Action Alert: 106 Coming Street

Please join us in asking for more time to properly consider how to honor the past before a land disturbance permit is issued. Ask DES for a deadline extension and leave comments before Friday, November 28!

In May 2025, The College of Charleston publicly announced plans to expand student housing with a 1,200-bed student-residence complex on the 1.6-acre block bordered by Vanderhorst, St. Philip, Calhoun and Coming streets.

Today, the College of Charleston is in the process of applying for a permit to start digging. The deadline to comment on the permit application is THIS FRIDAY, November 28, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Please join us and ask for a deadline extension by submitting a comment directly HERE.

You can also leave comments about the future of the site, including the need to:

• Plan for potential discovery, handling, testing, honoring, and reinterment of remains that may be uncovered;
• Commit to public access of archaeological and historical information that is discovered;
• Identify a memorial site that is convenient, accessible, and meaningful to the community; and
• Undertake additional descendant and community consultation before any ground is disturbed.

Please join us in making comments to ask DES-BCM to extend their deadline for comments due to:

1. The complexity and significance of the site. See the BVL Historic Preservation Research report commissioned by the College of Charleston HERE
2. Confusion about which comments were formally recorded at the November 18 public information question and answer session before the public hearing;
3. The lack of input from the Community Engagement Council (CEC) due to timing of the permit application;
4. Inadequate review time provided for the 63-page site plan before the public hearing; and
5. The timing of the Thanksgiving holiday (falling the day before the deadline for comments).

Comment before Friday, November 28 online HERE.

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More context and talking points: 

Site Complexity and Significance

• This permit is about more than just disturbing a parcel of land. The city block that encompasses 106 Coming Street contains the site of the former YWCA of Greater Charleston, an active gathering place during the Civil Rights Movement. It is also the location of Charleston’s oldest and most significant public burial grounds (“potter’s field”). As the city’s only official public cemetery from 1794 until 1807, thousands of people who could not otherwise access or afford burials in churchyards or private cemeteries were buried on this now sacred ground. This is an important site, and we need to take the time to get it right. It’s complicated.

Confusion about Public Hearing Comments

• On Tuesday, November 18, concerned residents attended the Bureau of Coastal Management’s informational meeting and public hearing pertaining to the 106 Coming Street site. At that meeting, many comments were made during the information question and answer session, before the public hearing opened. It is unclear whether those comments were officially noted in the public hearing record. HCF would like to ensure that every voice is represented in the decision-making process. If those comments were not recorded, participants need more time to submit those comments in writing.

Lack of Input from the Community Engagement Council (CEC)

• We are requesting an extension to the deadline for comments due to the fact the Community Engagement Council has not had adequate time to discuss this permit application.
• The College of Charleston appointed the 20-person CEC that includes representatives from the City of Charleston, college community members, local religious leaders, community voices, and preservation stakeholders—including HCF’s director of advocacy Lisa Jones—to help advise on efforts that will honor the history of the site. The first CEC meeting took place on November 12, and the next meeting is scheduled for December 4. The first meeting was focused on goals and process, and there was no time dedicated to the CEC’s thoughts on the permit application. It seems premature to be advancing this permit without proper input from the CEC, and that process will take more time—at least one more meeting.
• At this time, it is unclear what remains beneath the ground or how to navigate challenges ahead, but the college and the community agree that public engagement is key to respecting the past as this project evolves.

Inadequate Site Plan Review Time

• The 63-page work plan was shared just 24 hours before the public hearing on November 18, which did not provide enough time for the public to thoroughly review its contents and respond. HCF and the public need more time to digest the contents of the plan.
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How to comment: 

Use this LINK to submit a comment before the deadline, Friday, November 28.

Select the following information to submit your comment.

• SITE NAME: Project 205 New Construction — Early Site Package
• PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT LOCATION: 91 & 99 St. Phillip St., Vanderhorst St., and 106 Coming St., Charleston County

Comment HERE.

Thank you for engaging in this important public process, and we look forward to working with the College of Charleston, the community, and YOU to engage in a deeper dive of this site’s history and future. Please let us know if you have any questions, and reach out via email.

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