[3] Mayor Gaillard appointed a special committee to investigate the possibility of building a convention center in Charleston on December 30, 1963 made of members of City Council and the public.

[5] Mayor Gaillard asked Charleston County Council to contribute $1 million toward the project, an amount which would reduce the bond issuance.

[7] A special committee with three City Council members and four citizens studied several issues including the ideal location for the new auditorium.

[9] In the final report, the committee rejected the idea of placing the new complex east of the Old Citadel because there would be inadequate space.

[citation needed] The opening, planned for early 2015 in time for the city's Spoleto Festival,[10] was delayed by six months due to budgetary overages.

When it first opened, the contemporary Gaillard Auditorium was a symbol of ambition for Charleston's economic prosperity, cultural growth, status, and civic pride.