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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County Parks says it hopes to break ground within the year on a new county park that has been in the planning stages for years.
The 67-acre Old Towne Creek County Park will be just south of Charles Towne Landing. Much of the park is protected land and is currently only used for special events like the Wine Down Wednesday events.
“It’s kind of a hidden gem I guess is one way you could put it,” Charleston County Parks Senior Planner Matt Moldenhauer says. “We’re hidden behind these vine-covered brick gates.”
Moldenhauer says the existing entrance will be a pedestrian and bike entrance and the car entrance will be added a little further down the road.
The project is going to be broken into phases based on budget and construction costs. But he says they hope to have phase one break ground in 2022.
One of the first things the community can expect to see will be a one-mile walking trail and a park center. Moldenhauer says they want to incorporate historical elements of the area throughout Old Towne Creek County Park.
Moldenhauer says during the public comment periods, the top thing people shared that they wanted to see here was restroom facilities. Those will be included in phase one.
“But there’s so much to soak in here that’s already here,” he says. “It’s hard to improve on that live oak tree back there. It’s hard to improve on the surrounding landscape. We just want people to appreciate it for what it is.”
The master plans show they hope to eventually bring a playground and elevated ADA-accessible overlook over Old Towne Creek.
Phase one is expected to be finished by 2024 at the latest.
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