33 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com our town Parents, kids, outdoor exercise enthusiasts and dog owners alike – rejoice! The park we have all been curiously eyeing each time we come down the north side of the Ravenel is now open and ready for your next adventure. Since Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park opened in 2009, it has become one of the iconic locations that defines our town. Phase 3 of this project closes the book on what started back in 1999 as a simple ask. Back then, the Grace Memorial and Silas Pearman bridges’ days were numbered, and plans were underway for the new Ravenel to change our skyline. The old bridges rose up at the very edge of the land and marsh, but the Department of Transportation’s plans for the Ravenel showed that it would touch down further onto the land, leaving a vacant waterfront area in its shadow. It was a space that piqued the interest of Mount Pleasant Council Member Gary Santos. In a Department of Transportation meeting, he asked if they would consider donating the land to the town for a park. “The answer is always going to be ‘no’ until you ask,” Santos laughed. “So I asked. The SCDOT said to write them a letter, and I did the very next day.” In his letter, Santos supported his request with the argument that few places on the Cooper River allow Mount Pleasant public access to the water. He explained BY ANNE TOOLE The splash pad offers a space to cool down. Two basketball courts are nestled under the on-ramp of the Ravenel. The new area has options for a wide range of ages and abilities. Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park BRIDGE Under the MOON Over the &
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