in the Charleston area.” West Village consisted of three
anchor areas; the West Beach Park, the Kiawah Inn, and the
Village Service Center. A “water palace” was envisioned as
part of the Inn’s entertainment complex, consisting of both
indoor and outdoor pools, but extending the use of the
water “… to a variety of recreation activities in addition
to swimming …”.
A Transportation Center located on Kiawah Island
Parkway was proposed. The facility would rent automobiles,
electric cars, and bicycles. It would arrange for trips into
Charleston and provide for transportation to other parts
of the island. Across from the Transportation Center was
to be the Village Service Center. The specifics about what
it was to consist of was left fluid, but options included a
supermarket, a hardware store, a discount drug store, and
a junior department store. It would also house a fire station
and an EMS facility, an office park, support and maintenance
facilities for island equipment, and even housing for the
young professionals who worked on the island but couldn’t
afford to live in the more exclusive areas envisioned.
Moving slightly east on the island, to the area today
consisting of Night Heron Park and the Windswept Villas, the
next village planned was the Beach Village. The Beach Village,
as the name implies, was to be centered around the white sand
beach. The heart of the Beach Village was to be its Beach Club,
to include a pool, a restaurant, and a lounge. It would be within
walking distance of the oceanfront resort residential units,
including condominiums. It was also to include a golf course,
WINTER/SPRING 2019 • VOLUME 41
shops, a conference center, and the administrative center.
The Island Center was the third village planned. As its
name implies, it was to be near the middle of the island,
around the area now inhabited by the Turtle Point Clubhouse
and the various villas surrounding it. It was to be centered
around a sports village, including golf, tennis courts, lawn
games, and field sports. It was to include a clubhouse with
a restaurant, a health spa, shower and locker facilities,
and an exercise complex. The Island Center also included
leasable space for offices, a post office, and the Public Safety
Headquarters. The plan included setting land aside for
future development, based on the economics that developed.
A movie theatre and a playhouse were offered as options,
although not to be developed early on.
The Kiawah River Village was the fourth village envisioned.
This area is now known as Rhett’s Bluff, but in the original
plan it would have been positioned before a second security
gate. The second gate was to be placed on what is now
Governor’s Drive, not on Kiawah Island Parkway. Kiawah
River Village was to be anchored by a deep-water marina,
to include a boat repair facility, a marina store, fuel sales,
and dry stack small boat storage. The Kiawah River Village
was to feature a large open space surrounded by a vibrant
commercial area. Housing was envisioned to be higher
density, to include townhomes and over-shop apartments.
The vision relied on a Charleston-type pedestrian experience,
even to the point of hiding parking spaces behind the
buildings and out of sight of visitors.
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