Sullivan's needs $1.96M to buy warehouse, dock

Sullivan's Island will have another year to come up with almost $2 million to purchase a state-owned warehouse and dock property situated behind Town Hall.

The State Budget and Control Board voted unanimously Tuesday to accept an offer from the town to purchase the vacant buildings.

The town's offer is contingent on selling another piece of property to the federal government. Sen. Lindsey Graham hopes to secure federal funds to purchase Battery Logan, an unused structure on Station 16 near Fort Moultrie. Proceeds from that sale would then be used to purchase the former military warehouse and quartermaster dock station for $1.96 million. The town has until March 2009 to come up with funds.

The town hopes to use the warehouse as a public meeting facility and for additional office space, and to restore the dock to provide public access to the marshlands.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control once used the warehouse and the town had prepared to lease some space for storage before the state made the decision to auction the buildings.

The state has come down on the property's price since first preparing it for sale. The buildings were originally appraised at $2.8 million, but that value was based on the ability to demolish the dock and warehouse, which isn't allowed by town laws.

Currently, both parcels are on the island's list of historic resources so they cannot be destroyed. If the town can purchase the property it would restore both properties for some type of public use.