The report covers three areas of progress, including the overall revitalization of the 3,000-acre North Charleston Noisette Community; the Institutional Framework at Noisette, in which a series of non-profits were established to address the health of the economy, environment and social fabric of the community; and, redevelopment of the Navy Yard, by The Noisette Company. The 46-page Sustainability Report is available in PDF versions to the public and media, fully illustrated with maps, photos, charts and graphics, packaged in an “annual report” format. The report is the first issued by Noisette, which will be published every two years, with the next version in 2010.
The report found that between 2001 and 2007, North Charleston’s Noisette Community lured some $500 million in public and private investment. Housing values in neighborhoods impacted by the loss of the Charleston Naval Base witnessed increases from $54 a square foot to $140 per square foot in 2005. Home ownership rates increased from 32 to 45 percent in the same period. With 2,000 new housing starts underway, and an estimated 800 new professional families with children moving to the area, the population dynamics and livability of the region are improving.
“At the start, no one other than The Noisette Company shared and was willing to invest in our vision,” writes North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey, in a letter introducing the report. “Now, other developers, companies and the Charleston County School District have joined in to invest in sustainability in our city. By any measures, the changes have created a more healthy, livable and vital community.”
“During the master planning process, it became obvious that a wide range of individuals, investors, and organizations would have to come together for the master plan to be a success, in creating the ‘New American City’”, says John L. Knott, Jr., CEO and President of The Noisette Company, LLC. “Thus, a major role of The Noisette Company is to serve as a catalyst; to help grow the capacity of stakeholders to build a sustainable culture, communicate the vision of North Charleston’s Noisette Community, lead planning efforts, and inspire others to invest their time and resources.”
The City of North Charleston accepted the basic guidelines of the North Charleston Noisette Master Plan in early 2004. Since that time, the national media has recognized the progress towards creating a “Sustainability City”, the Noisette Community in North Charleston. In July 2008, Cottage Living magazine, a publication of Time, Inc. and Southern Progress Corporation, proclaimed North Charleston’s Noisette Community as one of the nation’s “Top 10” neighborhoods. Last January, Natural Home magazine declared the Navy Yard at Noisette as on one of its “10 Best” for 2008.
“We are proud to tell this story of progress, identifying the many partners that have joined The Noisette Company on this journey to create a ‘Sustainability City’”, concludes Knott. “A City that is socially just, respects and protects it ecological systems, restores an intuitive understanding of the natural world, and its benefits to human health, creating a sustainable economy that allows access and opportunity to all in our community.”
For more information, please access the PDF copy of Our Journey to Sustainability that accompanies this release, or online at www.noisettesc.com.
