Potential Newberry Street redevelopment plans coming before Aiken City Council again
May 6—As discussions around Project Pascalis in Aiken continue to swirl, the future of Newberry Street will once again be discussed.
Aiken City Council will consider Monday night to conditionally convey a portion of the 100 southwest block of the street to RPM Development Partners LLC for purposes of development with the project, which aims to redevelop portions of downtown Aiken.
It's the second reading of the ordinance. If council votes in favor of it Monday, the ordinance is officially approved.
The conditions are that the conveyance would "only take place if a master development agreement is in place between the Aiken Municipal Development Commission and RPM Development Partners, LLC."
In exchange for the city conveying the street parcel, Aiken Alley Holdings LLC, a related entity to RPM Development Partners, has agreed to contribute two parcels it owns to the Project Pascalis footprint, according to the agenda.
These two parcels include the former home of Joe Harrison's State Farm Insurance agency and the parking lot fronting Bee Lane that is directly behind the former insurance building.
One of the city's goals pertaining to Project Pascalis was to keep any structure being built below the height limit of 55 feet.
"In order to accommodate that restriction while still creating a project containing space for the 100-key hotel, approximately 100 multifamily residential units, a municipal conference center of 25,000 to 30,000 square feet and an adequately-sized parking garage, additional space east of the subject parcels was needed," according to the City Council meeting agenda.
Since the ordinance's first reading on March 28, council provided city staff with two directions, according to the agenda: ask the developer to stay within the confines of their property line and consider constructing buildings greater than 55 feet, and reduce the density within the project footprint.
The developers believe the best course is to stay under the 55-foot height limit, according to the agenda. For the density, as the old Municipal Building at 214 Park Ave. S.W. is now included in the project, the "amount of Newberry Street S.W. is reduced from 0.6145 acre to 0.2678 acre, a 56% reduction in area needed," the agenda reads.
In essence, the southbound lane of Newberry Street S.W. — the side closest to The Alley connecting Richland Avenue W. and Park Avenue S.W. — would be ultimately closed, according to the agenda.
The northbound lane — the side closest to The Pizza Joint and the Amentum Center for the Performing Arts — would stay open and remain a one-way road, according to the agenda.
The Project Pascalis footprint is bounded by Laurens Street, Richland Avenue, Newberry Street and Park Avenue. The new hotel is proposed to be built at the former Hotel Aiken site after that building is demolished. The proposed apartments and parking garage would be located at the corner of Newberry Street and Richland Avenue.
The potential conference center would be housed in the old Municipal Building on Park Avenue.
Aiken City Council meets downtown in the old Municipal Building, 214 Park Ave. S.W. Meetings are open to the public and are livestreamed on the city's YouTube page, youtube.com/cityofaikensc.
The regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Monday, with a work session being held at 6 p.m.
