NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jamestown, along with local real estate developers Weaver Capital Partners and WECCO Development, has broken ground on the first buildings at Navy Yard Charleston, the 79-acre mixed-use redevelopment of a former naval base in North Charleston.
This first phase of the redevelopment involves converting two historic storehouses — Storehouse 8 and Storehouse 9 — on the project site into a total of 107,000 square feet of mixed-use space for restaurants, retail, office space and apartments. The buildings are scheduled to open in 2024.
The 40,000-square-foot, two-story building known as Storehouse 8 will be restored and repurposed as a restaurant, event space and offices. To preserve the history and character of the building, which was constructed in 1906 as naval administrative offices, the renovation will salvage architectural details such as the original hallways, trim, railings, flooring, slate roof and copper soffits.
The adjacent Storehouse 9, a 67,000-square-foot, four-story building constructed in 1918 as naval administration offices and storage facility, will be converted into restaurant and retail space on the ground floor, a rooftop bar and restaurant with views of the Cooper River and 86 multifamily units offering flexible live/work layouts.
In addition to the redevelopment of Storehouses 8 and 9, this phase of the project also includes the construction of a new restaurant space to be known as Storehouse 8.5 within the plaza between the buildings. The plaza will be amenitized as a community gathering place and include outdoor dining space, event lawn and game area.
Navy Yard Charleston joins a number of historic naval yards across the nation that have recently been reimagined and repurposed for modern use, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Navy Yard, Philadelphia. The multi-phase redevelopment, first announced in 2021, will transform the campus into a mixed-use neighborhood.
Since announcing the Navy Yard Charleston project, the development team has partnered with neighborhood organizations and community groups, including Charleston Promise Neighborhood and Historic Charleston Foundation. A neighborhood employment program reserving project-specific positions for local residents will be launched as part of the redevelopment of the Navy Hospital, expected to commence this year.
Navy Yard Charleston began as a working dry dock in 1901, maintaining a naval presence in North Charleston until it was decommissioned in 1996. Today, the site includes the former Navy Hospital, a neoclassical power plant, naval infirmary, and a series of storehouses.
— Kari Lloyd