CofC is a step closer to building a dorm atop a cemetery after getting an initial OK on designs By Kailey Cota Aug 31, 2026 Updated 13 hrs ago CHARLESTON — The College of Charleston can advance its controversial plans to build a freshman residence hall, even though it doesn’t know exactly what lies underneath the Coming Street site, a city board decided.
The Board of Architectural Review’s unanimous vote on Aug. 31 reversed the decision it made earlier this summer, when it had requested the College of Charleston defer seeking conceptual approval until it gathered more information about what is underground.
The site is believed to be the final resting place for thousands of people, including free and enslaved people of African descent who could have been some of the last people forced into the country during the final years of the transatlantic slave trade.
Excavating the site could be the only way to determine if the historic integrity of the burial ground remains intact. The findings could influence the building’s height, scale and mass, the board said during its July 8 meeting.
The college did not acquire additional archeological information before it resubmitted a slightly altered application. The design process should be allowed to proceed in parallel with the archeological fact-finding process, representatives from the college and Liollio Architecture argued on Aug. 31.
“We believe we can honor the history of the site, treat its past with the dignity that it deserves, and at the same time, create housing that serves our students and strengthens the surrounding community,” President Andrew Hsu said at the meeting. The board ultimately agreed — with some conditions.
Archaeologists must determine what remains are present before the college submits a separate application for the design of space that will commemorate the burial ground and the former headquarters of the YWCA.
The design of the commemorative spaces and the rest of the building must both be finalized before a construction permit can be issued, the board said.
There’s agreement that the college desperately needs more places to accommodate students without negatively impacting quality of life for the city’s other residents, but the plan to build a 600-bed residence hall at this site has prompted fierce backlash from some community members.
More than 30 people submitted public comments ahead of the meeting. All but three requested the board to uphold the decision it had made in July.
“We have a responsibility to listen to what the land is telling us and to honor those who came before us,” WiBi Ashley wrote in a public comment. “Let the ground speak first.”
The college’s application calls for a 136,483-square-foot, mixed-use building that’s shorter by the streets and taller in the center. The bottom floor would include public spaces, while student dorms would be on the other levels.
The design submitted in August removed plans to build a grab-and-go adjacent to the commemorative space, which opponents had decried as inappropriate. A public gallery and student learning facility were proposed in place.
The plan is thoughtful, appropriate to the setting and worthy of moving forward, Hsu said.
The updated application also included an archeological work plan that was developed in May. That lays out what would happen if human remains are discovered, and is “framed around mitigation and stewardship,” Liollio Architecture’s Jay White said at the meeting.
“We are committed to treating any remains with the dignity and the respect that they deserve,” Hsu said.
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