Beaufort mayor says new connector links Spanish Moss Trail to downtown, credits CDBG funding

Phil Cromer, mayor of the city of Beaufort, said the city helped fund a new Beaufort Downtown connector that links the Spanish Moss Trail to Bay Street and is now opening to the public.

“It's going to be beneficial to connect to downtown,” Cromer said, calling the Spanish Moss Trail “one of the treasures that we have here in the city of Beaufort.”

Cromer told the Beaufort County Report that the city has participated with the Spanish Moss Trail project, sponsored the Kids in Parks program and contributed funding for the connector. He said the funding came from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that the city secured and provided to Beaufort County to lead the connector work.

The mayor described the Spanish Moss Trail as an approximately 11-mile recreational pathway that residents, families and visitors can use. “The trail is really spectacular. It's 11 miles of a recreational pathway that people can take advantage of,” Cromer said.

Cromer said the connector will make it easier for residents and visitors to walk or bike from the trail directly into downtown Bay Street, increasing access to local shops and attractions. He said the city hopes the trail can be extended farther in the future, including toward Yemassee, and noted that a Port Royal section is slated to open soon.

Cromer also praised the turnout at the connector's grand opening. “We're really impressed with the crowd that's shown up here for the grand opening,” he said.

CDBG funding and the city’s transfer of those funds to the county were described in the interview but no dollar amount was provided. Cromer said the project “took a while” but that city and county partners were pleased to see the connector completed.

The segment closed after the mayor’s remarks; no formal vote or additional city action was recorded during the interview.