Friends of Plymouth Park
The Friends of Plymouth Park is a local group of neighbors and community members working together in
partnership with the Charleston Parks Conservancy and the City of Charleston’s Parks Department to revitalize
and develop this free community space, with the goal of fostering community and child wellbeing at Plymouth
Park in Riverland Terrace. The mission of our group is to cultivate and modernize this centrally located
Lowcountry space where all members of the community can gather, enjoy the outdoors, and find respite in the
tranquility of the waterfront. The neighborhood of Riverland Terrace is centrally located on James Island
adjacent to John’s Island, West Ashley and Downtown Charleston, drawing diverse community members from
all socio‐economic backgrounds who seek an area to play, exercise, gather, and enjoy the outdoors.
The Friends of Plymouth Park envision a park where the community can enjoy the beautiful Lowcountry
landscape and spend time together outdoors. It will be a place where children can play and explore. A place
where families and friends can gather for special occasions. A place where everyone can spend time outside and
take a breath of fresh air. Plymouth Park will be a place where all members of the community can find respite
after a long day, enjoy playing and exercising, and have the opportunity to admire the tranquility of the
waterfront.
After almost 30 years of rigorous (and lovingly enthusiastic) wear and tear, Plymouth Park is falling into an
unfortunate state of disrepair. Several pieces of playground equipment have become worn out and are now a
safety concern. The playground will only continue to deteriorate as it ages, jeopardizing an essential asset in the
community, which is so vital to our children’s health and development. Due to erosion, the waterfront benches
are no longer safe to use for fishing, reading, or watching the sunset. Without significant financial resources, it
will be impossible to restore this invaluable community treasure.
While we have an existing playground, the equipment is well past its prime and becoming unsafe. The area
surrounding the playground is overgrown and underutilized. There is limited space for members of the
community to use the park due to lack of parking, unsecure fencing, and crumbling infrastructure. Out of over
500 residents surveyed, an overwhelming 95% agree that improvements are needed at Plymouth Park and
support our efforts to make this a reality.
The Friends of Plymouth Park Community Revitalization effort has gained tremendous community support over
the past three years, with advocacy from Mayor Tecklenburg, Councilman Ross Appel and The Riverland Terrace
Neighborhood Association, but additional financial support is critical in order to meet our $375,000 goal. If the
Friends of Plymouth Park can meet its $375,000 fundraising goal, the City of Charleston has generously agreed
to allocate $585,000 to Plymouth Park in order to bring the vision to life.
In partnership with the City of Charleston and the Charleston Parks Conservancy we spent two years developing
the plans for Plymouth Park in order to bring our vision to life. We plan to replace the existing playground
equipment with new, more accessible and age‐appropriate play areas. In doing so, we will also reconfigure the
layout of the park to make it safer and more accessible to everyone. We plan to clean up the vegetation along
the waterfront to provide long‐range views of the waterway and the glorious sunsets over the Stono River. We
also plan to incorporate the underutilized areas of the park by adding walking paths, sensory experiences,
exercise stations, water fountains, secure fencing and indigenous landscaping.
The proposed budget for improvements to Plymouth Park includes the following:
• Creating an enhanced and updated playground with a special area for older children
• Updating the fence around the playground for added safety
• Adding beautiful landscaping
• Updating and adding more seating and picnic areas for community gatherings
• Enhancing the public space along the waterway
• Improving parking and accessibility
• Adding a restroom and water fountain
The value of public outdoor spaces has never been greater. The growth of the Charleston region has been
unprecedented over the past decade and is only expected to continue in the years ahead. Since the pandemic
began, the need for public space has become more critical to everyone. Although the worst of the pandemic is
behind us, the need for access to public parks has not waned. The pandemic renewed our desire to be outdoors,
and with the ever‐increasing development and growth in the region, providing access to the waterfront has
become more critical than ever.
While downtown Charleston benefits from free, expansive outdoor spaces such as Hampton Park, there is a
scarcity of parks west of the peninsula that are have ample greenspace, integrate age‐appropriate areas for
older children and youth, and offer covered gathering spaces for families. The sole exception in James Island,
West Ashley and John’s Island is the James Island County Park, which is not free to the public.
Plymouth Park can and should be a place for all members of the community to come exercise in the shade of
the ancient oaks, play with friends, admire the native flora and fauna, enjoy lunch by the water, watch the boats
cruise along the waterway, and unwind with the sunset. It will be a place of fun, relaxation and respite for all.
