Historic Officers Quarters C Restoration in Progress

Historic Rehab of Quarters C Begins

In between the mature oak trees and peaceful landscape of Chicora Gardens at the Navy Yard at Noisette, a historic building is being brought back to life by SC STRONG.  “Quarters C” as the building is commonly referred to was originally built in 1906 with additions in 1910.  This was one of the early buildings at the Greater Charleston Naval Base and was primarily used as a home for the base commander.  The building is in the Officer’s Housing Historic District which is listed on the national register.  Over 100 years old, the building has been ready for an overhaul for quite some time.  Finding the right recipe to fund restoration and establish its new purpose has been guided by the success of SC STRONG.

About SC STRONG

SC STRONG is a nonprofit replicated after the Delancey Street Foundation headquartered in San Francisco.  Delancey Street is considered one of the nation’s leading self-help residential education centers for ex-convicts and former substance abusers.  SC STRONG is a peer-driven model in which the philosophy of “each one, teach one” provides residents with the opportunity to maximize their ability to make a successful transition into society. Prior to graduation, residents earn at least a GED (in collaboration with Trident Literacy) and three marketable skills at no cost to them.  The Noisette Company worked to provide space at the Navy Yard to the organization and their doors opened in 2006.  This space is on property adjacent to Quarters C.  SC STRONG will move into Quarters C once they finish the necessary restoration work.  This addition of new space will provide SC STRONG the ability to turn coed and will increase their enrollment from 28 people to 65.  Once complete, a mix of classrooms, meeting spaces and residential components will fill the building to meet their growing needs.

The construction work began several months ago and is expected to take somewhere under two total years until completion.  The majority of the work is being performed by the SC STRONG organization as many of their members have been trained on the skills necessary for historical restoration.  Chembion Environmental LLC, a Navy Yard tenant conducted the lead based paint stabilization and provided training to SC STRONG.  Funding comes from a diverse group of sources that include city, county, and private funds.

Tying it All Together

The restoration of Quarters C and the success of the SC STRONG organization points to a larger story of community revitalization put forth by the Noisette Master Plan.  In particular SC STRONG’s efforts tie together concepts of “Socially Durable Communities,” “Economic Revitalization,” and “Historic Restoration.”  Local businesses have utilized SC STRONG for a range of services including construction, catering, landscaping, and furniture restoration, generating income that supports their activities.  We look forward to the continued success of SC STRONG.

In other Navy Yard News:

• MD Design is now a Yarder. We welcome MD Design to 10 Storehouse Row!
• Wilbur Smith Associates renewed their lease at 11 Storehouse Row.
• SCS Engineers renewed their lease at 7 Storehouse Row.
• Lowcountry Housing Trust (LHT) moved from 10 Storehouse Row to the Lowcountry Innovation Center (LIC).  LHT started in a 330 sq ft studio office at 10 Storehouse and later moved to a 850 sq ft suite in the same building before seeking a larger space at LIC.
• Lowcountry Orphan Relief announced the date for their Mad Hatter Tea Event for Sunday Feb 27, 2011.

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