Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority

Charleston County Council voted 5-3 on Aug. 27 to authorize the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) to use eminent domain to acquire six acres of the 180-acre Coastal Carolina Fair property along Highway 78. CARTA plans to build a park-and-ride lot there for its planned $625 million Lowcountry Rapid Transit bus system, and says the site is essential to securing $374 million in federal grant funding. The county had approved the move once before in April, but a judge ordered a revote in June. The Exchange Club, which owns the fairgrounds, has fought the taking since 2024, arguing it would cost the fair parking revenue and set a troubling precedent.

Council members with CARTA board ties voted in favor without recusing, prompting conflict-of-interest objections from Exchange Club representatives. One councilmember, running for Congress, abstained citing an exchange club membership. Opponents questioned whether the federal funding would materialize under the Trump administration. The fair, set to run Oct. 28, relies on the disputed lot for roughly 900 parking spaces.