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King Street ‘streetscape’ to resume this month
By Dennis Quick
Senior Staff Writer
Charleston’s three-phase King Street beautification, or “streetscape,” project will get going again after a four-month delay over contract bids.
The project’s second phase begins within two weeks. The city of Charleston on Nov. 7 plans to issue papers to Gulfstream Construction Co., the primary contractor, to begin the construction. This phase covers upper King Street, from Calhoun to Carolina streets, and is slated to last 545 days.
The $13.8 million project, funded by the city and by King Street property owners, involves resurfacing the street, installing new sidewalks and curbs, planting palmetto trees in tree wells and replacing underground utilities.
The first phase, begun in 2000 and completed two years later, covered middle King Street, from Market to Calhoun streets. The third phase will cover lower King Street, from Market to Broad streets.
During a Feb. 24 public meeting, the city announced the project’s second phase would begin “right after” the Spoleto Festival, which ended June 12.
However, some of the contract bids were priced “way higher than we anticipated,” causing the city to re-evaluate the contracts and the project’s engineering and design, according to project manager Don Smith.
Bid dates were also extended to answer contractors’ questions about the project and clarify engineering issues, Smith added.
The second phase will begin with the installation of new waterlines between Spring and Carolina streets. One block will be worked on at a time, with the project progressing toward Calhoun Street. Tree plantings and the installation of bluestone sidewalks, granite curbs and new street lamps will occur first on one side of the street and then the other.
The project’s second and third phases are expected to take less time than the first because of better engineering preparation and site research.
In 2003, the city used a radar gun that penetrated the ground and detected drainage tunnels, sewer lines, abandoned tracks and other construction obstacles that lay under upper King Street that could cause potential problems for installing underground utilities.
It was a lesson learned from the project’s first phase, which lasted a year longer than anticipated because engineers knew little about what they would face underground and, therefore, encountered a number of obstacles they were unprepared to handle.
Additionally, South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. reviewed plans for the project’s second phase and found that the city needed to acquire easements from King Street property owners. The city obtained the easements after meeting some resistance from property owners.
The city will issue progress reports and construction schedules to King Street property owners via e-mails and flyers. Gulfstream Construction has appointed a community liaison to work with the property owners and address their concerns.
During a Nov. 4 public meeting, Smith advised King Street property owners that construction schedules are not always sealed in granite.
Dennis Quick is senior staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail him at dquick@charlestonbusiness.com.
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