The noise has gotten so bad at a floor of city-rented downtown space that employees are wearing noise-canceling-headphones designed for use on airport runways. And it still isn’t enough.
Even worse, the space has been so cold at times that staff members needed blankets or coats to keep warm.
“Do not hesitate to step outside and take a walk when the noise becomes overwhelming,” City of Charleston Chief of Staff Elizabeth Dieck wrote in an October 2025 email obtained by the Charleston City Paper. It was addressed to city staffers working in the loud office space under renovation…