Project Pascalis stopped by Aiken Municipal Development Commission

Matthew Christian, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·1 min read

Sep. 29—Project Pascalis has been stopped by the Aiken Municipal Development Commission.

The commission voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to stop the project, declaring the purchase and sale agreement signed with RPM Development Partners null and void and canceling the redevelopment plan so that the commission can follow the South Carolina Development Law.

The project was a $75 million redevelopment effort involving the block surrounded by Laurens Street, Richland Avenue, Newberry Street and Park Avenue.

The Project Pascalis plan called for the demolition of the vacant Hotel Aiken and a building next to it on Laurens Street and the construction of a 100-room hotel in their place. The Holley House and several buildings located between it and Newberry Street, including most of the former C.C. Johnson Drug Store, would be demolished to make way for an apartment complex and parking garage. The city's former municipal building would be expanded into a conference center.

The project had been the subject of community pushback including a lawsuit filed on July 5.

The commission began its special-called meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, and the commission entered into executive session for before exiting executive session and taking the vote.

Editor's note: This is breaking news. Check back with Aiken Standard as this article will be updated with more details from today's meeting.