Inspiring plans were revealed last week for a west side Medical District and Greenway in downtown Charleston.
Artist rendering of plans for Doughty Pedestrian Mall and Greenway
In the words of Mayor Joe Riley, the plans will turn a sterile medical complex into “a place that is physically beautiful; that is energized by its diverse participants doing worthwhile things.” An innovative concept that will be “thrilling for the city.”
A few weeks ago I posted a blog criticizing the Medical University for failing to have an adequate vision for the future of Women’s Health in the planned Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion. To be fair, I post this blog to celebrate what I believe may be the most unique, far-sighted and exciting concept that I’ve encountered in the 30 years I’ve been at MUSC.
That concept is a west side Medical District and Greenway that will involve an unprecedented partnership between MUSC, Roper-St Francis and the Ralph Johnson VA Hospital. The first steps in the plan appears to be the conversion of Doughty Street into a verdant, tree-lined pedestrian mall accompanied by increased parking options and a quieting of traffic on Courtney Drive between the cross-town and Calhoun Street with a humane and scaled health care experience. An expression of holistic health care designed to comfort and console the patients and families of all the above mentioned hospitals.
However, planning may go even further as described by Ray Huff, a nationally known architect, who taught my son Taylor as part of the Charleston-based Clemson University architectural program. He envisions a grander west side green space that extends all the way from Hampton Park, Wagner Terrace and the Citadel down to Colonial Lake and the Battery revitalizing Long Lake south of Calhoun Street along the way.
Clearly a project of massive proportion, but with the potential to beautify and energize the west side of Charleston in the same way that White Point Gardens, Waterfront Park and the Maritime Center have become iconic locations on Charleston’s east side. I am attaching a 6 minute video about the project that I encourage you to watch. An astounding six minute glimpse into the future of downtown Charleston.
https://vimeo.com/adamlawtonboozer/review/148943909/8dec57ec92
There are two shout-outs that I think are appropriate. The first is to Dr. David Cole, the President of MUSC. Dr. Cole is the man behind the vision; realizing that such a restful space could contribute to “not only healing the physical, but also healing the soul”. In the clinics we deal with “white coat hypertension” on a daily basis. Most ascribe it to the anxiety patients feel at visiting the doctor’s office or hospital. Personally, I believe it more likely represents frustration at negotiating downtown traffic, finding legal parking, figuring out which building is the correct destination and the long walk across hot, hard concrete and barren asphalt.
For years, Jonathan Lucas Street has been a no-man’s land between MUSC and Roper-St. Francis Hospitals. Competition bred contempt. Dr. Cole took the difficult walk across Jonathan Lucas to meet with the Roper CEO and propose this collaboration. All the hospital leaders involved in bring this concept forward deserve recognition and credit for rising above their mediocre tribal instincts in order to create a soothing human environment and public asset to hasten the healing of our patients.
The second shout-out is to Mayor (forever) Joe Riley. He makes only a brief appearance on the video, but in my heart, I know his fingerprints are all over this planning document. When we moved to Charleston in the mid 70’s the stores on King Street were boarded, East Bay Street and over was warehouses and shady bars where sailors got rolled and robbed, and the stately mansions south of Broad Street were “too poor to paint, but too proud the whitewash.” Fortunately, Charleston’s young new mayor had other plans. Those plans led to a stunning revitalization of downtown and to Charleston becoming an international travel destination and one of America’s premiere cities.
I feel fortunate to have lived in Charleston during the forty years of Joe Riley’s leadership. His positive influence on this city will continue to be felt for another forty years as the vision of a west side Medical District and Greenway becomes a reality. I am proud that MUSC and my city are leading the way in developing a vision for health care delivery that will become a model for the rest of the country for the rest of this century.
