Rooftop pool, bar could be coming to large hotel in downtown Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A major hotel is asking City of Charleston leaders to consider changes to its design with a request for a special exception slated to go before the Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday.

This is not a new hotel. The concept, which includes 252 hotel rooms, had already been approved by city leaders. But the hotel now has a new owner who wants to make a few changes to the previously approved plan.

The hotel is set to be built at 431 Meeting Street which is at the intersection of Woolfe Street.

Amenities had also already been approved for the hotel, but the new owner wants to change the location of those amenities.

They are asking for a special exception to move those amenities to the rooftop of the hotel to include a pool and bar.

In the past we’ve heard concern from the community when it comes to amenities being added to rooftops but officials with the city said they’re not getting that feedback this time around.

“This site is located in a place where there already are a number of hotels, it’s really a commercial portion of the street,” Jacob Lindsey, the city’s Director of Planning, said. “It’s in between King and meeting streets so it’s not a place where we’ve heard a tremendous amount of concern although With that said, we have done many things over the years to limit the growth of hotels, we want to see fewer and fewer of them.”

Lindsey said this is one of the few remaining sites that has yet to be built in the area.

“Most of the sites in this corridor have been built over the years, and we’ll be seeing some large construction taking place here on sites like 411 Meeting Street, and then north of Line street there will be some new construction,” Lindsey said. “So this is going to be one of the few remaining sites, whether this project moves forward or not. We’ll find out. And this is obviously an unusual time for hotels and any commercial construction, so we’ll see where this goes from here.”

Lindsey added this is one of the last large hotels that has been approved for the city.

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