Hotel that broke ground this week will extend Waterfront Park in downtown Charleston – Charleston Post Courier

The developer of a major project taking over a prominent waterfront spot in downtown Charleston unveiled the name for the property as it broke ground Thursday.

The site, which for decades was the location of the State Ports Authority headquarters, is being converted into a full-service luxury lodging with street-level retail, dining, meeting and event space.

Though the project was introduced at the same time Charleston's mayor was cautioning against rapid hotel development on the peninsula, it was met little resistance and ultimately became an undertaking that deeply involved the city.

That's largely because of a 400-foot stretch of public waterfront access that the developer, Los Angeles-based Lowe, has promised to fund to create an extension of the adjacent Waterfront Park.

Up until now, the project was referred to as the "Waterfront Hotel." But at Thursday's groundbreaking, Lowe revealed that the hotel will be called The Cooper, named for the river that its 225 guest rooms, rooftop lounge and lawn will overlook.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg speaks before Lowe, a real estate company that is based in Los Angeles, broke ground on a hotel that will have 225 guest rooms, retail spaces, rooftop bar and lawn that will be known as The Cooper. The project also includes an expansion of the citys Waterfront Park. The hotel is being built on the site of the former South Carolina State Ports Authority headquarters. Brad Nettles/Staff

The occasion drew state and local leaders, including Gov. Henry McMaster and former and current Charleston mayors, Joe Riley and John Tecklenburg, to the Concord Street site Thursday.

During Riley's 40-year tenure as mayor, increasing public access to the peninsula's waterfront was one of his prized goals. That led to the opening of Waterfront Park nearly 30 years ago.

The waterfront "belongs" to a city's citizens, Riley said Thursday.

Between the groundbreaking of The Cooper and the now-rising International African American Museum, which will feature a publicly accessible landscaped area next to the Charleston Maritime Center, the city is "two giant steps closer to the fulfillment" of that vision, Explore Charleston CEO Helen Hill said Thursday.

Lowe first presented plans for the hotel to the city about four years ago, shortly after Tecklenburg was elected to his first term.

Reining in hotel development was one of the pillars of Tecklenburg's campaign platform, which likely gave the Lowe team pause, the mayor recalled at the groundbreaking.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg (left) and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster heat their hands up after a groundbreaking for the new hotel The Cooper. Lowe, a real estate company that is based in Los Angeles, broke ground on a hotel that will have 225 guest rooms, retail spaces, rooftop bar and lawn. The project also includes an expansion of the citys Waterfront Park. The hotel is being built on the site of the former South Carolina State Ports Authority headquarters. Brad Nettles/Staff

But when Tecklenburg learned that the project included an extension of public waterfront access on the harbor and that Lowe was going to pay for it he was on board.

Tecklenburg said the project helped to inform what he asks other developers who are trying to build hotels in Charleston.

"What is the public purpose?" he said he asks.

Dan Battista, Lowe's vice president for development in Charleston, said he's had his eye on that stretch of waterfront since he first came to Charleston about 15 years ago.

Battista acknowledged making frequent calls to State Ports Authority CEO Jim Newsome about the property. The agency had housed its headquarters in a large brick building on the site since the early 1970s.

Lowe bought the parcel from the maritime agency in 2017 for $38 million, still one of the top real estate sales on the peninsula. Last year, the SPA moved to its new building at its Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant, prompting the demolition of the offices and clearing the way for Lowe's hotel.

Rob Lowe, a co-chief executive officer for the California developer, said Thursday that he anticipates The Cooper will be "among (the) company's greatest achievements."

Lowe has had a significant stake in the Charleston area for decades. It has owned Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms for 30 years.

The company has updated and expanded the resort in the years since, and is currently adding a 153-room hotel to the property.

And Lowe's investment in the Lowcountry is growing. During the groundbreaking, the firm announced that the company will establish a Southeast regional office in Charleston, led by Battista, to support current and future projects in the Lowcountry.

Rob Lowe speaks at the groundbreaking of The Cooper Hotel Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. The 225 room waterfront hotel is being Built on the site of the former South Carolina State Ports Authority headquarters. Brad Nettles/ Staff

Lowe expects to open The Cooper in 2022.

Matt Walker, who heads hospitality and resort development for the company, said that, except for the name, plans for the hotel are "almost entirely intact" from what they were four years ago.

The outdoor pool, elevated on an outdoor terrace, will have an infinity edge. A dedicated public elevator will be available to take visitors up from the park to the rooftop lounge, which will have views of the harbor from six stories up.

Lowe is also building a new dock and marina facility where boaters can park their vessels during the day while they visit the hotel for shopping or dining.

As for the food and beverage program, Walker said he couldn't divulge details yet.

"All I can say is, it's going to be great," he said.

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Hotel that broke ground this week will extend Waterfront Park in downtown Charleston - Charleston Post Courier