Hello my name is Jeff from Capitol Places. I have periodically been reading this website the last month or two and find it entertaining at times. I never thought I would post but feel I need to address some of the negative comments on some of our projects.
It looks like many of you have these grand ideas and I hope many of you become developers and make a difference here in Columbia. I assure you with the rental prices in Columbia, it is not as easy as many of you think. As city center becomes a stronger rental market, you will see higher end product introduced to the market.
A couple things I would like to point out: There is a big difference in how you build apartments and condos. You build apartments (like Barringer - which is rental and not for sale) with neutral colors (you are trying to appeal to many) and materials that will take wear & tear and not too expensive to replace (i assure you IKEA cabinets would not make it through a year of rentals). The condos we build have granite countertops, hardwood floors, paint color choice, upgraded carpets, ceramic tiles etc..... The buyer has had complete choice on what they pick for their condominium.
As far as Vsion and The Firehouse, once we release for sale, you can view wood cabinets, colors, granite, and bamboo flooring at the office. These condos will be more contempoary that what we have done in the past. You do see some of that in Barringer with a "Soft Loft" design which uses 60" walls to seperate bedrooms from living areas in one bedrooms. This makes the unit more open and adds a great deal to the design.
Capitol Places does build quality product and is trying to change the face of Columbia to bring homes to city center. We would love to help anyone who wants to venture down here on Main St and build!
