Developer Eyes Crowfield Shopping Center Blight

The abandoned shopping center that has caused heartburn for city officials and Crowfield Plantation residents has an interested developer hoping to bring new life to an eyesore in Goose Creek's business district.

Crowfield residents will get a look at conceptual designs for the property at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Planters Walk Clubhouse. The public is invited.

Homeowner Association president Barbara King told City Council she is encouraged by the designs she has seen.

"I truly believe this is a win-win for the city and our residential community," she said Tuesday. 

The Heyward Co. development is expected to include a storage area, office space and some retail, said Goose Creek Planning Director Daniel Ben-Yisrael. If it wins favor from the homeowners, the property owners will likely seek annexation into the city and a zoning to allow for the mix of uses.

The property was gifted to the University of South Carolina Foundation years ago, but the school has had a difficult time unloading the site. Meanwhile, vandals have torn up the abandoned shopping center. Now every door is boarded up and sealed with sheets of metal. The only fresh coat of paint the aging building has seen arrives to cover graffiti.

The conditions at the site have led Mayor Michael Heitzler to press the county to require proper upkeep for the property that is surrounded by the city, but unincorporated. Members of City Council and Rep. Joe Daning have also sent letters to USC and encouraged residents to do the same. 

Residents of Crowfield also . And Patch has followed  and .