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City leaders and developers begin demolition to start building on a new Ashley Landing project in the West Ashley area of the Holy City. May 7, 2025. (WCIV)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Instead of a groundbreaking, it was a building breaking to kick off the long-awaited Ashley Landing project in the West Ashley area.

After 20 years of planning, it's out with the old and in with the new. The new Ashley Landing is finally moving forward.

"This is gonna be a transformational project for a long, neglected part of our city," Charleston Mayor Williams Cogswell said.

READ MORE | "Developers to break ground on Ashley Landing revitalization project."

It was funded by a record-breaking $345 million investment.

"It's an investment of emotional connection," said Edens Properties Chief Executive Officer Jodie W. McLean. "It's an investment of creating a sense of place where people come together routinely to not only connect with the new neighbors, but to create new friendships and new meanings in life."

Edens now owns the 35-acre site through its investment of $300 million, while Charleston pitched in $45 million for infrastructure.

"When you're investing public money, you want to make sure it's done in a responsible way," Cogswell said. "You wanna look at folks that are looking at it for the long haul, not somebody that's just gonna come in, take advantage of our macro-economy and then pull out."

READ MORE | "Charleston unveils $300M redevelopment plan for West Ashley's Sumar Street site."

The key to the project is creating an area that seriously considers stormwater runoff. As a result, the company is looking to put in underground retention and preserve the live oaks in the area, Darlene Heater, the executive director of Charleston Parks Conservancy, said.

The project will have a partnership with Charleston Parks Conservancy, which will ensure environmental concerns are addressed.

"They're looking at how they create tree-lined streets that support the retail, but also create those opportunities to absorb rainwater into the canopies that deflect some of the heavy downpours that we get," Heater said. "We look forward to working with them on plant selection, on tree selection, on how they improve soil."

The project will build nine acres of stormwater retention underneath the property.

Officials say the project will be completed in phases, with the entire project expected to be completed by early 2027.

West Ashley will soon be home to a new community hub, dubbed Ashley Landing. This long-awaited revitalization project, located just off Sumar Street, has been years in the making. The city first acquired part of the site back in 2017, and the Charleston City Council approved the project in September 2024.

The mixed-use space will total 35 acres, including the 3-acre former Piggly Wiggly + the 32-acre Ashley Landing site. Once finished, the project will boast 240,000 sqft of retail and restaurants, 285 multifamily units, 100 townhomes, and almost an acre of communal green space — browse the plans. “This site will serve as a one-stop shop for West Ashley. Neighbors will be able to get their groceries, enjoy a meal, and relax in park space with their families without needing to drive to various locations,” said Mayor Cogswell in a press release.

When it comes to funding, ABC News 4 reports that the city is pledging $45 million, Edens is contributing $300 million, and that public funds will be focused on infrastructure. They also say Edens is required to conduct a traffic impact study for the project, and that nine acres of stormwater retention will be built to mitigate flooding in the area.

Wednesday, May 7, City of Charleston leaders and project developer EDENS are inviting the community to the future site for a groundbreaking + to celebrate the start of the redevelopment project. Construction is set to begin this summer and is expected to wrap up within 18 months.

A sandwich chain that's operated in South Carolina for more than 80 years has added a West Ashley stop.

Groucho’s Deli, led by Max Miller — the great-grandson of founder Harold “Groucho” Miller — opened at 975 Savannah Highway in St. Andrews Shopping Center.

Miller has been working for the family business since growing up Columbia, where his grandfather opened the first restaurant in 1941 in the Five Points area.

“When I was 12 years old, I remember my dad used to pull a bar stool up and set me in front of the cash register,” Miller said.

After attending the College of Charleston, he opened his first Groucho’s Deli in Mount Pleasant in 2020.

The West Ashley outpost is Miller's second franchise, co-owned by Nick Basile, a lifelong friend and the former manager of the Five Points Groucho’s.

“He and I worked there almost every day in high school,” Miller said.

The West Ashley shop renews Groucho's presence in Charleston after the downtown location at 364A King St. closed in 2022 after 20 years. The franchise owner stated he had been priced out of the market.

Another Groucho’s Deli opened in Summerville in 2017 and is still going strong and another is in Mount Pleasant.

The deli, known for its “dipper” subs, large salads and signature “Formula 45 Sauce, was first franchised in the early 2000s by Bruce Miller, the third generation to operate the restaurant. The chain has grown to 32 locations in three states, with about three new stores added a year.

The count has come far since its namesake founder to Columbia in 1941 after spending his childhood in a Philadelphia orphanage with "a handful" of original recipes for potato salad coleslaw and dressings for salads and sandwiches.