WEST ASHLEY — Even before he was elected, Mayor William Cogswell envisioned a grander plan for the city-owned lot where a Piggly Wiggly once stood.
Since taking office in January, Cogswell has been meeting with Faison, the owner and developer group of an adjacent parcel. He wants a unified redevelopment plan that combines the 3-acre vacant lot with the much larger Ashley Landing shopping center across Sumar Street.
Together the project area totals more than 35 acres, wedged in by Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and Old Towne Road, and serves as a gateway into West Ashley from Interstate 26. Cogswell recently told a group of small business owners in West Ashley that the Charlotte-based developer brought new redevelopment plans to a meeting scheduled this week.
"They're showing me a fifth version of some drawings that they have because I want to get it right," Cogswell said at a luncheon hosted by the West Ashley James Island Business Association. "Because again, that's an incredible gateway, incredible potential, and frankly, incredible revenue source for West Ashley."
He told the group the plan includes at least 2.5 acres of park and public green space, city offices, a restaurant and affordable housing specifically targeting "entry-level city employees, firemen, policemen" and first-time teachers. Cogswell said the housing component would work "as a recruitment effort" to attract a workforce for the city and school system.
But it's unclear where this new effort leaves local real-estate firm Landmark Enterprises, the city's original development partner for the site. Cogswell's Chief Policy Advisor Logan McVey confirmed April 3 that Landmark has not been part of the ongoing discussions with Faison.
A Landmark representative said the company's agreement with the city remains in place. If the city were to break the contract, the company would expect compensation upward of $600,000. Landmark developers have met with Cogswell once since the mayor was elected and reiterated that they are ready to do whatever the city asks, whether that's working with Faison or working solely on the city's parcel. For now, the firm is not being asked to do anything.
The Landmark spokesperson also said the company would consider purchasing the property from the city.
Representatives from Faison did not respond to requests for comment.
The city bought the property in 2017 for $3 million. The hope was that private investors would see its development as an incentive for more investment in the surrounding area. Less than 3 miles west along Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, where vacant commercial spaces are commonplace, sits another struggling shopping center, Citadel Mall.
The city bought the property from Faison, which has owned the mall site next door since 2014 and plans to relocate the Publix to that same parcel. In May 2018, the city demolished the 33,756-square-foot supermarket that had sat vacant for six years.
In that time, the paved property has remained barren and blighted — an example of the area's long neglect — while City Council debated what to do with the property, ending in a stalemate last fall.
The project stalled as council for months failed to come to a consensus following multiple iterations of plans drawn up by Landmark. Votes failed repeatedly. Discussions dragged on for hours.
In September, council agreed on one thing: West Ashley needs civic space. The 13-member board set aside $100,000 to study the city's need for office and meeting space. McVey said the study hasn't started.
When asked about a timeline for the overall project, McVey answered in an email: "Cogswell is passionate about this project and its importance to West Ashley, wants to move quickly but also be intentional and make sure that the plan is something that respects the wishes of residents and provides for West Ashley."
Speaking to the crowd of about 70 small business owners at Bessinger's BBQ on Savannah Highway, another commercial corridor in West Ashley dominated by car dealerships and parking lots, Cogswell seemed to still be in campaign mode.
"It's very clear that a lot of West Ashley feels (it) has been neglected and not prioritized. I can assure you that is not going to be the case in my administration," he said pointing out that 40 percent of the city's population lives west of the Ashley River. "It's because I see incredible potential."
