James Street, a landmark in Goose Creek. It was built by a local church and has served as a place of worship for decades. The city is now planning to demolish the chapel and replace it with a community center. This decision has sparked controversy, with some residents expressing concerns about the loss of a historical landmark and the potential impact on the community.

The city purchased the site in 2022 with the intention of preserving the chapel, Alexis Kiser, special projects manager, said. “We went through ideas of what our city needs and what we’re lacking that would be good for the community,” Kiser said. “The consensus for the city was an art gallery.” Though the chapel isn’t categorized as historic given its age, “it is a Goose Creek landmark,” Kiser said. The city started down the road to renovate and expand the chapel, but quickly learned it had major structural issues from sitting vacant for so long. In the end, the cost to fix the building was far higher than building a new one in the same architectural style.

The city razed the chapel last week and a new building, bigger and with more accessibility, will be underway soon enough. Kiser said the city is currently wrapping up the permitting process with expectations the project will take four to five months thereafter.