Defending My Favorite Watering Hole!

 

Charleston’s Dewberry Hotel on Meeting Street across from historic Marion Square is an excellent example of successful real estate repurposing. The original structure was built in the 1960s as a federal building housing offices most of us would rather avoid such as the FBI and IRS. (I went there to interview an FBI official for a news story I did at Channel 5 TV back in the early 1990s). 

That building was closed and evacuated in the 1990s due to dangerous asbestos problems. After a really long time vacant the Dewberry Hotel opened several years ago. 

A real drawing card for people staying and not staying in the fine rooms here is the rooftop Citrus Club. A few weeks ago Alesia and I took there our friends from Virginia, Rodger and Tina Slate (see them above). 

Eight stories high on top of the Dewberry Hotel the Citrus Club offers majestic views of Charleston’s historic district and the sunset views from up there are very special. To me, it is easily one of Charleston's coolest places and most romantic too! 

I took this photo with my iPhone. The church on the left is St. Matthew’s Lutheran and the pinkish building in the foreground is the Embassy Suites hotel made from the bones of the original Military College of South Carolina (The Citadel today). 

We were fortunate to get to the rooftop just before the 6:40 p.m. or so sunset. We had a great time having a drink at the Citrus Club and enjoying the sunset and festive atmosphere before our dinner several blocks away at 82 Queen (delicious!).  it was a great night with all of us having a super time on a gorgeous October evening. 

So I was taken aback a few days later when I opened the Post and Courier to see this article (below) that suggested the Citrus Club may be forced to close. Why? There has been an ongoing dispute between the Dewberry Hotel and city zoning officials. The rub seems to be that the rooftop nightspot was opened before all the proper zoning permits were granted. 

The Dewberry, for a few years, has been protected by a court ruling but the new news is that an appeals court reversed that previous ruling. 

And now the Citrus Club may have to close? WT-heck?

Well, this got me fired up so I fired off a letter to the editor, which I have done a few times over the years when something of public interest and concern gets me riled. 

I sent my dazzling sunset picture (shown above) with my emailed letter to the editor. When I read the paper this past Monday there was my letter sans the awesome photo.

I kept it short and to the point. We will see what happens. 

My family has fond memories of the Dewberry Hotel. The latest visit with our Virginia friends only enhanced it.

We took our boys there last year after Thanksgiving and they could tell we liked the place so much that they treated their Mom (and me) to a night’s stay at this really nice hotel for her birthday in December. 

I did a blog post about that fun weekend…of course. Check out that post here that I headlined "Downtown Delight: The Dewberry Hotel." 

What can be done and seen in one day and night in Charleston!  

I don't think the Citrus Club will have to close. To me the zoning dispute seems silly. Read by letter and see if you agree!  (few from our Dewberry Hotel room below).