Charleston City Council approves creation of King Street Business Improvement District

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston City Council on Tuesday voted in favor of approving a plan that will see King Street Businesses partner with government entities to improve conditions on one of Charleston’s most popular streets.

The program would be a partnership between the City of Charleston and the Charleston Downtown Alliance, a non-profit made up of King Street business owners.

The King Street Business Improvement District (BID) would provide funds for items such as enhanced cleaning, security requirements, an ambassador program, improved signage, and street beautification.

Robert Summerfield, the Director of Planning, Preservation, and Sustainability for the City of Charleston, explained:

“This is basically the property owners, the business owners in the corridor coming to the city and saying, ‘hey, we know you guys are doing what you can, but we know you have limited resources. So, we want to be more participatory in the services that are delivered on the street, and we’re willing to contribute to pay for those.’”

The project is expected to cost about $11 million over a 10-year period.

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated.