Boundary Street Redevelopment

Suburban retrofit

Location:

Beaufort, SC

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A new master plan and code is transforming the Boundary Street Redevelopment District, the gateway to the historic city of Beaufort.

The Project
Boundary Street is the entrance to the city of Beaufort. As a typical commercial strip corridor, it does not enhance Beaufort's overall character and charm but rather serves as a poor gateway to the historic city. A comprehensive strategy for growth and redevelopment of the corridor seeks to improve the safety and operational efficiency for all modes of travel while creating a more economically productive address. Dover, Kohl, & Partners served as the lead consultants for the project with assistance from the following consultants: Sottile & Sottile, Hall Planning & Engineering, Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, MACTEC, and UrbanAdvantage.

Plan Principles
Transformation of the corridor will not happen overnight, so the Plan is designed to be broken down into small components that can be redeveloped as the market demands. However, plan principles create a cohesiveness that guides each phase of development, and integrated concepts ensure that growth of the corridor is consistent in terms of design and sustainability. The Plan addresses opportunities for waterfront redevelopment and provides a scenic drive to run along Albergotti Creek, adding marsh views and a more complete street network north of Boundary Street. A continuous marshfront park should also be created along Battery Creek to help establish a green network. Other features include the addition of roundabouts at the intersections with Ribaut Road and Robert Smalls Parkway, which will improve traffic flow and safety at these special intersections, and a parallel road network along Boundary Street will integrate multiple options for travel and disperse everyday trips. Lastly, new civic buildings should be added in prominent positions along the corridor, while strategic infill along vacant parcels will provide a variety of housing types and mix of uses and also help increase the tax base. Meanwhile, street trees and proper sidewalks along existing and new streets create desirable addresses and enhance the pedestrian environment.

Status
The Boundary Street Master Plan was adopted as part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan on August 28,
2006. A form-based code, the Boundary Street Redevelopment District Code, was created for the corridor to stimulate redevelopment and to ensure the proper implementation of the Plan. The Code was
adopted by City Council on February 6, 2007. At last, a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District was created to fund the public realm improvements of the master plan. The first redevelopment projects are underwayand the City and County are working together on the initial street improvements.

For Additional Information: http://www.cityofbeaufort.org/Default.aspx

Explore Places

Proposed Changes for the intersection of Boundary Street and Ribaut Road

Under the new plan a civic building provides a terminated vista at this intersection, the center median strip, sidewalks, and street trees are expanded, a new crosswalk is added, and new street-oriented buildings are added to complete the transformation. Courtesy of Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Existing Conditions at the intersection of Boundary Street and Ribaut Road

The intersection of Boundary Street and Ribaut Road is one area the plan targets for improvements to the flow of traffic. Courtesy of Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Proposed Changes for Boundary Street

Under the new plan overhead utility wires are removed; the street geometry is reconfigured to accommodate a center median green strip, sidewalk, and frontage road with parallel parking on the north side. Street trees and landscaping are added while Jean Ribaut Square adds vibrant, mixed-use buildings to address the street. New buildings and street trees also create a walkable environment along the north side of Boundary Street. Courtesy of Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Existing Conditions on Boundary Street

The blank walls of Jean Ribaut Square that front Boundary Street exemplify the current conditions of the corridor the plan and code seek to rectify. Courtesy of Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Boundary Street Illustrative Master Plan

An Illustrative Master Plan of the Boundary Street redevelopment project. Courtesy of Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Ribaut Square 1

An aerial view of existing conditions at Ribaut Square. Courtesy of the City of Beaufort, South Carolina and Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Ribaut Square 2

An aerial view of how Ribaut Square will be transformed. Courtesy of the City of Beaufort, South Carolina and Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Ribaut Square 3

An aerial view of how Ribaut Square will be transformed. Courtesy of the City of Beaufort, South Carolina and Dover, Kohl, & Partners.
Ribaut Square 4

An aerial view of the final transformation of Ribaut Square. Courtesy of the City of Beaufort, South Carolina and Dover, Kohl, & Partners.