Renewal Community

The City of Charleston’s Renewal Community designation superseded its designation as an Enterprise Community after the City applied for a third round of funding for Community Economic Revitalization. As a Renewal Community, Charleston is one of 40 cities in the country designated to receive tax ince

The Mission:
to foster economic and community development by creating programs that will empower businesses and residents residing in the community.
Charleston's effort is focused on:

• fostering economic development
• neighborhood revitalization
• improving the delivery of health and human services

Administration
The Greater Charleston Empowerment Corporation (GCEC) a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization administers the Renewal Community Program in conjuction with the remnants of the Enterprise Community program in partnership with the City of Charleston. The GCEC'z mission is to promote thriving, healthy, and economically viable neighborhoods and to empower residents and provide them with the tools to identify problems and find solutions. The GCEC works collaboratively with residents, businesses and other community stakeholders for the purpose of bringing about jprogressive social and economic change. The GCEC board of directors, which includes representatives form the 19 neighborhoods making up the Renewal Community, meets regularly to make decisions regarding the implementation of various programs offered in the Renewal Community.

Area:
The Charleston Renewal Community's 19 neighborhoods represent ten contiguous census tracts totaling 7.08 square miles of the Charleston Peninsula. The physical boundaries fo the RC include Calhoun Street to the south, Rutledge Avenue and Lockwood Drive to the west, Cosgrove Avenue to the north and the Cooper River as the eastern boundary.

Renewal Community Initiatives
In keeping with the GCEC and Renewal Community mission, the following initiatives have been implemented:

• Strategic Economic Development Plan
• Upper Peninsular Charrette
• Charleston Neck Plan
• Business Tax Incentives
• Employer tax credits

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