One80 Place asking for design approval for new multi-use building

By Michal Higdon | January 22, 2020 at 9:56 AM EST - Updated January 22 at 9:56 AM

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - An organization working to prevent homelessness in our area will be asking the city to approve the design on a new multi-use complex in downtown Charleston.

Wednesday night, Charleston's Board of Architectural Review will be taking a look at the preliminary designs for new construction of a mixed-use affordable housing development by One80 Place.

The project is set to be along Meeting Street - a couple of blocks away from I-26. The location is at the shelter's former site which has been vacated since 2017.

The building is expected to have office space on the first floor which will be for veterans case managers who work specifically work with homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless.

The multi-use building will also have a cafe.

"The cafe will provide an opportunity to train some of our clients to be baristas and work in cafes around town," Marco Corona, One80 Place's Chief Development Officer, said. "Our ultimate hope is that it will become a training space as well."

The entire second floor of the building will be One80 Place's new family shelter.

"We currently have a family shelter, women's and family shelter, but it is in need of replacement," Corona said. "We've had it since the early 90's. It's a cinder block building with a flat roof. We get tons of leaks because of that and there is no insulation. They are large dormitory-like rooms that are really not great for families."