The City of Charleston released the following statement on the demolition of 52 Cooper Street:
"What happened at 52 Cooper Street is a loss, and we understand the pain and anger in the community right now. This was a sacred place, tied to generations of families on the Eastside and to Charleston’s African American history.
"The City is now conducting a full review of how this unfolded, including if the conditions of the demolition permit were kept.
"What is already clear is that our own process has gaps, and those are ours to fix. A demolition of a historic structure should never reach this point without the surrounding neighborhood being brought in first. We are committing to change that.
"The City will guarantee meaningful public notice before any historic structure can be demolished. We are moving forward with a funded survey of downtown’s historic buildings to better understand what we have. And we are adding a measure of cultural significance to how these decisions are made, so a building’s meaning to the community is weighed, not just its condition.
"None of this undoes what was lost. But we owe this community the truth about what happened and a process that honors places like this one. We intend to deliver both."