Dorchester County Library on the Ashley River

On June 4, 2024, Dorchester County Council hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the newly constructed Library on the Ashley River, located at 2824 Bacons Bridge Road, Summerville. The library was funded through the Library Bond Referendum passed in 2019. The ceremony marked the official opening of this 20,000 square foot facility, situated across from Ashley River Park, which will serve the county's fastest-growing community.

North Charleston Library

The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the North Charleston Library branch took place on August 18, 2023, at 10:00 AM. Despite delays caused by weather affecting the parking lot construction, the library officially opened to the public on August 28, 2023.

This project began years ago due to population growth, which highlighted the need for expanded library services. In 2013, Dorchester County, the City of North Charleston, and Dorchester District Two jointly purchased 13.67 acres to build a combined public library and media center for Fort Dorchester High School. Funding for the construction was secured through a 2019 bond referendum, with strong community support.

The new facility includes a 5,000-square-foot media center and a 10,000-square-foot public library. It features study rooms, meeting spaces, and a flexible multi-use room for programs, a STEAM lab, a maker's space, and story hours.

The project was completed with an overall budget of $6.2 million, including $1.1 million from Dorchester District 2.

Downtown Summerville Library

This project entails replacing the existing Summerville Branch Library with a +/-15,000 square foot library in close proximity to Summerville’s Downtown area. The current branch location is very limited in space and parking. With expanded library facilities and services, the number of visitors is expected to increase to 1,400/day. Design ideas for the new branches include classrooms, computer centers, event rooms, and private study rooms. 

McMillan, Pazdan, Smith Architecture serves as prime consultant for the design and engineering of this project.

As of 2024, the County has identified potential parcels in the Gum St. area which are under
internal review. 

Proposed renderings of the Downtown Summerville Library are above.

Ridgeville Library

The County plans to establish a +/-10,000 square foot library near the town of Ridgeville. This facility will provide library services to one of the County's emerging communities, which currently enjoys the benefits of close proximity to the Volvo assembly plant, the new Wal-Mart Distribution Center, and major thoroughfares. 200 - 300 people per day are expected to take advantage of the Library facilities and materials.                                                                            

2022

Discussions continue with Town of Ridgeville regarding the use of a town-owned facility to house the library.

2023

MOU has been drafted for the Town of Ridgeville's review and will be brought to County Council for approval.

2024

County Council approved the MOU with the Town of Ridgeville for a joint facility. A
meeting was held with the Town of Ridgeville to review the layout of the existing Town
Hall in early July.