CLEMSON – The last lawsuit standing in the way of Clemson’s newest student housing project has been dropped, clearing the way for the city’s tallest project.
Keowee Trail LLC, the original landowners of the Hub Clemson project, sued the city of Clemson in 2021 for repeatedly delaying development on their land along Keowee Trail. It has now sold the six parcels to Core Spaces, a Chicago-based student housing developer, for $9.2 million.
The lawsuit was ever-present throughout the planning process for The Hub, even though all parties agreed to virtually pause it while the Planning Commission, the public, the City Council and city staff asked questions of the developers.
At the heart of the years-long battle were allegations of nepotism and a change in the city’s freedom of information policy.
In April, the City Council voted 4-3 to build the “Hub Clemson,” leading to calls to drop the lawsuit.
However, nearby businesswoman Kimberly Parnell filed a new lawsuit on May 14, delaying the project again. That lawsuit was dropped on July 24.
This week, Keowee Trail’s lawsuit against the city was dropped and the sale was recorded on Aug. 22, Pickens County records show, clearing the final hurdle for the 1,325-bed project across from lakefront Abernathy Park.
Local residents strongly opposed the hub during the planning process, claiming its size was inappropriate and would impact on the use of the park.
Keowee Trail LLC is comprised of a local developer and two family members of Clemson University President Jim Clements. Residents pointed to the connection and the lack of new housing on campus as cause for suspicion.
Clements had a university spokesman deny any involvement in the project.
Other residents sought answers through the Freedom of Information Act, saying the pieces of the puzzle didn’t fit together and something was missing from the public meetings about the hub.
After further outcry over the heavily redacted emails, the city finally posted them online and updated its FOIA policy on August 26.
