"Sometime in the spring of next year we'll begin to have some idea of what the future might look like," said Glen Kilgore, who lives in Beaufort.
"We won't have a final, final, final plan, but one will begin to take shape," he said, adding that the ports authority will be working in concert with the town of Port Royal as the site plan comes together.
A Ports Authority-issued market study of the local port has been completed, bringing the redevelopment of the state's 22 acres along Battery Creek one step closer to fruition.
Kilgore said the market study mentions that mixed uses -- including apartments, single-family homes, hotels and restaurants -- could be possible on the property, but did not give any specific recommendations. The study is not a plan, but rather a look at the housing market and other demographics of Beaufort County and Port Royal intended to familiarize the authority's board with the area.
"There's no, 'Here's what the plan looks like,' " Kilgore said.
The port's redevelopment has been a hot topic among local, county and state officials since Gov. Mark Sanford said in July that the state should shutter the Port Royal terminal, which lost about $58,000 last year.
But before the property can be sold or redeveloped, state lawmakers must authorize the port's closure, ongoing contracts at the terminal must be dealt with and possible engineering or environmental concerns must be addressed, Kilgore said.
"It's a complex process," he said. "We have some challenges in front of us."
Port Royal Town Manager Van Willis, who traveled to Charleston on Tuesday for the authority's board of directors meeting, said he knew the market study was done, but had not yet seen a copy.
"I was told they will be distributing them to us (after board members have gone over them)," Willis said. "It's quite voluminous, so probably it will take some time."
Port Royal has issued its own requests for port redevelopment proposals, and Willis has said he's been contacted by developers from across the country. Those proposals are due to Willis by 5 p.m. today.
At Tuesday's meeting in Charleston, the board also ordered an appraisal of the railroad right of way between Port Royal and Yemassee. Rail service along the tracks ended in November, and Beaufort County Council members have expressed interest in turning the rail bed into a hiking and biking trail.
Appraisal of the rail bed is an important step toward a possible sale to the county, Kilgore said.