just turn them both into the Champs-Elysees of Columbia.

thanks for the update pics. my girlfriend works by the Bar Conference Center...which i can't wait to attend a conference at one day.

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I totally agree concerning Gervais and Assembly. I think you can make both streets more Main Street-like without significantly diminishing vehicle capacity, especially Assembly with its 4 lanes in each direction and all of them very wide. For Gervais, the sidewalks should be widened, the lanes narrowed a bit, the crosswalks enhanced, and the landscaping enhanced with planters, etc. The good thing about Assembly is that it's wide enough to eventually accommodate future rail-based transit, like a streetcar or light rail someday (I can see the former over the latter in the short-term).

On Assembly dont forget about the four rows of parking. I cant understand why parking is needed in the center of Assembly. As many parking garages going up in Cola's skyline.. on street parking should be eliminated. THough this is the south and we hate parking in garages unless we just have to. I agree the sidewalks along Gervais should be widen given the level of pedestrian traffic. It also would allow street vendors to set up (assuming the City allows it) during special events..without closing the street.

I would do as LSyd has suggested and take them out and make a wider sidewalk in the center with benches etc. If a Light Rail/Trolley comes into the cards.. that could be added it there as well. To expect someone to walk through four lanes of traffic and four rows of park cars to cross the street is absurd (yes Im jaywalking). I know all the Gamecock fans love Assembly to get down to the games but I think that SCDOT could widen Shop Rd and make then use I-77, Bluff, Shop, and Huger Street..though we would certainly welcome them downtown to visit the Vista.. but not just to drive through it...:cheers:

Yes, the center lane parking along Assembly is atrocious. As LSyd suggested, Assembly could very well be Columbia's version of Champs-Elysees with the right vision and correct planning. Lord knows there's enough room.

THis is probably a good thing for the area.. though most of the customers will likely be hospital patients/family. There used to be a No Tell Ho Tell next door to this site. It believe it became an office building by simply converting the rooms into offices. Hopefully this one will fare much better

http://www.thestate.com/business/story/1072858.html

18-story Main & Gervais office tower set to open (http://www.thestate.com/154/story/1085954.html)
Developers say it could be the last new high-rise building for some time

By JEFF WILKINSON - jwilkinson@thestate.com

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2009/12/26/18/1553.embedded.prod_affiliate.74.JPG

When the new 18-story Main & Gervais tower opens on Monday, it will mark the zenith of a building boom unmatched in Columbia since Sherman's troops got tricky with matches.

The $60 million building is the third office tower to open on "South Carolina's Main Street" in the past five years and crests a decade-long wave of new construction that has reshaped the capital city's downtown.

And the modern, wedge-shaped glass building at the corner of Main and Gervais streets puts an exclamation point on arguably the city's more prominent power location - directly across the street from the State House.

"It's an extraordinary location and an extraordinary building," said Terry Brown, chief executive officer of Columbia-based firm Edens & Avant, one of the nation's leading shopping center owners and operators. "We're going to be there for a long time."

But while the building represents a new start for co-owners and occupants Edens & Avant, National Bank of South Carolina and the McNair Law Firm, it could represent the final hurrah for what Mayor Bob Coble termed "Columbia's Renaissance."

Main & Gervais developer John Holder of Atlanta predicts that no substantial new buildings will go up anytime soon because of the recession and banks' unwillingness to loan money for new projects.

"I can't see anything new being built," he said.

Holder Properties was the developer of the 18-story Meridian Building just down Main Street from Main & Gervais, as well as the Adesso condominium building on south Main and the Aspyre apartment complex on Assembly Street.

Holder said he plans no other new projects here in the foreseeable future.

"We need to sell a few more condos in Adesso," he said. "We need to get into our main market for Aspyre in the spring. And we've got our hands full getting these people in Main & Gervais and making them happy."

Holder said the market now in Columbia will be rehabilitating older buildings while labor and materials are cheap.

OFFICE SPACE

And there will be plenty of office space to rehab.

SCANA Corp.'s departure from the Palmetto Center on Main Street to a new facility in Cayce freed up a full one-tenth of the 4.6 million square feet of downtown office space - downtown defined as the Congaree River to Harden Street, Elmwood Avenue to Blossom Street.

And the three firms moving in the 205,000 square feet of space in the Main & Gervais building will empty more offices in the NBSC, Bank of America Plaza and Wilbur Smith buildings.

The empty Palmetto Center and the opening of the Meridian and First Citizens buildings have driven occupancy rates down to 78.4 percent - the lowest rate in years, said David Lockwood, with Colliers Keenan commercial real estate firm. When Main & Gervais is fully occupied next year, that rate is expected to drop to 71.6 percent.

The office occupancy rate peaked in 2002 at about 91 percent.

However, leasing rates have remained stable at $22 per square foot for the best and newest office space, according to Colliers Keenan.

"This is a very affordable market," Lockwood said, who noted that office space in suburban Charleston rents for about $27 a square foot. The best office space in downtown Charleston rents for $28.5 per square foot, in downtown Greenville for $21.5 a square foot.

"A lot of new companies will be looking to move to downtown Columbia. But they are flying under the radar. We now have a lot of different rates and a lot of different styles.

"The good news for (building) owners is that nobody is building anything," Lockwood said. But new tenants are "going to want to see new paint and a modern look in the older buildings."

'SO DIFFERENT'

The modern Main & Gervais tower is quite a departure from the more traditional, rectangular structures around it.

The three corporate partners trusted Holder on the design.

"We worked long and hard with the architect," Holder said. "It was important to have something that was modern and had the views. It's so different from everyone else; that's how we make our statement."

Chuck Garnett, president and chief executive of NBSC, said, "We really trusted John's judgment. He's got a great track record, and it worked out very nice."

The building is angular, with a fourth-story corner balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer spectacular views of the State House and the rest of the city from Williams-Brice Stadium to the Lake Murray dam.

The tower has a two-story lobby, nine stories of offices and five stories of parking. The ground floor also will be home to an upscale restaurant and a fitness center, Holder said.

The building sits next to the state's tallest tower, the 25-story Capitol Center, formerly the Affinity or SouthTrust building, along Gervais Street.

Main & Gervais was designed by Durham, N.C.-based Duda Paine Architects. The firm has designed award-winning projects across the country, including the Frost Bank Tower in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta's Terminus condo and retail complex.

Agreeing to the design "wasn't a difficult decision at all," said David Tigges, McNair Law Firm chief executive, during a tour of the building earlier this month.

"We wanted a freshness, something new. We still have the history across the street," he said. referring to the State House.

STICKING WITH MAIN STREET

Edens & Avant, with 130 employees, will occupy the first three floors of the building above the lobby. Employees are expected to be in the new digs starting Monday.

The firm is currently in the Bank of America Plaza on Main Street, which the firm developed three decades ago. But unlike SCANA, Edens & Avant didn't entertain thoughts of leaving downtown, CEO Brown said.

"We would never consider not being part of the urban core," he said. "Being on Main Street is really important to us, and that's where our employees want to be. (The building) will help create a unique cluster of activity in the central business district."

The new space will feature an open floor plan for better interaction between employees and managers, and it is expected to meet LEED standards for energy efficiency, the company said.

The five stories of parking will be located in the center of the building above Edens & Avant.

NBSC will occupy three floors above the parking decks. Its 95 employees will move in by mid-March.

The bank is moving from the building that now bears its name. It sits next to the new tower on Main.

In addition to its three office floors, it will have a branch in the lobby of the new building.

"It's one of the most high-profile corners in the entire state," CEO Garnett said. "It's a location that can serve our company long term."

The McNair firm's staff of 142 people will occupy the top three floors beginning in July. It now is in the Wilbur Smith & Associates building, at Gervais and Sumter streets.

"The firm has always operated at the intersection of business and government," McNair's chief operating officer, John Currie, said during the recent tour. "And now that's where we are physically, as well."

Reach Wilkinson at (803) 771-8495.


About the office tower

Some facts about Main Street's newest office tower:

18: Number of stories

18: Number of months to build

175: Average number of construction workers on site daily

367: Number of employees building will house

538: Number of parking spaces

1,313: Tons of steel

2,352: Pieces of glass

17,124: Cubic yards of concrete poured

95,000: Linear feet of wiring

205,000: Square footage of office space

417,182: Total square footage

$60 million: Project cost

SOURCE: Holder Properties

Happy New Year!!!!

I'm curious specifically if those two side by side antique stores on Gervais that have been on market for a long long time now. Maybe they'll reduce the price enough for a buyer to step in and redevelop them, lotta sq footage there.

Only thing I remember development-wise is that Mast General Store going on Main Street. could open in the Fall or in Spring of 2011.

While I really dislike the architectural design (exterior, at least) of the new T@M&G, it does add something "different" to the skyline, which is good. It is also very good to see additional occupied office and retail space in the city center.

^^ yeah, the building is, ok. i'd had loved it more if it were twice as tall. and i say that not just because for the sake of height. i just think the tower's design would have had a better look that way. that, and we'd have a new tallest in columbia. :D

While I really dislike the architectural design (exterior, at least) of the new T@M&G, it does add something "different" to the skyline, which is good. It is also very good to see additional occupied office and retail space in the city center.

yeah right, if it was built in Greenville you'd be all over it ;)

i like it, i just wish it was taller.

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yeah right, if it was built in Greenville you'd be all over it ;)

i like it, i just wish it was taller.

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yeah, and i wish that the Meridian was taller, too. that tower's design would have greatly benefited from a taller stance, imho.

Well I'm sure if it was built in brighter economic times they could've tacked on 10 more stories easily. As is though building is compeletly occupied which is a plus . Next boom though, I can see a skyscraper being put up further down Main, and maybe that'll be the city's new signature building.

What lot or part of specific property would you think that new signature tower would rise at? And where would you, personally, like to see Columbia's new signature tower rise? :)

^i want to see it on sumter street so it rises up in the middle of the current skyline...and leads to a Sumter street revival.

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^^ Nice. I get where you're talking about. Yeah, that would be sweet. Let's go talk to the columbia skyline aesthetics organization! :D ;)

^^ Nice. I get where you're talking about. Yeah, that would be sweet. Let's go talk to the columbia skyline aesthetics organization! :D ;)

LOL re Cola Skyline Aesthetics Org
Yah Sumter would be fine, as long as it's visible from the Finley park lookout, that would really tie everything together. And if it towers over everything else I'm sure it'd end up getting nicknamed The Big C

yeah right, if it was built in Greenville you'd be all over it ;)

i like it, i just wish it was taller.

-Actually, I would be equally disappointed in its architectural design (perhaps even moreso) if the tower had been proposed and constructed in Greenville. The exterior is a bit odd, yet uninspiring in my opinion. "Odd" does not always equate to lasting beauty.

You may have forgotten the fact that I am a huge fan of the First Citizens Bank tower in Columbia, although it would have been better if built taller and included street-level retail/restaurant space. Now that is a building design to be jealous of. :)

^i want to see it on sumter street so it rises up in the middle of the current skyline...and leads to a Sumter street revival.

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Sumter Street would be nice.. as it seems now.. Sumter Street is the home of some of Columbia's largest parking facilities..many have sky walks which keep people off the streets. The newest one will have retail and the bottom and people actually have to exit the garage to get anywhere.. so maybe that will start the trend of populating the street. I used to think all the skywalks in that section of town around the Hospital and the Palmetto Center were kinda cool.. A southern version of Minneapolis..but many cities are getting away from that.. though the Twin Cities needs theirs because of the weather. Charlotte had a few.. but I think they got (are getting) rid of them?

I still think many Columbians have a phobia of parking in a garage. I remember when I had to go downtown back in the early 90s for a meeting and my employer cautioned me about parking in a garage.. they said try to find a place on the street.....:lol:

^^ LOL! :lol: Guess they were worried about you getting mugged! :hilarious
How thoughtful of them. :D

Charlotte had a few.. but I think they got (are getting) rid of them?

No; we're building more. :nuts:

^^ LOL! :lol: Guess they were worried about you getting mugged! :hilarious
How thoughtful of them. :D

Yeah....I mean I was like... if it rains I will be in a covered facility and I will not have to worry so much about dodging traffic..

They just stared at me blankly. If a priest was nearby, he would have gave me my last rites. It was pretty bazarre. The Adminstrative Asst was like "but there are BUUUMMMMS in downtown Columbia. There is a Mission downtown. What if one follows you up in the dark garage? What on earth would you do?":lol: I actually think my boss though I was being too "citified" by parking in the garage.. plus it may have been more expensive to reimburse me...I just didnt want to get a ticket.. Columbia was notorious for ticketing people back then.. though several years later they lost all the records and half the city got a reprieve..

Deleted Duplicate Post

This seems promising.. I would have loved to see the old idea of the condos/townhomes on top of the mall. That would have been truly unique. I wish this facility could be retrofitted into more of a "main street" lifestyle center. I think the parking garage should have been behind the mall instead of along Forest Drive and Beltline.

As it is.. they should probably turn the lower parking lot in front of TGIF and Barnes and Nobles into an outdoor festival plaza.. retro fit the first floor of the existing garages to house retail stores and turn the frontage long the main internal road into retail stores. The upper floor should become offices and maybe one of the big boxes could be a hotel, one some form of indoor mini theme park (rock climbing etc) and third an office building or department store. Seems like alot of opportunities as soon as the credit markets improve..$4.4 sounds like a good deal

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/1160565.html

a couple of pics i got last weekend. they almost make up for arriving 2 days late, missing a friend's wedding and getting stomach flu on valentine's day.

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/122136012/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/122136013/original.jpg

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Great photos, LSyd. I am using one as my desktop now. Thanks. :)

The best Columbia pano shots I've seen in a long while, LSyd, well worth the wait.

Sweet pix, man! Sweet! :yes:
Thank you for posting them. :yes:

Nice Photos.. that industrial complex in the foreground of the first pic has been there forever...reminds me of Bartertown from Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome.. I imagine that its never going away:lol:

I guess the river runs through there somewhere.. Is all of that vacant ground around there floodplain?

Wow, the pano is excellent! Thank you, LSyd :cheers2:

Wow, the pano is excellent! Thank you, LSyd :cheers2:

Charpentier!

thanks y'all. no panos here though, all one shot from the plane.

Nice Photos.. that industrial complex in the foreground of the first pic has been there forever...reminds me of Bartertown from Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome.. I imagine that its never going away:lol:

I guess the river runs through there somewhere.. Is all of that vacant ground around there floodplain?

two men enter, one man leaves!!! :lol:

the river's along the treeline. the Olympia quarry's supposed to close in 2017 and be converted into a park. i think the floodplain's farther east.

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^^ I didn't know that, I had imagined a park there with some attractions + a tramway line, it would be cool! :)

Charpentier!

Hey waccamatt! You have a PM ;)

^^ I didn't know that, I had imagined a park there with some attractions + a tramway line, it would be cool! :)



the quarry's supposed to be flooded into a deep lake/pond, which would be very cool

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Swimming? haha

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4050/38193515303c062006e8b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbcnwa/3819351530/in/set-72157616270336884/

^Tigers are the most hated animal in Columbia.

^^ No doubt about that.

the quarry's supposed to be flooded into a deep lake/pond, which would be very cool

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That is what they did in this development up in MD. I think if it could be done in that section of Columbia that it would be a nice development given its proximity to downtown, the river, and USC "south campus" that is developing around Williams Brice. The flip side is the are may need alot of environmental clean up and there is alot of industry and railroads in that general area which may make it less attractive for development?

http://www.quarrylakecommunity.com/

Just got back from a whirlwind, three-day vacation with my son. We were touring the places of our ancestry in FL, GA, SC and NC ... and I can't tell how impressed I was with downtown Columbia!

My son and I were both blown away by the synergy on a Friday night, particularly in the Congaree Vista area and Five Points, but also to some extent on Main Street. I was blown away by the changes since I'd last driven through roughly ten years ago.

We drove through quite a few downtowns, including Charlotte's, and I declare Columbia the winner on a pound-for-pound basis!

Just got back from a whirlwind, three-day vacation with my son. We were touring the places of our ancestry in FL, GA, SC and NC ... and I can't tell how impressed I was with downtown Columbia!

My son and I were both blown away by the synergy on a Friday night, particularly in the Congaree Vista area and Five Points, but also to some extent on Main Street. I was blown away by the changes since I'd last driven through roughly ten years ago.

We drove through quite a few downtowns, including Charlotte's, and I declare Columbia the winner on a pound-for-pound basis!


SHHHH.. dont say that.. you may piss off some Charlotteans that surf through here... or is that Charlatans... :lol:

I can see how Dale would say that on a pound-for-pound basis, mainly for two reasons: Columbia has more of its historic storefronts intact which can be easily adapted for retail/restaurant use, and USC. Those are two things we constantly lament here in Charlotte, although we are making progress in several areas.

I can see how Dale would say that on a pound-for-pound basis, mainly for two reasons: Columbia has more of its historic storefronts intact which can be easily adapted for retail/restaurant use, and USC. Those are two things we constantly lament here in Charlotte, although we are making progress in several areas.

Yes, much as I like Charlotte ... it's ravaged its historic fabric as badly as any Sunbelt city I can think of.

If it's any consolation, my 18-year-old son was wowed by Charlotte. :)

SHHHH.. dont say that.. you may piss off some Charlotteans that surf through here... or is that Charlatans... :lol:

:lol:

and what about the Greenvillains?

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:lol:

and what about the Greenvillains?

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Yeah.. being Columbian from Columbia sounds more dramatic because it is often mistaken for Colombian from Colombia but they have better coffee and a slightly higher crime rate.. just slightly:nuts:

N/A

2nd biggest building in South Carolina in planning stages for Columbia off blossom across the street from the greek USC village
(http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/05/1230660/600-apartment-tower-proposed-in.html)

one commenter noted that it kinda looks like soviet block era construction, i think it's kinda hard to tell from rendering but it's massive alright

oh here's a pic
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb139/invadersoftheheart/elevation.jpg

^^ That's just hideous. They can do a better job than that. Very bland.

If it's any consolation, it looks better than the highrise which currently stands hulking over Five Points.

2nd biggest building in South Carolina in planning stages for Columbia off blossom across the street from the greek USC village
(http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/05/1230660/600-apartment-tower-proposed-in.html)

one commenter noted that it kinda looks like soviet block era construction, i think it's kinda hard to tell from rendering but it's massive alright

Well, take that with a grain of salt. That poster is from another city in SC and never has anything nice to say about Columbia--which is weird because he believes his city is a utopia and Columbia is a cesspool, but he always finds time to track developments in Columbia and consistently offers negative commentary. I typically don't spend that much time keeping up with cities I genuinely dislike, but hey, I suppose people have to feel like they have some sort of purpose in life.

At any rate, I'll hold judgment until detailed renderings are released. But I do wish it was broken up more and not so bulky. There are also height restrictions in place for this part of downtown, so we'll see how this pans out. It would definitely be an odd place for such tall buildings though. Just from these preliminary sketches, the basic form of the building reminds me of the Ashton apartment building in the SouthEnd neighborhood here in Charlotte which was recently built. I don't think the developer of the Ashton has anything to do with the proposal in Columbia though.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/krazeeboi/Charlotte/Ashton0405-2.jpg

great news, although i'd rather see the money go into filling in and reviving south main street. i'd almost rather see two large mid-rise developments get built...one here, one elsewhere. but still good news.

maybe this'll help turn the Carolina Coliseum into a mall with movie theatre. :banana:

^^ That's just hideous. They can do a better job than that. Very bland.

maybe they're just placeholders now?

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[QUOTE>
maybe this'll help turn the Carolina Coliseum into a mall with movie theatre. [/QUOTE]


totally forgot about that aspect but yah this added density would make the Coliseum grounds a lot more prime for redevelopment. I think a straight up movie theater there would be awesome, it'd be nice to have a movie theater in the city core.

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2010/04/05/16/PDS_DDRC_packet_2010_04_05_Innovista_Mixed-5.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.jpg

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2010/04/05/16/PDS_DDRC_packet_2010_04_05_Innovista_Mixed-10.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.jpg

Well, it's pretty big. But it's an investment in the city and the college. Win-win, really. Especially in these times.

well, USC is LOW on dorm space...and what's an "oblisk?" these are NC architects right? ;)

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[QUOTE>
maybe this'll help turn the Carolina Coliseum into a mall with movie theatre.


totally forgot about that aspect but yah this added density would make the Coliseum grounds a lot more prime for redevelopment. I think a straight up movie theater there would be awesome, it'd be nice to have a movie theater in the city core.[/QUOTE]

in addition to the Nickelodeon...it'd save USC students a commute to Harbison. throw in restaurants and stuff.

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Actually, I think the Coliseum should be gutted and upgraded as a venue seating 10K max. Make it the new permanent home of the Inferno instead of having them in limbo.

Actually, I think the Coliseum should be gutted and upgraded as a venue seating 10K max. Make it the new permanent home of the Inferno instead of having them in limbo.

I agree with that, but it is doubtful. I'd like to see the Coliseum turned into an ice rink on the floor with vendors in the perimeter. People could go there at lunch or in the evening. Maybe move some of the Russell House functions there.

preview of upcoming photo thread

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2775/4502420357_3a10047de2_o.jpg

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Wow, that's a great shot.

Awesome shot obviously taken from the Sheraton.

Dude, that's an awesome shot!

sweet picture. :yes:

There are pics on Township's renovation blog here (http://blog.townshipfoundation.org/) http://www.skyscrapercity.com/images/smilies/banana.gif

:goodnight That highrise won't get built. So, how is that Innovista project going? ;) :D

:goodnight That highrise won't get built. So, how is that Innovista project going? ;) :D

better than Greenville's projects ;)

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better than Greenville's projects ;)

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Yep: http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/19/1250075/federal-complex-in-greenville.html

Oh and regarding ICAR: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/33798-proterra-has-hired-first-workers-plans-to-build-bus-in-greenville-in-july and http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/feb/24/sage-automotive-interiors-headed-cu-icar-campus-ar-44987/

Can't forget about Southwest Airlines either: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/04/19/1212468/southwest-airlines-turns-down.html

Yep: http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/19/1250075/federal-complex-in-greenville.html

Oh and regarding ICAR: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/33798-proterra-has-hired-first-workers-plans-to-build-bus-in-greenville-in-july and http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/feb/24/sage-automotive-interiors-headed-cu-icar-campus-ar-44987/

Can't forget about Southwest Airlines either: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/04/19/1212468/southwest-airlines-turns-down.html

the courthouse sounds cool.

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the courthouse sounds cool.

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2013 though. :rant: :cry: Quit hogging it all.

Yep: http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/19/1250075/federal-complex-in-greenville.html

Oh and regarding ICAR: http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/33798-proterra-has-hired-first-workers-plans-to-build-bus-in-greenville-in-july and http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/feb/24/sage-automotive-interiors-headed-cu-icar-campus-ar-44987/

Can't forget about Southwest Airlines either: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/04/19/1212468/southwest-airlines-turns-down.html

yeah, and what ever happened to the "Gateway" towers development? THAT was the project I've wanted to see rise. :rant:

yeah, and what ever happened to the "Gateway" towers development? THAT was the project I've wanted to see rise. :rant:

:hug:

Congratulations to Steve Benjamin as the city's new mayor.

Congratulations to Steve Benjamin as the city's new mayor.

boo...let the ethics probes begin.

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boo...let the ethics probes begin.

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I suspect that Benjamin has is sights set on a higher office.. ahem.. the SC Sixth District.. I think he is improving his resume so that he can be knighted as Clyburns replacement...but he has to hold a public office first.. That being said.. I wish/hope that he can move Cola forward........

maybe he'll get the whole mass transit thing going... :D

maybe he'll get the whole mass transit thing going... :D

What's that? I'm stoopid. :cry:

I suspect that Benjamin has is sights set on a higher office.. ahem.. the SC Sixth District.. I think he is improving his resume so that he can be knighted as Clyburns replacement...but he has to hold a public office first.. That being said.. I wish/hope that he can move Cola forward........

he's off to a great start already!!!

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=86548&catid=2

one day in and he's pulling an Andre Bauer.

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he's off to a great start already!!!

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=86548&catid=2

one day in and he's pulling an Andre Bauer.

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Nowhere does it say he was at fault in the accident or even speeding. That's quite an assumption on your part, isn't it?

he's off to a great start already!!!

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=86548&catid=2

one day in and he's pulling an Andre Bauer.

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Well, we've gotta wait until the results of the investigation come in. But there are only two options here: he ran a red light, or she failed to yield by making a right on red while his light was green. Either way, I hope the lady has a full recovery.

I just hope that Benjamin can bring some strong leadership to the city and not just manage things, as Coble did.

Should be interesting four years...Leona Plaugh is back with the City ..though this time as a Councilmember.. I hope she keeps her own lap top and all the "alligators and moats" theories on it...this is what got her fired when she was the City Manager. All of her alleged enemies in city government are probably going to retire now that shes one of the real bosses:nuts:

Should be interesting four years...Leona Plaugh is back with the City ..though this time as a Councilmember.. I hope she keeps her own lap top and all the "alligators and moats" theories on it...this is what got her fired when she was the City Manager. All of her alleged enemies in city government are probably going to retire now that shes one of the real bosses:nuts:

Leona is certainly a piece of work.

Leona is certainly a piece of work.

I went to school today. :D

I went to school today. :D

Way to go, g-man! I'm proud of you! Keep up the good work! :P

I went to school today. :D

Have you graduated yet?

Do you always post falsehoods in your signature?

Have you graduated yet?

Do you always post falsehoods in your signature?

Graduate? :uh: I'm stoopid. :cry:

Falsehoods? I thought you liked Obama? :dunno: :D

Graduate? :uh: I'm stoopid. :cry:

Falsehoods? I thought you liked Obama? :dunno: :D

Grenville-Spartanburg-Anderson...there's no such MSA.

Holy Trinity Columbia SC (http://www.holytrinitysc.com/)

Steel Beams on Huge Greek Orthodox Chuch on Main are up, and the dome is done in steel too but has yet to be raised on top.
Here's an artists rendering of what they hope it'll look like when it's finished. I'll probably be up by the time Mast moves in to there new store in Summer 2011.http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb139/invadersoftheheart/greekorthodoxartistsrendering.jpg

^^ Whoa! Wild. didnt know about this project.

^That's going to be a really nice edifice and addition to Main Street when finished.

Grenville-Spartanburg-Anderson...there's no such MSA.

I mentioned that to him before, but I have no clue why he wants to post inaccuracies in his sig. He could just as easily say GSA--SC's largest CSA or the Upstate--SC's largest urban region or something like that. There's no need to post a false stat when there are true stats that can be touted. Oh well.

^^ Whoa! Wild. didnt know about this project.

i remember the plans being announced 2 or 3 years ago...or longer, but had forgotten about them. what a nice reminder.

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What happended to RUST in the Vista? Have not been down there in a while.. went down there to do some drinking at several spots.. and its was dark.. .on a Saturday night?? Wah gives....The top of the Sheraton was live though...:cheers:

Like Hush, it became not exactly the place to be for a lot of people. BTW, Mojito's is coming soon to take Hush's place.

Clubs come and go - it's typical. The Art Bar has had an unusually long and successful stay, but that is unusual.

Clubs come and gone - it's typical. The Art Bar has had an unusually long and successful stay, but that is unusual.

:cheers:

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Jason's Deli (http://www.jasonsdeli.com/) coming

Deli should be up and running by the end of the year (http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064022708&ShowArticle_ID=11011307103204101) and on the second floor will be Miller-Valentine’s regional headquarters.

Hey,... does anyone have any updated news on that proposed USC Mega Dorm? You know the one. It was going to be very tall and wide. Anyone know anything new on it?

Hey,... does anyone have any updated news on that proposed USC Mega Dorm? You know the one. It was going to be very tall and wide. Anyone know anything new on it?

It wasn't going to be a dorm, it was going to be a private development. I haven't heard anything lately.

It was just the one off piece in the state but even then it was dependant on an economic recovery, maybe we'll heare about it again in 2011.

In the Meantime Senate Street Downtown is seeing new life. With Tin Roof Bar opening up in one of those old warehouses. With Tako Sushi and IHop around the corner the Assembly/Gervais intersection is ripe for a renaissance:

http://www.thestate.com/2010/07/23/1387597/tin-roof-coming-to-columbia.html

Hello... anybody out therrrrrree???? I figure I would post this here to get things rolling again:lol:
http://www.thestate.com/2010/08/30/1440087/long-stalled-river-development.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/columbia-area/

^but city data's generally horrible and full of trolls

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^but city data's generally horrible and full of trolls

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I was just thinking the same thing. The banter is much more polite on here.

Bob Hughes, a Greenville developer who has been a key player in that city’s renaissance, is set to become the “master developer” for the 165-acre Bull Street tract (http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/37335-hughes-would-be-lsquo-master-developer-rsquo-for-bull-street) that he agreed to buy from the S.C. Department of Mental Health for $15 million plus a share of future profits.

^i was going to post that today if no one'd gotten around to it.

i can't wait for it to get developed, and should do a lot to help "turn around" the NE section of downtown. i hope it's not half-assed, under dense or left half-developed.

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merry christmas and a happy holidays to everyone.

NAI Avant brokers $2.8M sale in Vista (http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/38949-nai-avant-brokers-2-8m-sale-in-vista?rss=0)

By James T. Hammond
jhammond@scbiznews.com
Published March 30, 2011

http://scbiznews.s3.amazonaws.com/1301508941-1101WilliamStreet.jpg


The sale of land and a 31,741-square-foot building at the corner of Williams and Senate streets in Columbia’s Vista is expected to signal new development on that site.

In an area where prime commercial real estate prices run at $60-$70 per square foot, the so-far-unnamed buyers of 1101 Williams St. paid about $65 a square foot for the 1-acre parcel, said Bruce Harper, broker in charge at NAI Avant. The property was recently advertised for $3.3 million.

The property is surrounded by the City Club development, where town houses sell for about $500,000.

NAI Avant brokers Rob Lapin and Macon Lovelace handled the $2.85 million transaction for the seller, Senate Place LLC of West Columbia.

The buyer paid a premium price for the parcel, which is zoned C3 for commercial, office and retail uses. Richland County values the site with the building at $1.7 million.

Harper said the buyer wants to remain anonymous at this time but will make an announcement about plans for the site soon.

The building was the former state Department of Agriculture laboratory.

“I would think they would utilize some of the existing structure in their plans,” Harper said.

NAI Avant brokers $2.8M sale in Vista (http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/38949-nai-avant-brokers-2-8m-sale-in-vista?rss=0)

By James T. Hammond
jhammond@scbiznews.com
Published March 30, 2011

http://scbiznews.s3.amazonaws.com/1301508941-1101WilliamStreet.jpg


The sale of land and a 31,741-square-foot building at the corner of Williams and Senate streets in Columbia’s Vista is expected to signal new development on that site.

In an area where prime commercial real estate prices run at $60-$70 per square foot, the so-far-unnamed buyers of 1101 Williams St. paid about $65 a square foot for the 1-acre parcel, said Bruce Harper, broker in charge at NAI Avant. The property was recently advertised for $3.3 million.

The property is surrounded by the City Club development, where town houses sell for about $500,000.

NAI Avant brokers Rob Lapin and Macon Lovelace handled the $2.85 million transaction for the seller, Senate Place LLC of West Columbia.

The buyer paid a premium price for the parcel, which is zoned C3 for commercial, office and retail uses. Richland County values the site with the building at $1.7 million.

Harper said the buyer wants to remain anonymous at this time but will make an announcement about plans for the site soon.

The building was the former state Department of Agriculture laboratory.

“I would think they would utilize some of the existing structure in their plans,” Harper said.

Great I hate that building...what is it circa 1970 brutalist institutional architecture...:lol: Its just like the old Carolina Coliseum.. nice in its time but definately could use a facelift.:lol:

good news. i look forward to this building's replacement.

Great I hate that building...what is it circa 1970 brutalist institutional architecture...:lol: Its just like the old Carolina Coliseum.. nice in its time but definately could use a facelift.:lol:

yes and no; Carolina Coliseum is good brutalism. there's a lot of great brutalism in Columbia; SCDOT, State House annexes, the VA tower, various USC buildings all come to mind. this building isn't a good brutalist building.

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Mast General Store

Columbia city officials say a store that sells everything from old-fashioned candy and clothing [Mast General Store] could be the key to shaking up business on Main Street. Mast General will open their doors to Columbia May 25. They first looked at Columbia as a possible location about 12 years ago, but store officials say they didn't feel Main Street was ready for them, until now. Mast General says they want to lead revitalization.
"That's part of why we're here is to see this gem, this heart and soul of the community come back to life," Fred Martin of Mast General says. "If you look at the model that is Greenville, there were I think 14 vacancies on our part of Main Street and immediately within the first six months half of those were full and life was back." For Rowland, things like parking and safety still need to be considered on Main Street. "There's a lot of things that need to be taken care of other than worrying about just one entity, Mast General store, they're a great addition to Main Street, but that's all they are right now is an addition," Rowland says. Mast General has eight other stores and says they always look for similar revitalization opportunities. They have not yet set their hours of operation and say it will depend on clientele.http://www.wltx.com/images/300/225/2/assetpool/images/110419074049_MAIN%20ST%20REVITALIZATION%20(A.jpg

Here's another article about the Mast development:

Mast General Store VP says Columbia is ready to grow (http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/39254-mast-general-store-vp-says-columbia-is-ready-to-grow)

Pertinent excerpt:

“Your downtown wants its heart and soul back,” Martin said at Tuesday’s meeting of the Leadership Columbia Alumni Association. “Yours is a warm downtown with interesting facades, good infrastructure and a collaborative plan between private partners and the city to revitalize the downtown area.”

“We look at new locations with fresh eyes,” he said, noting the downtown demographics and foot traffic are lifestyle components Mast looks for in a new location. He also said the company was attracted to the vibrancy of downtown locations like the Vista and Five Points, but those weren’t the only things.

Another factor that attracted the company was the proximity to lakes, rivers, Congaree National Park and Fort Jackson, Martin said. “[These assets weren't] presented to us 10 years ago.”

The company also is interested in restoring downtown landmarks by “bringing them back to their original significance.”

“You’re getting the crown jewel,” Martin said of the renovation of the former Lourie’s building at the corner of Main and Taylor streets. “This is going to be the best-looking store we’ve ever produced.”

$91.5 million project to be ‘front door to the Innovista’ (http://www.thestate.com/2011/04/24/1790380/915-million-project-to-be-front.html)
USC leaders eagerly anticipate opening in 2013

By ANDREW SHAIN - ashain@thestate.com

When it opens in December 2013, USC president Harris Pastides sees the new $91.5 million Moore School of Business building drawing top students to Columbia much like quality athletics facilities attract top recruits for Gamecocks teams.

“This is exactly the right thing for the Moore School of Business,” he said after the Board of Trustees approved funding to design the project.
USC is planning to make the new building one of most environmentally efficient sites in the state, while moving it closer to the school’s Innovista campus, where scientific researchers are looking for help to market their work.

“It will be the front door to the Innovista,” said Tom Quasney, USC’s associate vice president for facilities.

The finished building could look different from the renderings unveiled this month to the Board of Trustees – and the budget could increase, Quasney said.

Much of the work will be funded by a 20-year lease with the U.S. Department of Justice for the current business school site, the Close-Hipp building on the east side of campus.

The new Moore School building is moving west to the corner of Assembly and Greene streets next to the Carolina Coliseum and across from the Koger Center. It had been slated for a spot off Blossom Street in a parking lot for the Colonial Life Arena, but USC said it chose the more visible site since it was a central part of the Innovista.

The design by Raphael Vinoly Architects of New York will create a “hub where people can convene and share ideas,” Moore School dean Hildy Teegan said.
Common areas on the second and fourth floors as well as a terrace on the rooftop are meant to encourage more interaction among students, faculty members and visitors. The new school is expected to draw 4,000 to 8,000 people a day.

The building can be expanded with another floor, but rooms will have detachable walls and open space so they can be converted to other uses, Teegan said. The new school has more space – 268,000 square feet versus 204,000 square feet in the Close-Hipp Building.

The first floor includes classrooms and a 500-seat auditorium. The second floor has public areas including the library, business center, trading floor and dining area. It also will have an open-air court with palmetto trees. The third and fourth floors will have administration and faculty offices.

Teegan said the new school creates “a sense of future.”

Plus, researchers in the Innovista will have access to the business school with one of the nation’s top-rated international business programs.

“The hard part isn’t always starting a business, but expanding it into new markets,” Innovista director Don Herriott said.

The new Moore School building is close to being eligible to receive the highest rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program, Quasney said.

The school received a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy to work on ways to make the new building generate as much energy as it uses with technology and on-site power generation. Work also is being done to make the site carbon neutral.

The building could use solar energy and conserve power with tinted windows, insulation and technology to turn off lights and equipment during off-hours, Quasney said.

The new Moore School also will capture rain water to use for irrigation.
“We’re committed to using this building as living lab,” Teegan said.

USC will work to keep many of the oak trees on the proposed building site, Quasney said, but the project will take some or all of the parking lot next to the Coliseum. Access to the nearby ticket office will remain.

And Quasney told the USC Board of Trustees that despite its close proximity, the building would not be damaged if the coliseum is ever demolished.

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/04/23/17/B82703566Z.1_20110423170512_000+GST2K2NE4.2-0.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.jpg
A rendering of what the new Darla Moore School of Business will look like from the corner of Assembly and
Green Streets. The Koger Center is to the right of the school.

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/04/23/17/B82703566Z.1_20110423170512_000+GST2K2NDS.2-0.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.jpg
The pavillion area located on the second floor of the new Darla Moore School of Business.

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/04/23/17/B82703566Z.1_20110423170512_000+GST2K2NED.2-0.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.jpg
The view of the new Darla Moore School of Business from the corner of Park and Greene Streets. The
Coliseum is to the right of the school.

^weird design, and almost a little oppressive feeling. but if done right and with quality-looking materials, i could see it being awesome and totally fitting in that area.

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if done right and with quality-looking materials...

You think Darla Moore would have it any other way?

USC makes progress by completing Innovista research building

USC is poised to complete the first of two publicly funded research buildings in its research park, Innovista.
The Board of Trustees has approved $15.5 million for the interior work of the final three floors of the five-story Discovery I building. It will house endowed chairs in brain research, cancer research, healthful lifestyles and rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Construction began in 2007 and much of the building has remained empty since exterior construction was completed in 2008, as USC sought funds for the up-fit.
“Hallelujah,” Don Herriott, Innovista’s executive director, said. “This is the foundation piece for all of Innovista. These people have the potential to change the world and have the potential to attract companies.”
Tom Quasney, USC’s associate vice president for facilities, said the money to complete the work came from overhead fees the university is allowed to retain from research grants. The State Budget and Control Board must still approve the project.
Quasney said he expects to seek bids at the end of the year with completion set for August 2013.
Currently, two floors of the second publicly funded research building, Horizon I, have been up-fitted. Another floor is being worked on, while two floors await funding to complete interior work. The endowed chairs housed there as part of the university’s Future Fuels research program are Brian Benicewicz, Kenneth Reifsnider and Jochen Lauterbach.
Reifsnider, one of the world’s top fuel cell researchers, alone has attracted $12.5 million in grants, USC said. Benicewicz and Lauterbach also world class researchers in fuel cells and alternative fuels, have attracted $4.5 million. Other researchers in Horizon associated with the endowed chairs have received $5.3 million in grants, the school said.
Searches are under way for four more endowed chairs to occupy the Discovery I when its interior is ready.
“To attract world class researchers requires world class facilities,” Herriott said.
Discovery’s total construction cost with the up-fit is $45.5 million. Horizon so far has cost $43.6 million with two floors still needing interior work.
“They are going to be awesome,” Quasney said. “There will be a huge amount of research going on in those buildings.”
The university has spent $100 million since 2005 to build the two research buildings and establish the special teams of scientists. The city and county pitched in $35 million for two parking structures for the buildings.
And a plan to have a private developer build two companion buildings, dubbed Horizon II and Discovery II, foundered when neither North Carolina developer Craig Davis nor Michigan developer Kale Roscoe could recruit tenants or land loans to build them.
They were also hired to help lure major high-tech firms like Intel and IBM that would market products springing from USC research. Both developers were dismissed.
Herriott has since switched the focus of Innovista from real estate to research – trying to grow companies from within and shepherding expansion through incubators and existing buildings.
He said having the first-class research space completed is the beginning of a new day for Innovista.
“This is the fountainhead,” he said.

I'm not sure where this article comes from, but it is VERY outdated. John Parks is no longer the executive director of Innovista and there was a very public fiasco surrounding his role in the development of Horizon II which did not occur.

It doesn't look like a typical classroom building, but that could be a good thing. It looks a little close to the Coliseum in the renderings, but I'm sure they've taken that into account.

Columbia officials broke ground Monday on an $11.3 million, 532-space parking garage at the northwest corner of Taylor and Sumter streets.

The new 532-car garage will feature:

• 10 charging stations for electric vehicles
• A built-in bus shelter on the Sumter Street side of the garage, featuring a tile mural done by a yet-to-be-commissioned South Carolina artist
• A 5,620-square-foot retail area on the first floor of the garage, located on the corner facing Sumter and Taylor streets
• A connection to Main Street via a beautified and lighted alley

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/06/06/21/41/vWwPk.St.74.jpg

Looks nice. I like how they made it look more like a low-rise office type of building instead of a parking garage.

The Darla Moore School of Business is getting a new building? About time! That is great news. Personally when I first saw the renderings I wasn't quite that impressed although the pavilion area looks nice. But as another poster said if it's done right it could look very good.

Columbia officials broke ground Monday on an $11.3 million, 532-space parking garage at the northwest corner of Taylor and Sumter streets.

The new 532-car garage will feature:

• 10 charging stations for electric vehicles
• A built-in bus shelter on the Sumter Street side of the garage, featuring a tile mural done by a yet-to-be-commissioned South Carolina artist
• A 5,620-square-foot retail area on the first floor of the garage, located on the corner facing Sumter and Taylor streets
• A connection to Main Street via a beautified and lighted alley

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/06/06/21/41/vWwPk.St.74.jpg

More parking is always a welcome thing in downtown Columbia! :lol:

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/07/01/08/51/v8jha.St.74.jpg

Whole Foods coming to Columbia
Other name-brand retailers likely to follow Whole Foods
By KRISTY EPPLEY RUPON - krupon@thestate.com

A new Whole Foods slated for the foot of Devine Street is a game-changer that could help usher in other unique retailers to the Midlands, officials said Friday.

“We should look at this like a multiplier effect,” said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. “Whole Foods is really the gold standard. It’s a sign that Columbia’s growing.

“I’m feeling pretty bullish right now.”

Columbia shoppers have long complained the Capital City does not have many of the national specialty retailers that are in Greenville and Charleston.

But last month, Mast General Store opened on Main Street, and Friday, officials announced Whole Foods will open next year in Cross Hill Market, at the intersection of Cross Hill Road, Devine Street and Fort Jackson Boulevard.

Edens & Avant, a major East Coast shopping-center developer based in Columbia, will spend $23 million to redevelop Cross Hill, now vacant. Whole Foods is slated to open in October 2012, accompanied by a dozen or more other new stores in the shopping center.

“The recession is over, and the retailers have been looking – and finding – locations,” said Ron Anderson, vice president of research and technology for NAI Avant. “They (Mast and Whole Foods) both have been looking for a long time, and the opportunity to strike landed.”

Other name-brand retailers could be close behind.

Trader Joe’s and Costco, two stores missing from Midlands retail landscape, are looking for sites, commercial retail experts said.

“Everybody wants high-income, highly educated consumers,” Anderson said, “which we have, but we don’t have in large clusters. For them to come into the market, they’ve got to really find the right spot.”

Whole Foods started looking for that spot in Columbia more than eight years ago, said Scott Allshouse, regional president for the Austin, Texas,-based organic grocery chain.

The grocer finally found the right spot – close to a neighborhood and accessible to folks from Fort Jackson and the University of South Carolina – in Cross Hill’s boarded-up Kroger, closed since 2007.

Edens & Avant chief executive Terry Brown said his company hopes to announce by the end of the year the names of a dozen or more retailers that will join Whole Foods in the redeveloped Cross Hills.

Whole Foods will anchor the 74,000-square-foot shopping center. Edens & Avant will add on to both sides of the current former Kroger building and build outparcels as well as a walking path to the adjacent Hampton Trace neighborhood.

The announcement was a game-changer for neighbor Kathy Galloway, who said she had planned to move when her son graduated from high school.

“I was going to be out of here,” said Galloway, whose house is in the neighborhood that backs up to the boarded-up shopping center. “This is such an eyesore.”

But as developers unfurled a Whole Foods banner to announce the new retailer, Galloway – standing in a crowd of clapping and cheering neighborhood residents, and city and store officials – said she will stay.

“I just feel like it’s going to be a huge boost for us,” she said. “Our property value is going up significantly.”

Galloway also is thrilled she will be able to buy her seafood and produce locally. The traveling saleswoman packs a cooler every time she goes to Charleston or Greenville for work so she can buy scallops, shrimp, salmon and other goodies from Whole Foods outlets in those cities. “I come home with a bag of Granny Smith apples to get my son through the week,” she said.

Whole Foods has made its reputation as an upscale retailer selling natural and organic foods. Competitor Earth Fare already operates on Columbia grocery. Other grocers – including the nearby upstate Fresh Market grocery – also are adding to their natural, organic offerings.

Construction is expected to start in January. The shopping center is expected to create 180 full-time and 120 part-time retail jobs, as well as 100 temporary construction-related jobs.

That too is welcome news. S.C. unemployment is 10 percent as the state struggles to recover from a harsh recession.

http://www.thestate.com/2011/07/01/1881696/whole-foods-coming-to-columbia.html

Yay!!!! It's about time! :okay:

Columbia officials broke ground Monday on an $11.3 million, 532-space parking garage at the northwest corner of Taylor and Sumter streets.

The new 532-car garage will feature:

• 10 charging stations for electric vehicles
• A built-in bus shelter on the Sumter Street side of the garage, featuring a tile mural done by a yet-to-be-commissioned South Carolina artist
• A 5,620-square-foot retail area on the first floor of the garage, located on the corner facing Sumter and Taylor streets
• A connection to Main Street via a beautified and lighted alley

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/06/06/21/41/vWwPk.St.74.jpg

oh good, they're going to keep the brick low rise that's there on Sumter street.

it'll look great as infill; pic by me. too bad it's only a parking garage and not residential, but it's a nice one, and with retail.

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/136229299/original.jpg

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BUILDING OUR CITY

Renovation of Main Street landmark beginning soon (http://www.thestate.com/2011/10/05/1997146/building-our-city.html)
BY JEFF WILKINSON - jwilkinson@thestate.com

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/10/04/19/13/imHLC.St.74.jpg

A Charleston development group this month will begin renovating the McCrory’s Building on Columbia’s Main Street — another indication of accelerating interest in Columbia’s one-time commercial center.

The building is catty-cornered from the new Mast General Store. Mast’s opening has helped spark a resurgence on Main, along with the relocation of the Nickelodeon art house cinema next door and the construction of a new parking garage, being built a block away on Taylor Street.

“There’s a lot of energy in that area,” said Franklin Adams, whose Adams Development Co. led a real estate investment and development partnership that purchased the McCrory’s Building. “It’s not typically a deal we would have done. But the price was right and the stars aligned.”

Richland County records show the Charleston group bought the property at 1556 Main St. for $715,000 from Ameris Bank — about half the $1.4 million that a limited liability company paid for the site in 2005.

Adams said his partnership has yet to lease out space in the 30,000-square-foot building. However, it envisions a retail establishment — perhaps a restaurant — on the ground floor and possibly the basement, too, and two stories of offices above.

“We are in discussions with a number of interested parties at this time,” Adams said.

[...]

More retail in State Hospital mix? (http://www.thestate.com/2011/08/16/1935593/more-retail-in-state-hospital.html)
Revamped plan for downtown property likely to feature apartments and a central ‘Main Street’
By JEFF WILKINSON - jwilkinson@thestate.com

A new plan for the 165-acre S.C. State Hospital campus on Bull Street in Columbia will likely be heavy on retail and apartments and feature a central “Main Street,” but still preserve up to a dozen historic buildings and embrace the property’s wide variety of stately trees.

That was the initial reaction of Miami-based architect and planner Andres Duany to the new economic and environmental realities since he came up with the original concept six years ago.

“The world is a different place,” Duany told a group of developers, city officials, planners and architects at his opening presentation at the downtown Marriott Monday evening. “I don’t know to what extent the (original) work will be kept. But we’ll know in a couple of days.”

[...]

Big Box Blues (http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064227409&ShowArticle_ID=11012510111616110)

What a Downtown Walmart Could Mean for Columbia

BY EVA MOORE

It’s a sunny, crisp fall afternoon, and birds are singing in the patch of woods behind the Capital City Stadium. Built in the 1920s and currently the summer home of the Blowfish baseball team, the stadium is quiet for the year, the ticket window closed up. An abandoned couch sits in the empty parking lot.

Behind the stadium, there’s a little sunny path that runs alongside Rocky Branch Creek and through the tall grasses and woods, right to an old overgrown warehouse from which emerges a down-on-his-luck man named Wallace. He says he and his wife have been living there for three years. “The police know we’re here,” he says. “They come check on us sometimes.”

Around the other side of the woods are homes — small, old homes with tidy gardens, perched at the edge of the woods along Bluff Road, the furthest edge of the historic Granby and Olympia mill villages.

Soon, this expanse — the city-owned stadium, the SCANA-owned surrounding parking lot, and even parts of the woods behind it — will be owned by a developer who intends to build a 150,000-square-foot Walmart supercenter on the site.

A Walmart spokesman tells Free Times, “Columbia is a market we feel we’ve underserved,” saying the company hopes to build several more stores in the Columbia area. It’s part of the retail giant’s new corporate strategy to penetrate urban markets.

Whaley, Granby and Olympia residents and environmentalists had been hearing whispers for the past few months. But when Free Times broke the news Oct. 19 that Walmart was interested in the Columbia market and was eyeing the stadium, it hit the city like one of the heavy rainstorms that floods Rocky Branch Creek. Merchants associations weighed in against it. Facebook groups sprang up.

Read more... (http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064227409&ShowArticle_ID=11012510111616110)

hopefully something better is built on the site that would cause less traffic congestion. IMO it's not a feasible site for the traffic...especially on game days.

and the probable damage to downtown retail would suck too. build the Wal-Mart out towards I-77, or somewhere on Rosewood.

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DEVELOPMENT IN COLUMBIA

Vista to get Hyatt Place hotel (http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/03/2067145/vista-to-get-hyatt-place-hotel.html)
Structure planned for Gervais Street would be third hotel in entertainment district
By CLIF LeBLANC - cleblanc@thestate.com

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2011/12/03/00/26/1bsUWX.St.74.jpg

The historic portion of Columbia’s Vista is slated to get a six-story Hyatt Place hotel, the third hotel in the core of the entertainment district.

An Atlanta-based developer has begun the approval process for a 130-room hotel facing the 800 block of Gervais Street.

The Hyatt Place would serve visitors to the convention center and fill in a street-front gap on a prime piece of Gervais property — between the SakiTumi restaurant and bar and Jason’s Deli, on land now being used as a parking lot.

A long, 62-space parking lot will sit behind the hotel, stretching to Lady Street. The lot will sit where, about a century ago, a company manufactured and sold gas to city residents. Sidewalks will run the length of the hotel on both sides of the building.

The design of the 83,000-square-foot brick hotel goes before the city’s Design/Development Review Commission Thursday.

Efforts Friday to reach developers Noble Investment Group were unsuccessful.
The Noble company has one other Hyatt Place in South Carolina. The 126-room hotel in Greenville is in the city’s east side shopping and dining district. The hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, and its rooms have 42-inch high-definition TVs.

A Columbia Hyatt Place would join a Hampton Inn and a Hilton Garden Inn in the central historic portion of the Vista, close to the Greater Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Two other hotels are in the larger Vista area along Harden Street closer to I-126.

[...]

^sweet!!!

more hotel space is definitely needed (and will sell out) for football game weekends.

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that Stretch with Jason's Deli, Starbucks, the Hampton Across the Street etc and World of Beer going in where Sly Fox/Bull Market were is really starting to shape up. Further down Gervais towards huger where the RACO gas station use to be is another spot empty spot that will likely soon be snapped up.

that Stretch with Jason's Deli, Starbucks, the Hampton Across the Street etc and World of Beer going in where Sly Fox/Bull Market were is really starting to shape up. Further down Gervais towards huger where the RACO gas station use to be is another spot empty spot that will likely soon be snapped up.

I hope so too. The development next to it (I think it's Ameritrade or something) shaped up pretty nicely and was a welcome departure from the typical red brick that dominates the Vista (which is understandable since it's a warehouse district).

Guys, Please refrain from posting entire articles. Just 2 or 3 paragraphs only in order to avoid nastiness with media sources!

Posting guidelines here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/announcement.php?f=331&a=802

DP

Sketches reveal glimpse of proposed downtown Walmart plans (http://www.lakemurraytimes.com/local-news/item/484-sketches-reveal-glimpse-of-proposed-downtown-walmart-plans)

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - A sketch and rendering of a proposed shopping center on the site of the city-owned Capital City Stadium reveals the developer's plans to build smaller, greener, and pedestrian and bicycle-friendly.

Atlanta-based developer Bright-Myers plans to build approximately 193,000 sq. ft. of retail space in downtown Columbia on a 23-acre section of the Olympia neighborhood...

i'm very skeptical of this because of the fear that it'll hurt locally-owned vendors in Five Points and the Vista; on the other side, the smaller tenants sound interesting (downtown area first-run movie theater would be great.)

the plans at least show an attempt to integrate it into the fabric of the area...but it looks a little too much like a suburban lifestyle center plopped near downtown.

i'd like a bigger front on Assembly street (the movie theater!!!)

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Parts of Adluh Flour mill up for lease (http://www.wistv.com/story/17215150/parts-of-adluh-flour-mill-up-for-lease)

Adluh Flour Mills, located in the heart of the Vista, is renovating 18,000 sq. ft. of their facility. The property is not for sale and will be leased to future tenants. The space for lease has two floors, 18,000 sq. feet totaling 9,000 sq. feet on the bottom and 9,000 sq. feet on the top.

http://www.studio2lr.com/Images/proj_adluh_DR01.jpg

http://www.studio2lr.com/Images/proj_adluh_DR02.jpg

Taken 3/25

The old McCrory Dollar building/1556 Main:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6220/6871849532_c4fa6f2eef_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6037/7017958783_988e032780_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6096/6871851486_f9c73ddb26_z.jpg

Inside renovations as of 4/5 (not mine): http://m.flickr.com/lightbox?id=6923046464


Nickelodeon theater:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6871852076_06a0325772_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6234/6871852578_3e47ef9dd0_z.jpg

Inside renovations as of 4/5 (not mine): http://m.flickr.com/lightbox?id=6923044292


Sumter Street garage:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/6871853522_b30d9bc5b5_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/7017961989_098ba40826_z.jpg


Brennan Building renovations as of 4/5 (not mine): http://m.flickr.com/photos/70814931@N05/6923047482/lightbox/

CanalFront progress as of 4/7 (not mine): http://www.flickr.com/photos/70814931@N05/6923066604/

USC Alumni Center is slated at the site which housed the former Damon's Sports Bar. In addition to the building, 1.5 million dollars will be spent on underground passages to the convention center and to the parking garage from the Alumni Center.

https://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/43814-usc-alumni-center-planned-at-lincoln-senate-streets

http://scbiznews.s3.amazonaws.com/1337010106-alumni_center_rendering.jpg

Palmetto Center dorms near reality

A developer’s proposal to put some 800 college students in a largely vacant office building on Main Street in downtown Columbia cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night when City Council voted to approve a zoning change for most of downtown.
The zoning change would allow the developer to create four-unit apartments within the 21-story Palmetto Center building in the 1400 block of Main Street. Currently, a building in that section of downtown can only have three people living in a common rented space.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/16/2277784/palmetto-center-dorm-nears-reality.html#storylink=cpy

excellent news.

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