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Charleston city and county officials say they are close to striking a deal that will ensure affordable housing on land downtown where it's long been discussed.

After making an unsolicited bid — the offer's up to $30 million — to buy two county-owned parcels off of Morrison Drive, Mayor William Cogswell is now asking the county to help develop the land.

Cogswell wants County Council to extend by 10 years its participation in two special taxing districts meant to help spur development along Morrison Drive and on the East Side of the peninsula. But in doing so, the county would forgo any new tax revenue from improvements made within each of those districts for that decade, chipping away at the pot of money the city is offering.

The properties the city wants to buy sit within an existing Tax Increment Financing district, named for the roadway on which they lie: Morrison Drive.

To pay for the purchase of 993 and 995 Morrison, Cogswell proposed using money from an adjacent district — the Cooper River Bridge TIF, which covers the neighborhoods where many homes were demolished to make way for the two bridges that used to traverse the river before the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge was built.

Cogswell wants to extend both of these districts.

Essentially, the TIF districts trap any new property revenues generated from improvements that would otherwise go to the city, county and school board. Instead, those gains are deposited into a bank account controlled by the city to fund public projects like roads, sewers or parks within, or nearby, that designated zone, and to repay any debt the city incurs as a result.

After the term expires, all that new revenue lands back into the coffers of those participating in the TIF project.

If approved, the Cooper River Bridge TIF, set to expire in 2032, would extend through 2042; and the Morrison Drive TIF, which is set to end in 2049, would run through 2059.

"There's not a lot of life left on those two TIFs," Cogswell told a City Council committee last month while trying to get them on board. "A big funding source for that vertical (construction) and the infrastructure needed would be those two TIFs."

Cogswell said he wants the city to partner with a private developer to build on the Morrison Drive properties, and that the funds from the TIF districts could not only help lay the groundwork but also subsidize affordable units there.

By extending just the county's portion of taxes paid into the district, Cogswell said, "I do think it could be a pretty meaningful impact."

What are the TIF districts worth?

Last fiscal year, the Cooper River Bridge TIF district generated more than $8 million, according to Charleston County tax records. About half of that total came from taxes diverted from the school district, whose participation Cogswell is not seeking to extend.

Only about $610,000 came from last year's taxes that would have gone to the county.

Since 2017, when the current Cooper River Bridge TIF began to amass revenue, less than $3.5 million has been diverted from the county, according to a Post and Courier analysis of county tax records.

Property taxes are only captured within the TIF district once the city issues bonds, which is essentially borrowing against the future revenue expected by the redevelopment within the district. The city is expected to incur debt in the Morrison Drive TIF for the first time this year.

Currently, properties within that TIF generate the county just under $280,000, according to information provided by the county auditor's office.

That is how much the county would continue to collect annually until the end of the Morrison Drive TIF, while any increased revenue would stay within the district.

But by extending the length of the financing terms, the county will have to wait another decade to get their share of those expected increases. However, the $30 million purchase price for the Morrison properties ensures access to some of that future revenue earlier.

County officials have not discussed the deal publicly since agreeing to an initial sale price. It is unclear when they will take it up.

Reach Ali Rockett at 843-901-1708. Follow her on Twitter @AliRockettPC.

Let the good times roll all weekend long with one of these exciting events happening in the Lowcountry.

Get fired up as Party at the Point brings all of those groovy beach party vibes to your weekend, and take the family back to the harbor for an Easter egg hunt spectacle.

Then celebrate Firefly Distillery's 20th anniversary with a sweet tea cocktail competition, have some fun at New Realm's Psychedelic Rabbit Fest and see fairy tale characters come to life in a theatrical production of "Into the Woods."

FRIDAY (APRIL 18)

Party at the Point

This year's Party at the Point kicks off the beachy fun on April 18 at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, 20 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant. After 25 years of partying hard in Charleston, these Friday night festivities featuring live music, tasty food and drinks, and beach fun are perfect weekend plans. The inaugural event for this year will feature 20 Ride, a Zac Brown tribute band, blasting tunes at 6 p.m. The schedule will also feature Mr. Fahrenheit, The Reckoning, On the Border, Folly Pirates Over 40, Dave Matthews Tribute Band, Sol Driven Train, The Midnight City, Motown Throwdown, Departure, Highway Boys, Landslide, Rock the '90s and more every Friday up until July 18. Tickets for the event are $15 per person. For more info, head to tinyurl.com/yx9zrksh.

SATURDAY (APRIL 19)

Psychedelic Rabbit Fest

Celebrate Easter early with New Realm Brewing Co. at their Psychedelic Rabbit Fest event kicking off at 2 p.m. on April 19. In honor of their home-brewed IPA, Psychedelic Rabbit's whimsical beer will be on tap along with their other creative brews to sample. The funky rhythms of Clark on the Sax will transport you down the rabbit hole. The festivities will also feature local artisans and vendors, including a tarot card reader to foretell far-out fortunes. This event is free to enter and open to the public. For more info, go to tinyurl.com/y4pa5j4w.

SATURDAY (APRIL 19)

Firefly's 20th Anniversary

Cheers with Firefly to celebrate their 20th anniversary with some family-friendly good times from noon-4 p.m. on April 19. Firefly Distillery, located at 4201 Spruill Ave., North Charleston will take to the field with a fun-filled sweet tea cocktail competition from four local vendors attendees can sample from to crown the winner. There will also be live music from local talent Derek Cribb, tasty bites from Kee's Kitchen and Delights Desert and Coffee, cocktail tastings, barrel ring toss and more fun games. The main festivities are free and open to the public, but the cocktail competition is $15 and covers all samples. For more details on the event, check out tinyurl.com/bdf3u4bu.

SUNDAY (APRIL 20)

Easter at the Harbor

Don't miss out on scooping up the eggs that wash up in Charleston harbor at this Easter at the Harbor event on April 20 at 1 p.m. Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, 20 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant will host the ultimate Easter beach party with live music, bounce houses, fun beach games for the family and a special egg hunt by the shore. This event is free and open for all members of the family to enjoy. For more details, see tinyurl.com/5x6ssv8p.

SUNDAY (APRIL 20)

'Into the Woods'

Spend your Easter Sunday attending a magical production from the Footlight Players of "Into the Woods" at Queen Street Playhouse, 20 Queen St,. at 3 p.m. on April 20. The modern musical intertwines the plots of familiar fairy tale characters Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack (the one with the beanstalk) in an interconnected storyline exploring the consequences of their actions and wishes, with two new characters, The Baker and His Wife, who seek to break a witch's curse on them so they can have a child. Tickets cost between $33-$56. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/3uxb7ytf.

Charleston will be the point of embarkation for an transcontinental excursion that ends almost 4,000 miles away in the 49th state, requiring travelers to board five ships and at least two airplanes to complete the lengthy journey.

American Cruise Lines unveiled several new packages last week ties to the nation’s 250th birthday next year.

Among them is “Spring Across America 2026,” a 51-day, 50-night sailing that departs the Holy City next April 3 for points south, including Beaufort and Hilton Head Island.

The first leg, on the 100-guest American Liberty, ends at Amelia Island near Jacksonville, Fla., where passengers with time to spare will switch to the American Pioneer for a trip around the tip of the Sunshine State and up to St. Petersburg.

Then, they’ll hop on a plane for Memphis for a segment on the American Serenade that'll take them down the Mississippi to New Orleans. From there, they’ll head west via another commercial aircraft to Clarkton, Wash., near the Idaho border to check out the sights along the Columbia and Snake rivers on the American Harmony.

The final stretch, on the American Constitution, shoves off from Seattle. It’ll ferry travelers along the coast of British Columbia before dropping anchor at the final port of call on May 23 in the Alaska capital of Juneau.

“With seamless ship transitions, immersive excursions, and ever-changing scenery, this coast-to-coast voyage is a rare chance to experience the country’s diverse landscapes, history, and cultures — all in one epic journey,” the Guilford, Conn.-based boutique cruise line said.

Prices for Spring Across America were not posted on the company’s website as of April 14.

Sports talk

Not all of the main sports action was at the Masters last week.

At Kiawah Island Golf Resort, about 160 miles from Augusta National, a low-key, high-level get-together was back for at least the fourth spring go-around at to the luxury seaside resort.

The annual corporate global leadership summit, organized by Bruin Capital and the online news outlet Sportico, brings together high-level power brokers from the sports, media, technology and finance industries.

The A-list attendees this year included NBA commissioner Adam Silver and former U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, according to CBNC, which, as in previous years, was granted exclusive access to the mostly off-the-record conference.

The cable network’s on-air interviews featured billionaire Marc Rowen of private-equity giant Apollo Global Management and Vlad Tenev, the CEO and co-founder of the stock-trading platform Robinhood.

Variety reported other attendees included actor Ryan Reynolds, who co-owns of a Welsh soccer club, “Yellowstone” creator and horseman Taylor Sheridan, Dallas Mavericks investor and “Shark Tank” co-host Mark Cuban, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan and Eldridge CEO Todd Boehly, who owns a home on Sullivan’s Island.

The Kiawah gathering has been described a “super-sized” version of a yearly luncheon that Bruin Capital once held in New York. Another media report from a 2022 invitee said the organizers are looking to develop a sports summit akin to a well-known Allen & Co. media and finance conference held annually in Sun Valley, Idaho.

New use

The former Roper Hospice Cottage in Mount Pleasant is being put back to use.

The parent of Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health in North Charleston is repurposing the 2.8-acre property at 676 Wando Park Blvd. as Sea Grove Recovery, which will treat substance use and mental health disorders. A ribbon cutting was scheduled for April 15.

The 41-bed treatment center will be operated by Foundations Recovery Network, which is part of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services Inc.

“The facility is designed to support individuals on their journey to recovery, with an emphasis on evidence-based treatments, compassionate care, and a holistic approach to wellness,” according to a written statement.

Universal Health Services, under the name Palmetto Behavioral Health System LLC, bought the Mount Pleasant property near Long Point Road and Interstate 526 for $4.5 million in September 2023. It declined at the time to reveal its plans.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare shuttered the end-of-life services campus in mid-2023 after an 18-year run under a transition “to patient homes and within our hospitals as part of our strategic plan,” a spokesman said.

Makimg connections

Home Telecom has expanded its SmartTown Community Wi-Fi to Moncks Corner, following what the company calls a “successful inaugural launch" last fall in Nexton.

The program offers wireless broadband throughout public parks and spaces in town, with the same speed and security measures customers have at home.

Wi-Fi access is now available in areas such as the ballfields at the Moncks Corner Recreational Complex, the Train Depot, Unity Park, the Home Telecom Miracle League Field, and the Market Pavilion, where a farmers market and other events are held.

Gina Shuler, vice president of marketing at Home Telecom, said Nexton and Moncks Corner are “just the start.

“SmartTown connections are expanding within our service areas and beyond, ensuring Home Telecom customers can stay securely connected,” Schuler said.

Nexton’s program rolled out in November, making Wi-Fi accessible in the Nexton Square, Brighton Park Great Lawn, The Hub and Brown Family Park.

Masters in midwifery

Demand for midwives is spurring the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing into action.

The school announced will be offer the state’s only accredited nurse-midwifery education program starting this fall. It will prepare students to provide reproductive health and primary care with a special emphasis on prenatal and postpartum pregnancy, childbirth and gynecologic health.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7 percent increase in nurse midwives over the next decade.

The blended online and hands-on training program will allow registered nurses to earn a master's degree and to sit for a certification exam.

Ten midwifery practices across the state have committed to providing clinical education opportunities for the students, including multiple locations in the Charleston area, according to the college, which anticipates expanding on the specialty further. It plans to launch a doctorate of nursing with a focus on midwifery in 2026.

Disc breaks

Following the opening of its first retailer, Santee Cooper's Camp Hall business park is gearing up for its first recreational amenity.

The industrial hub near the Volvo Cars plant in Berkeley County will unveil an 18-hole disc golf course, featuring Innova Discatchers and 13-by-6-feet concrete tee pads. The layout will open April 26 with a tournament to mark the occasion.

Additional features include new basketball courts, a kid-friendly playground and walking trails next to Refuel Gas Station, which opened in mid-March as the first retailer at Avian Commons, the commercial center of the property.

Plans call for small businesses, food stops and other conveniences to serve on-site workers, residents and travelers in the region.

Santee Cooper came up with Camp Hall when Volvo announced in 2015 that it would build its only U.S. manufacturing plant near Ridgeville. The state-owned power and water utility bought the former timber property for development from MeadWestvaco Corp. for $34.1 million.

The fleeting soft-shell crab season is here again and Charleston's chefs are yearning to wow their patrons with different renditions of the sought-after crustacean.

Soft-shell season comes around every spring for about two weeks and happens as Atlantic blue crabs molt out of their hard shells when the water's climate and outdoor temperature is just right.

A Lowcountry Shellfish salesperson said they've been difficult to catch right now because it's usually warmer at night during this time of year.

With the fluctuations in water currents, unpredictable weather and the short molting period, pinning down these softies can be troublesome for local fisherman.

And the demand is high as restaurants all over Charleston are putting in advance orders and waiting for cases of the sought-after crab. Jared Skidmore from Rappahannock Oyster Bar mentioned that he preorders case by case in hope that crabs have molted and are ready to sell.

"We sell a ton of them (soft-shell crabs)," Skidmore said, and they sell out fast. He added that people often get mad when softies are sold out, but that's the nature of the seasonal sweet and tender crabs. "I'll try my hardest to get them back tomorrow."

Chefs all over town plan their softie specials days or weeks in advance of their arrival, so keep your eyes peeled because the specials have a tendency to sell out in short order. And if you have any more restaurants featuring our crabby friends, you can send them to dsidorevich@postandcourier.com.

Fleet Landing

186 Concord St., downtown Charleston

Head on over to Fleet Landing for a soft-shell crab appetizer paired with Lowcountry grits for $24. You can also add a second crab and call it an entrée for $46. The waterfront restaurant is also offering a classic soft-shell crab BLT sandwich with a fried soft-shell crab, bacon jam, lettuce and tomato on a bun for $30.

The Ordinary

544 King St., downtown Charleston

The Ordinary's crab is dredged in a mix of cornmeal and rice flour and fried, then served with a cherry tomato conserva along with a ramp aioli.

Edmund's Oast Restaurant

1081 Morrison Drive, Charleston

Chef Bob Cook is promising two dishes, served all day when the crabs start coming in. One dish features a cornmeal fried soft-shell crab with grits and Andouille gravy for $28. The other is a sandwich with tempura-fried black pepper soft-shell crab with papaya salad and tamarind vinaigrette for $26.

Pink Bellies

595 King St., Ste. 1, downtown Charleston

King Street restaurant Pink Bellies is serving a reinterpretation of a Vietnamese Bahn mi, a soft-shell crab bun mi. A starch-coated, deep-fried soft-shell crab is served on an Annie Mae's milk bun with a shrimp pate, tartar sauce, bread and butter pickles and dill for $24.

167 Raw Oyster Bar

193 King St., downtown Charleston

167 Raw Oyster Bar is offering a tempura soft-shell with yuzu kosho butter, black garlic mayo and tsukemono napa cabbage on a sesame bun at $35, served all day or until it sells out.

CudaCo. Seafood House

765 Folly Road, James Island

This James Island seafood restaurant will be serving their classic soft-shell sandy: a crab fried in a house batter atop a potato bun with tartar on both sides, a dash of hot sauce, pickles and American cheese for $21.

They will also be selling crabs to go for those who want to cook them up at home for $15.

Da Toscano Porchetta Shop

109 President St., downtown Charleston

The chefs at Da Toscano Porchetta Shop are plating up a cornmeal crusted soft-shell on their signature focaccia sandwich bread with a lemon caper aioli, lettuce, tomato, onion and dill pickles.

Indaco

526 King St., downtown Charleston

Indaco presents soft-shell crab with butterbeans, celery, radish, red mizuna and a tangy herb vinaigrette. The King Street restaurant will also have a soft-shell spaghetti with tomato Calabrian chili, lemon butter and herbs as well as soft-shell crab with bagna cauda and arugula.

The Rarebit

474 King St., downtown Charleston

This downtown favorite brings a twist on the classic soft-shell crab sandwich with Sriracha aioli, pickled vegetables, Bibb lettuce and basil, served with a side of Old Bay fries for $22.

Rappahanock Oyster Bar

701 E. Bay St., No. 110, Charleston

Chef Jared Skidmore is serving a crispy soft-shell crab over a rich corn butter with asparagus and a crunchy spring pea salad for $35.

FIG

232 Meeting St., downtown Charleston

FIG's talented chefs will keep their tradition of simply sautéing the soft crabs in golden brown butter and gently garnishing them with green garlic and a few chilies throughout the season.

Gabrielle at Hotel Bennett

404 King St., downtown Charleston

Head on over to Gabrielle for lunch and enjoy a local soft-shell crab po' boy with grilled tomato, Bibb lettuce, a fennel slaw and Cajun remoulade on a ciabatta roll. During dinner, patrons can order a soft-shell crab salad with arugula, fennel, basil, sweet peppers, radish and a grilled lemon vinaigrette.

Marina Variety Store Restaurant

9 Lockwood Drive, downtown Charleston

Chow down on a tasty local favorite, the soft-shell crab BLT, by the water at the Marina Variety Store in Charleston.

Sorelle

88 Broad St., downtown Charleston

Sorelle is offering Carolina soft-shell crabs, served Piccata-style with brown butter, lemon and Sicilian caper.

Brasserie La Banque

1 Broad St., downtown Charleston

French restaurant Brasserie La Banque is bringing together an elegant dish of pan-roasted soft-shell crab with butterbeans, citrus and sauce gribiche.

The Palmetto State is another step closer to getting the top-designated cancer center it lacks as the Medical University of South Carolina's board voted to pursue a new hospital that aims to rival some of the nation's best.

The new cancer hospital will be built on what is now essentially a parking area next to Rutledge Tower on MUSC's campus. It will become part of Hollings Cancer Center.

It is part of Hollings' push to reach the top cancer center designation, and the new facility will make it "so no one has to leave Charleston" for advanced cancer care, said Dr. Don Johnson, who chairs the board's Hollings committee.

South Carolina does not have a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, unlike neighbors North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Hollings is a NCI-designated Clinical Cancer Center, one rung below, of which there are nine in the country.

Hollings just received a renewal of this status last year from the NCI, which provides nearly $11 million in a five-year grant to support research and its infrastructure. There are 57 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country, which receive a higher level of support, up to $14 million a year in some cases.

But Hollings has a plan to apply to become a Comprehensive Cancer Center during its next NCI grant renewal cycle in 2028. That effort is backed not only by its board but by $15 million next fiscal year from the state Legislature if what is in the current budget proposals is approved.

"It's an important goal for us," said Dr. Raymond N. DuBois, director of Hollings.

The project is part of the board's push to elevate Hollings' status and to have a hospital that "rivals" famed cancer providers M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, Johnson said.

MUSC's leadership, after the April 11 approval, was tasked with immediately beginning the planning and design of the hospital. There is no estimated cost yet. The new cancer hospital will likely have 50-100 beds for inpatients but will also house outpatient cancer treatment, which is the majority of cancer clinical services, Dr. Patrick Cawley, CEO of MUSC Health.

"What we want to do is pull it all together in one," he said.

The trustees also approved moving forward with the demolition and planning for a new building at 334 Calhoun St. in downtown Charleston. The former Charleston Center property had been Charleston County's medical services building before it was sold to a developer for $19.5 million in March 2022. While MUSC at the time said it had no interest in it, MUSC Health purchased the parcel for the same amount in late December 2024, property records show.

That site will eventually house most of the clinical services currently being provided in Rutledge, which will then be renovated for other purposes, Cawley said.

The 334 Calhoun site had been under consideration to also house the new cancer hospital, but the new site is actually better because it is closer to MUSC's main hospital, Cawley said.

"For patients that need ICU care or certain kinds of neurosurgery care that have cancer, they need to go across the street to the main hospital," he said.

Because the site is essentially a parking lot, work can begin on the new hospital even before other services move out of Rutledge Tower, Cawley said.

The new hospital and clinical services is an important part of the push to advance Hollings to the next level.

To get there, the cancer center will generally have to increase the "depth and breadth" of its cancer research, train new cancer researchers and doctors, broaden its community outreach and show it is making a difference in outcomes for its patients, DuBois said. Because Hollings defines its patient base as the entire state, that includes more clinics and centers around the state.

MUSC and Hollings recently announced a new cancer center in Florence, and a clinic in Nexton in Summerville just began seeing patients this week, said Dr. Jason Newman, chief of the Oncology Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence at Hollings.

Orangeburg will be another focus, DuBois said.

"We have to have a presence across the state" in cancer care, said Dr. David J. Cole, president of MUSC. Those sites will also allow Hollings to extend some of its clinical trials out across the state.

Attaining comprehensive status would make Hollings more attractive for clinical trials, DuBois said.

On the research side, the new cancer hospital will also help Hollings find more lab space to recruit more researchers by freeing up space in its current building being used for clinical services, DuBois said.

Hollings has reached $26.2 million in grants from the NCI and, unlike some other centers, has so far not lost any, he said. Hollings expects new grants to come in and is well on its way to its goal of having $30 million in NCI grant funding by the time it applies for comprehensive status, DuBois said.

Those clinical trials can be important for South Carolina patients. After taking over the directorship in 2020, DuBois was able to start a Phase 1 clinical trials unit, which is for cancer therapies first being tested in humans.

Many of those drugs are tried first in patients who have not been helped by standard therapies so "they can enroll in those trials and get newly developed drugs, which in some cases work really well," he said. "Not always, but at least they'll have that opportunity."

Hollings already has a service that looks at the genetic testing of a patient's cancer and can advise doctors on whether there are new treatments for the precise mutations those patients have. Expanding that, particularly to areas where services are lacking, would also benefit patients across the state, DuBois said.

"It's something that we would like to make available to everybody," he said.