He’s been leading our capital city with a bipartisan coalition of leaders on City Council, a team of professionals throughout his administration, a dedication to customer service that he learned in the restaurant business and an attitude that encourages people here to “follow your passions to make things happen.”
It’s an amazing list of accomplishments – and projects for the future – all of which
can be tied directly to the leadership of Mayor Danny Jones and his team that’s moving Charleston forward:
- $62 million in private sector investment in and around downtown Charleston just since 2012;
- Long term stabilization of the city’s historically underfunded pension systems for police and fire department retirees, which had been rated as the worst funded pension systems in the nation for cities this size);
- Creation and expansion of FestivALL Charleston that has empowered Charleston’s arts community and led to new public art projects throughout the city;
- Other new special events that make Charleston more attractive and fun: Moses Auto Group Live on the Levee, the Charleston Boulevard Rod Run & Doo W*p, Sports Fest with beach volleyball and jet skiing;
- The Schoenbaum Stage and new canopy at Haddad Riverfront Park – the first step of the riverfront development master plan;
- Appalachian Power Park, which kept professional baseball in Charleston;
- Reformation of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau into the largest marketing force for conventions, conference, meetings and special events in our West Virginia’s capital city;
- Development of the Imagine Charleston comprehensive plan and downtown redevelopment plan with widespread community involvement in and support;
- Creation of two Main Street programs to promote business development, commercial opportunities and special events in the heart of Charleston’s East End and West Side;
- $98 million invested in private and public sector financing to transform affordable housing in the city and improve the housing stock in crucial neighborhoods;
- Effective management of the city’s employee health care program to hold down costs and promote wellness;
- Renovation of the old Roosevelt School into a vibrant community center in the East End;
- Free swimming at city pools;
- Improvement of neighborhoods through balanced enforcement of building codes and demolition of 910 decaying homes and buildings – most of them on the West Side;
- Restoration of the street paving program and $18.5 million in paved streets and street maintenance projects in 11 years;
- $123 million invested in new wastewater treatment facilities and lines by the Charleston Sanitary Board;
- Partnerships with the University of Charleston involving UC athletics, the Graduate School of Business downtown, and School of Pharmacy’s Pharm UC program;
- Two new elementary schools to serve students on Charleston’s West Side;
- Major events that put Charleston on the map as a host city for world class events, including the 2008 World’s Strongest Man Competition, two World Championship Chili Cookoffs, Biggest Loser Run/Walk, and 2014 Hot Rod Power Tour that brought more than 3,000 cars and more visitors to our city and many more
PENDING PROJECTS TOWARD MORE PROGRESS:
- $70 million project to transform the Civic Center into a convention center that will attract new visitors to Charleston and new money into our economy;
- The innovative EDGE project to attract young professionals to affordable downtown living and get them invested in Charleston’s future;
- Renovation of Slack Plaza into public space that will be more welcoming for all people to use and enjoy;
- New bike and walking lanes along the Boulevard on the West Side of Charleston;
- The new West Invest program to improve housing and increase the presence of police officers in West Side neighborhoods;
- Completion of the redevelopment of Littlepage Terrace into a modern, attractive complex.
