Advocacy Alerts

Smokestacks Update

preservation-admin , November 10, 2021

An aerial view of recent efforts to stabilize the 135-foot-tall smokestacks at St. Julian Devine Community Center in Charleston’s East Side neighborhood, Oct. 22, 2021. Photo by Andrew Whitaker, Post & Courier

Last fall, the preservation community and Eastside residents united to save the St. Julian Devine smokestacks after the City abruptly ordered their demolition, citing structural concerns. After months of advocacy, including an online petition with 2,500 signatures in favor of preserving the smokestacks, City Council approved funding for the first phase of stabilization, which is now underway. The initial disassembly of the compromised interior liners is a major first step in the campaign to “save the stacks,” as detailed in Monday’s Post & Courier.

However, this $500,000 scope of work represents a fraction of the estimated $3 million needed to fund full preservation of the smokestacks which has not yet been committed. The PSC urges City Council to build on its success and allocate all additional funds necessary to ensure long-term preservation of these iconic structures in the Eastside neighborhood.

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