By Dick Stewart
Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park is the place where we gather, where we take photos, and where memories are made. In recent weeks I have been asked what I think should be done with Waterfront Park. I’ve been listening and thinking and I have a few thoughts.
But first, thank you to City Council and Management for acting quickly to prevent injury when they learned of imminent danger. No second guessing. Just thanks.
A process is underway to develop the best long-term solution. Based on my experience in design, permitting, bidding, securing funding, and actual construction I hope repairs will be complete within 5 to 7 years. I hope I’m wrong.
My thoughts are focused on what can be done to allow people to enjoy the park, to protect Beaufort’s identity, shops, restaurants, downtown inns, and hotels that are an important part of the City budget. Retail and restaurant spending is being impacted by inflation, and Beaufort’s economy suffered from the recent government shutdown. International travel is down. There’s a needed stormwater project making downtown less appealing.
Recently, I overheard people at the Visitor Center say, “Waterfront Park is broken, let’s go somewhere else.” These were Beaufort County residents.
The City led the way in encouraging people to shop downtown during the holidays. That’s great and hopefully it will continue and increase each year. During the holidays, a friend asked what I would do with Waterfront Park. These suggestions are what I would do during what will be a multi-year repair process. Please send me your thoughts. about what you would do.
Balance safety and appearance — Let’s remove the 8-foot-all barrier fence and install “Southern Style” fencing. The fencing behind City Hall or at 16-Gates Cemetery on Boundary Street are good examples. The view will be just fine. Well designed signs asking people not to cross the fence can be welcoming. and meet safety and insurance requirements.
It’s about people — People want to be near the water. Let’s install benches and new swings in the safe areas. Let people enjoy the view, smell the pluff mud, marvel at the power and size of our tides, come back often to see how the water and marshes change with the seasons.
Encourage activity in Waterfront Park — Encourage more entertainment, vendors, and expanded serving areas in the Park. Activities that will encourage residents throughout the area to come downtown. Give the Inns and Hotels activities they can promote to let folks know Beaufort is still the place to experience southern charm. Note: We now have passive parks at Whitehall and Crystal Lake; Chambers Waterfront Park is the award-winning active park in Beaufort.
Branding — A brand is a unique identity. A name, symbol, design of perception – that distinguishes, that creates an emotional connection and expectations, built from experiences.” Beaufort has a unique identity that appeals to humans. That identity and emotional connection is linked to the water. Henry Chambers knew that about Beaufort, and he moved forward even though there was some criticism.
That identity does not include chain-link fencing. Downtown’s prosperity and economic success depend upon maintaining that identity. “Broken” is to be avoided. Broken means fewer dollars to fund improvements and fewer customers for downtown businesses. Once the identity is tarnished, it will take years to recover.
Funding — Partial funding can be obtained by allowing kiosks, expanded dining areas, and similar vendors to lease areas in the park. This “programming” approach is often used by private owners to increase revenues. Practice has shown that the financial benefits justify the relatively small investment.
My prediction is that the increased tax revenue from a prosperous downtown will more than offset the investment in these improvements. Changes can be implemented in phases. Immediately, a friendlier fence. Then benches and swings can follow.
Helpful friends — In the early 2000’s, Courtney Worrell, on behalf of Main Street, wrote a successful grant application that funded benches and decorative trash cans for downtown. 303 Associates provided matching funding. Arts in the Park was created to conduct events and entertainment downtown. This successful program was funded by private partners and local government atax grants for several years.
What would you do? Repairs are needed and will happen. City Council and management are working through what is a complex process. If you can focus on what to do to maintain public use of Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and to minimize negative consequences during this period, what would you do?
Dick Stewart serves on several nonprofit boards, is a former member of Beaufort County Council and has invested in properties in Beaufort including properties along Waterfront Park. You can send your thoughts to Stewartthoughts@gmail.com.
