Eastside Community Development Corporation

10/09/2026

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10/09/2026

What makes the Eastside the Eastside?

Your memories, experiences, stories, and knowledge can help shape the Eastside Area Character Appraisal — documenting what makes our neighborhood unique and what should be protected as it changes.

Preservation Society of Charleston of Charleston, Clemson University and Eastside Community Development Corporation want to hear directly from residents.

✅ No right or wrong answers
✅ Answer as much or as little as you want
✅ Responses are confidential

SCAN THE QR CODE & TAKE THE SURVEY!
📅 Deadline: October 30, 2026

Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/473Q4h1

10/09/2026

10/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to tonight’s special Eastside Community Meeting at St. Julian Devine.

Nathan Frank Simms Jr., the new CEO of City Housing Authority of the City of Charleston, shared updates on housing and answered questions directly from residents.

Anna-Cathrine Alexander with the Preservation Society of Charleston spoke about preservation on the Eastside and the Area Character Appraisal being developed with Clemson University and ECDC. Residents are being asked to help identify the places, features, colors, materials, and character that make the Eastside unique.

📱 Please scan the QR code and complete the Eastside Area Character Appraisal survey by October 30.

💫Councilmember Aaron helped close the meeting on a strong note, speaking directly with residents, taking questions from the audience, and addressing concerns one-on-one in real time.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, asked questions, and spoke up for the Eastside.

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

Before tonight’s meeting, here’s a little history behind the place we’re gathering.

St. Julian Devine made history in 1967 as the first Black person elected to Charleston City Council since Reconstruction — the period after the Civil War when formerly enslaved Black Americans briefly gained new political rights and representation before those gains were systematically stripped away.

And those two smokestacks outside are more than old brick towers. They were once part of Charleston’s municipal incinerator, burning trash from across the city. After the incinerator closed, the site was eventually transformed into a community center — turning a former industrial site into a place for gathering, recreation, and neighborhood life.

Today, the smokestacks remain as one of the Eastside’s most recognizable landmarks and a lasting symbol of the neighborhood’s history, strength, and resilience.

📍 St. Julian Devine Community Center

10/07/2026

Today 👇

SPECIAL EASTSIDE COMMUNITY MEETING — NEW LOCATION 📍

This month, we’re taking the meeting to St. Julian Devine Community Center for a bigger community conversation.

With major discussions happening around housing, Project 3500, preservation, and recent changes across the Eastside, this is a meeting you’ll want to be in the room for.

Come hear directly from our special guests, bring your questions, and make sure the community voice is part of what happens next.

Wednesday, October 7 | 6:00 PM
St. Julian Devine Community Center | 1 Cooper St.