Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
| Joseph P. Riley Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 60th Mayor of Charleston | |
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In office December 15, 1975 – January 11, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur B. Schirmer Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John Tecklenburg |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives |
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In office 1968–1974 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Patrick Riley Jr. January 19, 1943 Charleston, South Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Charlotte |
| Children | Joe Bratton |
| Alma mater |
The Citadel University of South Carolina School of Law |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Joseph Patrick Riley Jr. (born January 19, 1943) is an American politician who was the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. He was one of the longest serving mayors in the United States that is still living, having served 10 terms starting on December 15, 1975 and ending on January 11, 2016.
Riley was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and graduated from The Citadel in 1964, and the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1967. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1968 to 1974.
First elected Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina in December 1975, Riley served for over ten terms. Riley was the city's longest serving executive and second Irish Catholic mayor.
Riley's first major project was pushing the redevelopment of the central business district. City Council approved $12,500 for a feasibility study for a redevelopment plan on June 7, 1977. A Washington, D.C. consulting group recommended that the city should build a large hotel, commercial, and conference center, and the largely vacant 5-acre lot bounded by King, Meeting, Hasell, and Market streets was a prime candidate. In mid-1977, developer Theodore Gould made a proposal for a $40 million project to be known as the "Charleston Center." The conceptual plans called for a 14-story building with a 700-car parking garage, and preservationists came out strongly against the plans. On January 25, 1978, the first of several lawsuits was filed in an effort to scale back the massive size of the project. Work began in 1981 after several legal challenges. On May 16, 1983, revised plans were released showing the building as it would eventually appear: eight stories in the center but only four around the perimeter. When Gould was unable to secure financing, the city replaced him with new backers and renamed the project "Charleston Place." The center opened on September 2, 1986. Its final cost was approximately $75 million.
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