The idea of the museum was initiated by former Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr.[3] The city had previously sold the land to a restaurateur, but after construction on the site discovered traces of Gadsden's Wharf, Riley decided to repurchase the land.[4]
The construction budget of the museum is $75 million. Joe Riley raised money for the project as a private citizen. The $25 million private donation goal was met in 2018.[4] The South Carolina General Assembly delayed a $25 million contribution to the project, which delayed construction of the 40,000-square-foot facility.
The city of North Charleston donated $1 million to the project. Keith Sumney, the mayor of North Charleston, stated that he hoped the museum would include an exhibit on Liberty Hill, a historically black neighborhood in North Charleston.[5]
The design architect is Harry Cobb, of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, working in collaboration with Moody Nolan architectural firm of Columbus, Ohio; the exhibition designer is Ralph Appelbaum Associates and the landscape designer is Walter Hood, of Oakland, California.[6] The museum will be built on the Cooper River, with a view towards Fort Sumter and out to the Atlantic Ocean.[3][7]