year.
Sprock's attorneys in the suit against the city did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
