29 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com BY COLIN MCCANDLESS Mount Pleased Year in Review: Town triumphs from 2025 From efforts to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety to recreational enhancements and upgrades to a historic community landmark, the Town of Mount Pleasant has had a busy 2025. In our Year in Review, we encapsulate some of the most significant happenings and accomplishments impacting our community. SCANLONVILLE PRAISE HOUSE PARKLET The town, in coordination with the East Cooper Civic Club, announced design plans in April to honor the legacy of the historic African American community of Scanlonville in the area known as Remley’s Point with the creation of Scanlonville Praise House Parklet. This area has been home to generations of African Americans; its first residents settled there after the Civil War when freedman John Scanlon purchased 614 acres of Remley Plantation and divided it into lots which he sold to other formerly enslaved people. The public space will connect to Mount Pleasant Way, the town’s larger network of pedestrian walk and bike paths. Funds for the $635,000 project will come from a $150,000 National Heritage Corridor grant as well as public and private funding. The park design will highlight Scanlonville’s cultural and historic significance. Construction is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2026, according to TOMP deputy director of Engineering and Development Services James Aton. MEMORIAL WATERFRONT PARK PHASE 3 In June, the town opened phase 3 of its all-ages recreational facilities at Memorial Waterfront Park. The $6.75 million expansion featured a splash pad, inclusive playground, basketball and pickleball courts, an outdoor fitness zone, a walking track, additional restrooms, a shaded pavilion and expanded dog parks for little and big dogs. Together, these amenities create a more dynamic, familyfriendly and inclusive recreation space that enhances the overall visitor experience and strengthens the park’s role as a premier gathering place for the community, said Town of Mount Pleasant Communications Manager Eric LaFontaine. Additionally, the town is currently overhauling and upgrading the old playground in the original section of the park, which opened in 2009. Work is scheduled to be finished in early 2026, according to Town of Mount Pleasant Community Affairs & Marketing Division Chief Nicole Harvey. PITT STREET BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS On July 1, town officials celebrated the completion of the $1.2 million Pitt Street Bridge Micromobility Improvements project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Pitt Street Bridge Park. Improvements entailed new pavement markings and signage, improved parking areas, including golf cart and ADA-accessible spaces and an enhanced cul-de-sac to assist with navigating the shared lane traffic pattern. Recreation and conservation enhancements included the installation of a new kayak launch and landscaping with indigenous plants and stabilization of adjacent slopes to protect long-term resiliency. FIVE-YEAR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Town adopted its state required five-year update to the Comprehensive Plan on Aug. 12. The plan provides an updated community vision for growth, land use, transportation, environmental stewardship and public priorities, according to TOMP Communications Manager Eric LaFontaine. It incorporates the latest demographic data, reflects current town programs and initiatives and includes input gathered during the Public Input Matters open house series. Additionally, it adds new sections on the business environment and resilience planning in accordance with state planning requirements. The updated plan guides thoughtful and sustainable development and helps ensure that future decisions align with the long-term needs and goals of the community. SHEM CREEK SHRIMP DOCKS RENOVATION On Aug. 13, the Town of Mount Pleasant celebrated the completion of the Shem Creek Shrimp Docks renovation. This project strengthens the infrastructure that supports Mount Pleasant’s historic shrimping fleet through wider docks and piers, storm-resistant structural reinforcements, upgraded electrical systems for daily operations and a modernized processing facility. According to Town of Mount Pleasant Communications Manager Eric LaFontaine, these enhancements improve safety, resilience and efficiency while preserving and supporting a vital part of the town’s working waterfront heritage. ALHAMBRA HALL GRAND REOPENING An Aug. 27 ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the grand reopening of Alhambra Hall and its surrounding grounds. The $4.8 million renovations and site our town
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