From Calhoun to Horlbeck Alley creating a fun and safe shopping corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists alike.

Come out and enjoy the car-free street-scape with sidewalk sales, outdoor dining, art, kid friendly activities and street vendors!

For detailed information about sponsorship and or vendor opportunities email Jamie Price at jkpmonarch@aol.com or call 843-991-9987.

Spread the word, become a Facebook Fan @ Do The Charleston and let’s as a community make this happen!

Dear Members of the Central Business District:

The 33rd Annual Cooper River Bridge Run and Walk is just over 4 weeks away, and I wanted to send you a “heads up” on the Race details as they relate to traffic in downtown Charleston.

The Race is on Saturday, March 27 , beginning at 7:25 AM with the Bridge Run Wheel Chair Race, and the big 10K Run and Walk beginning at 8 AM.  We are estimating 40,000 participants and 10,000 additional enthusiasts.

We have made a slight change in the Race Route this year and will be turning off of Meeting Street and onto Woolfe Street to King Street.  This small change will cause us to divert traffic from King Street at Spring  Street over to St. Philip Street, which may affect you accessibility to your neighborhoods or stores.  Traffic will still be able to flow north and south on East Bay Street throughout the Race.

Additionally, The Charleston Police Department has developed a traffic plan to help with easing the traffic congestion that results from the Race Expo on Friday afternoon.  Please be aware of this and look for their leadership throughout the day.

The Race Expo hours are Thursday, March 25, from 12 noon to 8PM and Friday, March 26,  from 8AM to 8PM.

Here is a brief summary of the Road Closures you will experience around the Race.

Friday, March 26 Hampton Park / Mary Murray Blvd – 1 PM to 6 PM Kids Run
George Street between Meeting and Anson Streets will be closed at 8 PM until 2 PM Saturday, March 27.  Neighborhood traffic from Menotti Lane will have access to egress east on George Street, as well as, residents parked on this portion of George Street. Meeting Street between Calhoun and Wentworth Streets will be closed  at 10 PM.  The Northbound Lane of Meeting Street from George Street to Calhoun Street will remain open; the southbound lane of Meeting Street from George Street to Calhoun Street will be closed for traffic.

Saturday, March 27 – Towing along the race route begins at 4 AM! Calhoun Street, between King and East Bay Streets, will be closed at 5 AM.  Calhoun Street will be closed from King Street to East Bay Street until the participants are in a manageable location and out of the roadways, streets are cleaned and bus traffic are safely able to be managed, hopefully before 1PM. Meeting Street will close at 5 AM from John Street to Wentworth Street;  NOTE: George Street will have limited access to the parking lot between King and Meeting Streets only from King Street prior to 7AM and will not re-open until King Street is open following the race. Arthur Ravenel Bridge Bike Lane will be closed at 6:30 AM to clear the bridge of pedestrian traffic.  The Bike/ Pedestrian Lane will re-open when the Bridge re-opens. The Race Route and support streets will be closed at 7 AM until the participants are finished and the roadways are cleaned. Both directions of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge will be closed until the participants have cleared the bridge, support staff removed, barricades removed, and the bridge cleaned of any debris. Meeting Street will be closed from Romney Street to Woolfe Street and John Street to Hasell Street with early openings following the participants safely off the route and the route cleaned.

An alternative route will be made to allow traffic to flow north and south around the west side of King Street to ensure traffic can move easily around town.  Traffic east of Meeting Street will have full access to East Bay Street to travel to the Lower Peninsula and elsewhere.  The Charleston Police Department has perimeter traffic control setup on entrances to the route and will be working to minimize your confusion.

Please be reminded that the Ravenel Bridge will not be open in either direction during the Race beginning at 7 AM.  We would ask you to inform your customers, guests and neighbors to be aware of the road closures and have a plan to get to your businesses, homes or destinations.  You will be able to get through the City in all directions, but it may be time consuming so please plan ahead.

Tentative Summary of Race Week Highlights for 33rd Annual CRBR:

• The Gaillard Auditorium will be used for the Bridge Run Exposition on Thursday, March 25, 12AM to 8PM, and Friday, March 26, 8AM to 8PM.  The City is providing parking vouchers for expo participants to park for the event using the Aquarium Garage, as much as  possible.
• Hampton Park will be the site of the Kids Run on Friday, March 26.  Setup for this event will begin Thursday, March 25.
• Marion Square will be used on Saturday, March 27, along with the streets to host the finish festival area.  Set up will begin about Wed., March 25.
• The Parking Garages at the Visitor’s Center, Gaillard, and Aquarium will allow participants to park from 5 PM on Friday (3/26) to Saturday (3/27) 2PM for a flat $5.00 rate.
• In 2011 the 34th  Annual Cooper River Bridge Run is scheduled for April  2!!
  For more info:  www.bridgerun.com

If I can help you, do not hesitate to call me at 720-5098 .  Thank you for your continued support and patience.

Sincerely,
Paul
Paul M. Wieters
Wellness Coordinator

The 33rd Annual Cooper River Bridge Run and Walk is just over 7 weeks away, and I wanted to update you on a route change that will impact businesses on King Street. We have made a slight change in the Race Route this year and will be turning off Meeting Street and onto Woolfe Street to King Street, where the race will continue to flow south to Wentworth Street and back to Meeting St.

This small change will cause us to divert traffic from King Street at Spring Street over to St. Philip Street, which may affect you accessibility to your stores.  Traffic will still be able to flow north and south on East Bay Street throughout the Race.   Access to the streets between Reid and John will be accessible from East Bay Street.

Additionally, The Charleston Police Department has developed a traffic plan to help with easing the traffic congestion that results from the Race Expo on Friday, March 26.  Please be aware of this and look for their leadership throughout the day.  The Race Expo hours are Thursday, March 25, from 12 noon to 8PM and Friday, March 26, from 8AM to 8PM.

You will be receiving more information in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 720-5098.  Thank you for all your continued support, patience and efforts to  make the Cooper River Bridge Run an exciting community event!

Sincerely,

Paul M. Wieters

Wellness Coordinator

About Rent:
Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical tells the story of one year in the life of a group of bohemians struggling in modern day East Village New York. The Professional Production of RENT by White Tuxedo Productions opened January 21, 2010. RENT is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI).
DIRECTOR, JIMMY FLANNERY
MUSICAL DIRECTOR, ROBBI KENNEY

The Cast:

Brett Travis – Roger
Jennifer Fogarty – Mimi
Rori Nogee – Maureen and Dance Captain
Kendra Payne – Joanne
Scottie McLaughlin – Tom Collins
Garrett Bruce – Mark
Patrick Dorow, Angel

RENT Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Musical Arrangements: Original Concept/Additional Lyrics- Steve Skinner, Billy Aronson & Lynn Thomson 
Dramaturg Musical Supervision and additional arrangements, Tim Weil.

Posted in Events Tagged: Discount offer, KSMA, RENT, White Tuxedo Productions ]]> http://ksma.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/rent-ticket-discounts/feed/ 0 Celeste poster_453x700 RENT CAST http://ksma.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/letter-from-the-president/ http://ksma.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/letter-from-the-president/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:18:51 +0000 bradford185 http://ksma.wordpress.com/?p=192 ]]> Greeting King Street Area Merchants,
I hope your holidays were filled with joy and that everyone had a good season. Here’s hoping 2010 is an even better year. On Friday this week I will be attending a luncheon sponsored buy CVB and Ports Authority regarding the development of the passenger terminal and surrounding area at the end of Market Street. The purpose of the luncheon is to get public input and provide info about the project.
If any one has any thoughts, suggestions, or comments and/or would like me to learn anything specific please let me know and I will present them at the meeting. Here is the link to the Ports auth web site regarding the plan. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks Brad: www.unionpierplan.com

Bradford Rickenbaker
President KSMA
Joint Venture Estate Jewelers
185 King Street
Charleston SC 29401
843-722-6730
bradford@jventure.com

There is plenty of parking available, so don’t let that keep you from spending time in Historic Charleston… And what makes easy parking even better? Parking Vouchers, A GIFT FROM THE CITY OF CHARLESTON, COUNTY OF CHARLESTON AND REPUBLIC PARKING. The voucher allows you to park for free for up to two hours (on a space available basis, limited to one voucher per visit. You must pay for any remaining fee after two hours.) The voucher is valid from November 28-December 31, 2009. And to make it even easier, (so no excuses…), the city has made  a print-at-home Holiday Magic parking voucher

Happy holidays and enjoy the season!

Office of Cultural Affairs at (843) 724-7305. Visit www.charlestoncity.info or www.charlestonarts.sc
for daily schedules and updates.

What is “Do The Charleston”?
A community and family-friendly event to draw people to shops on King Street, while creating a fun and safe shopping corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists by making it ‘car-free’. The car-free streetscape will allow King Street businesses to promote sidewalk sales, sidewalk dining and street vendors.  “Do The Charleston” also celebrates the rejuvenation of the streetscape in the King Street Shopping District, and invites area residents to experience Charleston and her historic streets in a new way.  It’s about connecting with our neighbors and the vibrant Charleston community. “Do The Charleston” is also meant to encourage the healthy biking, pedestrian and ‘green’ transportation lifestyle in the City.

Why?
This highly-marketable family-friendly event will attract more shoppers on King Street and to Downtown Charleston in general.  It is the ‘hook’ that will draw in citizens from suburban areas and will also be appealing to tourists visiting the city.  We are confident this type of event will generate additional business for merchants.

When?
Date: TBD

Location:
King Street – Calhoun to Broad Street (leaving major cross streets open to vehicles)

Parking:
Efforts will be made to park in downtown Charleston with garage maps and discounted pricing.

Marketing:
A team of professionals will be responsible for marketing the event, though we would ask each Merchant to promote it to their own customer base as well.  Major newspapers have already indicated they would be willing to promote it.  A website is already being built.

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Join our conversation!

Our email:
dothechas@gmail.com

Link to City’s survey page:
http://www.charlestoncity.info/comp-survey

Christopher Morgan
Director, Planning and Neighborhoods Division
Department of Planning, Preservation, and Sustainability
City of Charleston
75 Calhoun Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 724-3774

Graffiti has returned to my area of King Street. Maybe I’m just lucky, but if you are seeing more of it, as well, the graffiti hotline is 958.1500.

Happy fall to you,

Julia Santen,
Julia Santen Gallery
www.juliasantengallery.com