NORTH CHARLESTON — It’s been a decade since the gymnasium on the former Navy Base was demolished, leaving nearby residents without an indoor recreation space. But a long-awaited center on Carner Avenue now fills the gap.
The $6.8 million North Charleston Community Wellness Center, funded by the States Ports Authority, includes a gymnasium, fully-equipped fitness center and meeting space for community gatherings, said Laura Clifton, the public relations manager with SPA.
Located in the city’s south end, the new center is next to the Carner Avenue Senior Center, which opened at the end of 2024, and near planned baseball fields funded through a partnership between the city, The Sandlot Initiative and Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
Councilman Michael Brown, who represents the district, said that only recently have community spaces begun opening in the southern end. He said the center’s location provides access to all the nearby neighborhoods, like Union Heights, Chicora-Cherokee and Accabee.
“When you think about it, there was nothing there before,” he said.
New North Charleston community center offers recreation center in city’s south end Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in North Charleston.
Grace Beahm Alford/Staff
Sterrett Hall, the old gymnasium and auditorium on Reynolds Avenue, was torn down to make way for a rail yard to support the nearby port terminal. The Navy Base Intermodal Facility will use trucks to move containers between ships and rail cars on 118 acres near the Hugh Leatherman Terminal, a project first started by Palmetto Railways, then taken over by the SPA.
Plans to mitigate the impacts of the rail yard by replacing the recreation center have been in the works since 2016.
“The Port made a promise and they kept their promise,” said Skip Mikell, president of the Union Heights Community Council. “We’re grateful for that.”
Throughout the planning process, SPA engaged residents and community groups for feedback, including Chicora-Cherokee Neighborhood Association, the Union Heights Community Council and nonprofits Metanoia and the Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities, Clifton said.
“Having a dialogue with those groups let them guide the process and help the Port to better understand what was needed from this facility,” she said.
Mayor Reggie Burgess said the the center is going to provide a tremendous benefit for the residents there. Now that its open, ownership of the property transitioned to the city from SPA. The city’s Recreation Department will maintain the building.
Mikell said the community’s basketball league now has a permanent place to play, instead of traveling to different recreation centers in the city. He said residents will benefit from having a place to exercise.
On Feb. 26, the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting will be at the new center to celebrate its opening and be part of Burgess’ initiative to bring city government to residents. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at 2920 Carner Avenue.
