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Charleston Then & Now 50 Years at the Four Corners

Photography Image credits belowPhotos 19Issue January 2025
Charleston Then & Now 50 Years at the Four CornersMayor William S. Cogswell Jr. was inaugurated on January 8, 2024.Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. in 2014, before his last year in office.December 1975 was the first of many oaths of office for Joseph P. Riley Jr. (center), who would go on to serve as Charleston’s mayor for 40 years, earning national accolades for his visionary leadership.A WATERFRONT FOR ALL: The opening of Waterfront Park in 1990, right after Hurricane Hugo, has been transformative for the city. The forthcoming The Cooper hotel, which will enjoy a vista similar to this aerial view, will continue the park’s path in front of the hotel, eventually connecting the waterfront to the South Carolina Aquarium and International African American Museum.While developers had targeted this land adjacent to the Cooper River (left) for commercial development in the mid-1970s, Mayor Riley recognized its potential as a beautiful park.Mayor Riley led the charge to acquire the property and raise the funds required to design and build a world-class public space, which opened in May 1990.The development of Charleston Place hotel in what had been a vacant lot (above) surrounded by dilapidated buildings was pivotal in revitalizing King Street.The ribbon cutting in 1986 celebrated a decades-long undertaking, which has ultimately had the desired effect of anchoring a bustling commercial corridor.King Street.Plans for transforming Union Pier from a shipping and cruise terminal into a mixed-use development have experienced starts and stops. Local businessman Ben Navarro is slated to close on the property, with design work ongoing in tandem with the Riley Center for Livable Communities.Charleston Then & Now 50 Years at the Four CornersCharleston Then & Now 50 Years at the Four CornersRiley rose to the occasion after Hurricane Hugo dealt a devastating blow to the Lowcountry.Charleston Then & Now 50 Years at the Four CornersAddressing flooding and the challenges of sea-level rise, increased storm intensity, and “sunny day” flood events are at the top of Mayor Cogswell’s agenda. (Above) Storm surge from Hurricane Irma meets the high tide on Murray Boulevard in 2017.At a press conference with the Army Corps of Engineers, Mayor Cogswell discusses the completion of a portion of the Battery upgrades and reinforcement.Mayor Riley at his desk overlooking Washington Square in 2014.Mayor Cogswell meets with Deja Knight McMillan, the city’s director of communications, in his office in November 2024.

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Charleston Then & Now: How our city’s leaders see Charleston’s needs, priorities, and possibilities
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