Coleman Boulevard Neighborhoods

The Heart & Soul of Mount Pleasant
Almost every town has a heart and soul, an emotional nexus that seems to draw the native’s energy and buzz. Though it is not centrally located within the town, the Coleman Boulevard corridor has been the place that serves as Mount Pleasant’s favorite meet up spot, the place that brings the townspeople together for celebration and fellowship. Whether it is the Christmas Parade, the Farmer’s Market, paddle boarding on Shem Creek, or the Charleston Bridge Run, Coleman Boulevard features prominently in the minds of both visitors to the town and its natives. The adjacent neighborhoods are a major part of this nexus, and the it’s evolution over the years along Coleman has had it’s ups and downs like any other town. Since the completion of the Ravenel Bridge, there has been a lot of new development on Coleman but it’s adjacent, established neighborhoods still anchor this vibrant community center in place.
Coleman Boulevard Neighborhoods
There are several neighborhoods that border Coleman Boulevard and the largest and oldest and largest is called Old Village. The Town of Mount of Pleasant actually originated from five classic English villages that had been settled around Shem Creek harbor beginning with “Greenwich Village” in 1766. Many of the other neighborhoods like The Groves and Cooper Estates evolved in the second half of the 19th century.

SEE MAP OF COLEMAN BOULEVARD NEIGHBORHOODS



Recent Developments
The town has focused on the area's potential for years but never made much progress in moving forward with any substantial improvements to the area. Much of the area had a kind of quaint rustic charm. *In 2008, the Town of Mount Pleasant announced a plan to make a serious commitment to a revitalizing Coleman Boulevard so that it might have more of a main street feel. *At the time, there wasn't much controversy, because the proposed changes seemed fairly routine. *That changed when*a groundswell of resistance formed as a high density residential project called The Boulevard was being constructed. This large infill project is taller than any other previously built, and the quality of design and siting of the Beach Company's structure within a few feet Coleman immediately drew substantial criticism. *This high-density development caught many residents off guard and proposals to build similar projects along this corridor have more recently been y met with derision and vocal opposition. *One example is an office building and garage by a Texas developer named Tex Small which has been proposed to be built near Shem Creek. The same forces that we're stirred by the surprising results of the Boulevard project have stimulated*action in the form of a grassroots movement. *The <em>Save Shem Creek</em> organization was formed as a legal challenge to the Town of Mount Pleasant and Tex Small's building proposal, and is ultimately a citizens movement to push back against a lot of the changes that are being proposed along Coleman Boulevard. *It remains to be seen how much of the town's revitalization plan will be realized. * I think it is safe to say that any high density development will be a hard sell.

The town has pushed forward though with other changes, especially to make it's crown jewel, Shem Creek, a focal point and destination. *It invested heavily to provide better access to the water, creating a park adjacent to the existing boardwalk structure. *Plans call for the boardwalk to be opened up the entire way from Coleman Boulevard to the existing park's walkway. *Overall, the revitalization of Coleman Boulevard hasn't had negative effect on property values of the neighborhoods adjacent to Coleman Boulevard. In fact, one could argue that it has been quite the opposite effect. *It remains to be seen if that trend will continue.