Clay Middleton Releases Statement on Union Pier Firm Selection

In a follow-up to a question posed at the Historic Charleston Foundation forum on October 23, 2023, City of Charleston Mayoral Candidate, Clay Middleton, released the statement below on the Union Pier Stakeholder Advisory Committee selection of Sasaki for the pending planned unit development (PUD):

“Union Pier routinely comes up when I connect with voters. My thoughts are well documented on what should have happened and what I would do as Mayor. As I’ve outlined before, Union Pier is one of the most valuable waterfront properties on the East Coast; we have the opportunity to provide a truly world-class, locally-driven development that reintegrates these 70 acres back into the city for everyone’s use. How we handle this process sets the precedent for revitalizing the Columbus Terminal and other developments throughout the city. In other words, we can’t afford to get this wrong.

With Sasaki at the helm of generating a PUD, our community has the opportunity to help shape a robust plan for Union Pier. During the next phase of the process, the Riley Center will work with Sasaki and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee to develop a full scope of work including an extensive community engagement process, a master plan for the Union Pier site, details for the PUD, and a detailed schedule for the entire process. As Mayor, I will ensure the process engages a diverse group of stakeholders and follows a rigorous external communications plan to increase transparency, trust, and confidence in the planning process.

Strong servant leadership demands that community input is reflected at every stage of the planning process, including voices of dissent and those not driven by financial gain. Through this community-driven process, a plan for all of Charleston will emerge. Should the good people of Charleston find me worthy to be their next leader on November 7th, I promise to work every day to make our beloved community affordable, accessible, and livable for all residents.”

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