Charleston, South Carolina – The City of Charleston evaluated a demolition request for a historic structure that has stood on Meeting Street for more than a century.
280 Meeting Street is home to The Bicycle Shoppe and Theatre 99. It also housed the menswear boutique 319 Men, which closed on October 1.
The historical building was built in 1918 as a masonry structure and later housed retail establishments. The brick storefront was installed in 1951. The building’s owner sought its demolition because multiple new buildings are planned in the region. However, local preservation groups and locals protested the plan.
“We saw the community really come out and submit a lot of comments online attesting to the kind of architectural uniqueness of this building relative to its surroundings,” said Brian Turner, president and CEO of the Preservation Society of Charleston. “I believe those are very convincing statements; people view this as a distinct aspect of our identity. It’s a historic brick structure with wonderful potential waiting to be discovered by a more sympathetic owner.”
According to the Board of Architectural Review – Large (BAR-L), over 400 people left comments online, with only one in support of the demolition. Many of them spoke up, citing the building’s historical significance as well as the tenants.
“At the preservation society, we try to animate and elevate the role of small, local businesses for sustaining a culture that’s good for its residents, for its community,” Turner told me. “Older buildings actually provide more funky spaces for people in the arts community, allowing small, independent retailers to survive.” So we’d like to see these chances protected for those kinds of purposes.”
The City of Charleston provided us with a statement.
“Staff supports the restoration and/or continued adaptive reuse of the main structure and has no objection to the demolition of the rear structure; however, if demolition is approved by the Board, to support sustainability efforts, staff would like to see the reuse of any salvaged historic materials on site.”
Turner told News 2 ahead of the meeting that he hoped the applicant would be denied demolition because structures like 280 Meeting Street are important to preserve.
“I’d want to see the board reject the applicant for demolition tonight. Protect this place, which is an essential element of Charleston’s cultural heritage.
The BAR-L considered the request but eventually denied the demolition of the main structure and one-story expansion. The staff approved the demolition of the rear ancillary structure.
