Ashley Landing: Revitalizing West Ashley’s Community Heart
West Ashley is buzzing with excitement as the long-anticipated Ashley Landing project officially breaks ground. This bold mixed-use redevelopment is set to reinvent the former Ashley Landing shopping center and adjacent city-owned parcel into a vibrant hub for living, dining, shopping, and gathering.
🌟 What’s Being Built?
- Scope & Size
- 35 acres total: combining the 3-acre former Piggly Wiggly site with the existing 32-acre Ashley Landing center postandcourier.com+12chstoday.6amcity.com+12charlestonbusiness.com+12.
- Transformative additions include 240,000 ft² of retail and restaurant space, 285 multifamily residences, 100 townhomes, and nearly 1 acre of public green space en.wikipedia.org+2chstoday.6amcity.com+2chstoday.6amcity.com+2.
- Design Vision
- Anchored by The Middleton Group, the site features nine new Lowcountry-style buildings around a central village green—complete with pitched roofs, shaded porches, and inviting porches charlestonbusiness.com+1chstoday.6amcity.com+1.
- One existing building will be repurposed to house Charleston Stage and a new city Community Room, reinforcing community and cultural emphasis edens.com+5charlestonbusiness.com+5charlestoncitypaper.com+5.
📆 Timeline & Funding
- Approvals & Groundbreaking
- City Council signed off in September 2024, with technical committee milestones already met postandcourier.com.
- A May 2025 kick-off event marked the start of demolition, with full construction slated for summer, aiming for completion within 18 months charlestonbusiness.com+3chstoday.6amcity.com+3live5news.com+3.
- Financial Commitment
- The total project budget sits around $345 million, with the city investing ~$45–48 million in infrastructure and stormwater systems, while Edens contributes ~$300 million williamtinkler.com+2postandcourier.com+2chstoday.6amcity.com+2.
- Nine acres of stormwater retention are planned to improve resilience and environmental impact chstoday.6amcity.com+1chstoday.6amcity.com+1.
🚗 Infrastructure & Mobility
- Traffic Improvements
- Developers are conducting traffic impact studies to address known bottlenecks near Sam Rittenberg Blvd and Old Towne Road — nicknamed the “suicide merge” ashleylanding.com+9charlestoncitypaper.com+9charlestoncitypaper.com+9.
- Planned upgrades include better entry/exit flow and intersection redesigns at Charlestowne Drive, Amberly Street, and Orange Grove chstoday.6amcity.com+2charlestoncitypaper.com+2charlestoncitypaper.com+2.
- Pedestrian & Cyclist Focus
- The site layout supports walkability and bikeability, with connections to Old Towne Road neighborhoods and Sumar Street counton2.com+5live5news.com+5chstoday.6amcity.com+5.
🏘️ Housing & Community Impact
- Diverse Housing Mix
- With 285 apartment units, 100 townhomes, and an affordable housing component set at 80% of area median income, the development supports key demographics like first responders and teachers chstoday.6amcity.com+2chstoday.6amcity.com+2live5news.com+2live5news.com.
- Demand for housing is high—community leaders believe Ashley Landing will offer a balanced mix in line with West Ashley’s growth charlestonbusiness.com+12charlestoncitypaper.com+12chstoday.6amcity.com+12.
- Neighborhood Benefits
- The integrated green spaces, civic amenities, and local retail aim to foster a strong community sense and reduce reliance on car trips.
- Being accessible to families, commuters, and local workers, Ashley Landing is set to become a true multi-generational gathering spot.
🙌 Why It Matters
Ashley Landing is more than another development—it marks a major investment in West Ashley’s future. It’s shifting priorities beyond downtown to leverage local tax base and revitalization plans like “Plan West Ashley” chstoday.6amcity.comwilliamtinkler.com. With design conscious of Charleston’s history and community needs, it aims to become a destination that blends function, culture, and community spirit.
✅ What to Expect Next
| Phase | What’s Next |
|---|---|
| Late 2025 | Demolition likely to wrap up |
| 2026-2027 | Building phases for retail, housing, and civic spaces |
| End of 2026/Early 2027 | New Publix opens corner spot, current store stays operational until then live5news.com+5postandcourier.com+5charlestoncitypaper.com+5edens.com |
| Mid-2027 to 2028 | Final build-out and opening of public spaces |
If you live in or regularly visit West Ashley, keep an eye out: Ashley Landing is on track to become your one-stop community hub—a place to live, shop, dine, and gather, right in your neighborhood.
