Lawsuit aims to block Aiken redevelopment project

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Six residents and several organizations filed a lawsuit against the Project Pascalis downtown redevelopment project in Aiken, claiming the plans violate several laws.

We’ve combed through the lawsuit to break down what you need to know.

Project Pascalis would renovate the heart of the city and it’s been the subject of a lot of public .

Now a lawsuit claims from the start of the project until now, it’s violated multiple Aiken city ordinances and four state acts.

Among those named as defendants were Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon, of the Aiken City Council, the Aiken Municipal Development Commission, and others.

Hotel Aiken is at the center of it all. The lawsuit claims the hotel is listed as a historic site, and any application to tear it down should be denied.

It claims in March 2022, there were no major structural issues with the hotel, and it could be reused.

It goes on to say Project Pascalis also violated South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act due to the lack of transparency with the project. The defendants have 30 days to respond.

The next public hearing is July 11. They typically talk about legal matters in an executive session behind closed doors, so we’ll keep you posted with what we hear.

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