Downtown Charleston has a unique set of infrastructure challenges. Flooding along the peninsula can affect neighborhood streets, access to businesses and travel around the Medical District, where thousands of people work and seek care.
Managing those challenges requires attention to drainage, flood protection and the transportation connections that serve downtown residents, employers and visitors.
School facilities are another part of the picture, particularly when it comes to providing students with opportunities to prepare for careers after graduation.
On November 3, Charleston County voters will consider three measures related to these and other investments across the county. Early voting begins Monday, October 19 and runs through Saturday, October 31.
The measures involve continuing the existing school and transportation sales taxes and authorizing a separate transportation bond to help approved projects move forward sooner.
The Charleston Metro Chamber supports all three measures through YES for CHS. We’ve also outlined what each ballot question means and how the measures work together.
Here’s a look at what’s proposed for downtown Charleston.
Investment in Local Schools
The Charleston County School District’s proposed 2029–2034 capital program identifies an investment at Burke High School.
- Burke High School: Construction of a new career and technology wing.
Career and technical education gives students opportunities to develop specialized skills, explore different professions and prepare for education or employment after high school.
The proposed addition at Burke would expand the facilities available for those programs, connecting an investment in school infrastructure with the district’s career education offerings.
Improvements to Roads and Flood Protection
The proposed Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax Program includes several projects on the peninsula, with a particular focus on drainage and flooding.
- The Battery: Extending the seawall northward from the Low Battery toward the Medical District.
- Calhoun Street: Flood protection and drainage improvements along the corridor.
- Medical District: Flood protection and drainage improvements around area hospitals.
- Hagood Avenue: Drainage and mobility improvements.
These proposals address infrastructure that residents, businesses, employees and visitors depend on throughout downtown Charleston.
The Medical District projects are particularly relevant because hospitals and other health care facilities serve people from across the region. Flooding can complicate access to these destinations, making drainage and flood protection important considerations for transportation planning.
Along Calhoun Street and Hagood Avenue, the proposed improvements would address drainage and mobility needs on heavily used downtown routes.
Looking Ahead
For decades, Charleston County’s school and transportation sales taxes have helped fund capital investments. The proposed continuations would establish new funding periods, while the separate transportation bond would provide an option to advance approved work through borrowing against future tax revenue.
If the sales tax extensions are not approved, the proposed programs would not receive funding through those extensions. The needs identified in the plans, including downtown’s flood protection and drainage concerns, would remain, with future funding decisions and project schedules unresolved.
Residents can explore the proposed investments, review how previous funds have been spent and learn more about the three ballot questions before casting their ballots.
Explore the Plans and Resources
- Understanding the Three Ballot Measures
- CCSD’s Proposed 2029–2034 School Projects
- Charleston County Transportation Project Plans
- YES for CHS Campaign and Resources
- Early Voting Information
Explore What’s Proposed in Other Communities
