College of Charleston Dedicates New Riley Center

The College of Charleston officially dedicated the new offices of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities during a ceremony on March 29, 2018. The Riley Center is housed in the College of Charleston’s new WestEdge building located at 176 Lockwood Blvd. across from Brittlebank Park.

The Center is named after longtime Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, who served 10 terms in office and was one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States before his retirement in 2016.

From left to right, Riley Center Director professor Kendra Stewart, former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, President Glenn McConnell, and current Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. Photos by Michael Adeyanju.

Joining Riley at the ribbon -cutting ceremony was current Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, College of Charleston President Glenn McConnell ’69 and Riley Center Director Kendra Stewart.

Stewart says the move to WestEdge has brought the center’s staff under one roof and offers more space to better support the center’s mission, including community outreach and student engagement. And, the new location includes a larger office for Riley to display the many artifacts, mementos and awards from his 40-plus years in public service.

The Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities was established by the College of Charleston in 2001. The Center works to support the economic and cultural vibrancy of the City of Charleston and other communities throughout South Carolina, the United States and around the world.