By Summer Huechtker | July 22, 2020

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The College of Charleston has been working on plans to improve the Albert Simons Center for the Arts for at least four years now.

On Wednesday, the plans will be seeking preliminary approval from the City of Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review.

The City of Charleston Planning Director Jacob Lindsey says portions of the building will be demolished and replaced, including a newly designed structure that will house the theater in the Simons Center. Additionally, Lindsay says the interior of the theater will be re-designed and expanded.

The existing courtyard will be updated and Lindsay says the new parts of the building will frame this newly designed space so the Green Way Street entrance will look completely different at the front.

Lindsey says the changes will give the Simons Center a new, modern face. He adds that the city encourages high style for civic buildings like theaters.

It's important for the city to play a role in this design process because the building is on a public street, along Philip Street, Lindsay says.

Although the Simons Center is a College of Charleston building, many of its art openings and performances are open to the public and it is also used for the Spoleto Festival.

The college says they have been in the planning phases of this re-design with Liollio architects for a number of years, so they hope to get through the approval process as soon as possible.

Though the city’s board of architectural review will be reviewing the designs for the first time Wednesday, Lindsey says they are still months away from the start of construction.

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