On Friday, the Historic Beaufort Foundation filed a petition in Circuit Court appealing the City of Beaufort’s Historic Review Board allowing the downtown development of a 4 level parking garage and a 4 story hotel in the heart of downtown Beaufort’s National Landmark Historic District.
The parking garage is to be built along Craven Street, extending from the corner of Craven and Charles Streets. The hotel is set to go up just a block or so away. The new downtown Beaufort development projects were given the go ahead in a March 2021 meeting.
“Beaufort is unique and has been fortunate to maintain a significant portion of our architectural legacy and historic integrity,” said Cynthia Jenkins, HBF Executive Director in a press release on Friday explaining its reasoning for filing the appeal. “The Historic Review Board’s recent decisions not only impact our city now, but more importantly, set precedents for all future development,” she added.
“HBF sees these as generational projects that will forever adversely impact Beaufort.”
303 Associates, a property development company in Beaufort that owns Beaufort Town Center among many other properties, is the developer of the projects.
In addition to the aforementioned downtown development, 303 Associates has also proposed that the Cannon Building, a three-story mixed-use building with apartments on the upper levels and commercial space on the ground level, be built at the 211 Charles Street site. They have also proposed the removal of the BB&T Building on Port Republic Street, most recently the home of the Pat Conroy Literary Center. This building would be removed to allow an expansion of the Tabby Place, which is event space owned and operated by The Beaufort Inn.
“Our objective, as always, is not to prevent progress or development, but to ensure that all new construction is compatible with the significant character of Beaufort’s National Historic Landmark District,” the release by HBF added.
