growingup15

I was at the 2020 Vision conference yesterday and got a lot of information on the future of Columbia and I mean a lot. im going to try an make this short but 1. I got some information on this Apartments Ontop of Garages. Matt Kennell the President and CEO of City Center personally told me that he saw a rendering awhile back as a concept of the first tower. he will personally send me an email when the official rendering comes out which should be sometime soon. but he said its a thin tower facing Towards Assembly St with an All Glass exterior giving the building a Ceiling to floor View. 2. Meredith Atkinson the Director of the Congaree Vista Guild gave me some information that shes not too happy about on the plans to build the High rise Apartment on the Corner of Lady and Park st. she said that deal is still being looked at by the city. she personally said she dont want the city to follow in the footsteps of Charlotte and build high rises in areas it dont belong. she went ahead and told me that this development would ruin the Vista if it was developed. but she did go on to tell me that the city is trying to work out a compromise. Also during the meeting she told me that within the next couple years we are expecting to see more hotels popping up in the vista including one at Kline City Center. and she shown a rendering which i couldnt quite see because it was far away. but between now and next year we should have 8 hotels in the Vista alone. 3.My 1on1 with Matt Kennell when asked about public transportation for the city as in Rails he said that I would be the 5th person to ask him about that. He said that he know as of now that COMET has the Money to do it now and is even doing a study right now on Rails in Columbia. they are always talking about buying out some of the current lines owned by CSX and Southern Norfolk and utilizing them for Public Transit. he told me that the COMET needs to act now in developing Rail service for the city. He went on to tell me that the huge economic impact would be great for the city and any area surrounding the Rail Line. He also was telling me that an Idea they were working with the city is to build a brand new Center Transit Center similar to one like in Charlotte. 1 idea was where the current amtrak station is at by the said he doesnt know how much land is left in that area. 2nd idea was to build up the current Transit Center but put Pocket transit centers at the end of the Main bus lines. for Example. Sandhills have a Bus hub and Harbison has a bus hub and Garners Ferry has a bus hub. 4. They are about to build a Garage and a Pocket Park in Five points soon. I believe its called Centinnial Park for the Garage the city is trying to work out a way to impliment a Garage in Five points to ease parking issues. Also they are beautifying RR Trussles. (Quick fact) before Five points was built it used to be a Swamp. I never knew that. 5.they said theres over $1.5 billion in development in Downtown Excluding BullStreet from 2014-2017 6. The Current population of Downtown Columbia is 5,000 which is up from a few years ago when it was only 1,200 and this is not including student housing. There was many many more but the Future looks bright for Columbia in the near future. Also I met Ben Arnold he was telling me about Don Tomlin and his developments. he told me before I mention it that he wants to and the city really needs to look into developing more Workforce and lower income housing along side these new young professional housing. but he did mention that Columbia really needs to bring in Higher paying jobs.

meh

What are you trying to say that Im not trying? that Im not trying to work my way up to the top. that im blaming others for my own mistakes. you sound like one of those people who always had it and now look down on everyone. Yeah go into the Ghetto and tell everyone there that they need to stop being Entitled and Work you way up lets see how that turns out. I worked a few jobs the past 8 years. my most recent job i was being paid 10 an hour being an auto tech at GoodYear. that wasnt enough at all because the price of living is slowly creeping up while wages are staying low. Yes i understand more higher paying jobs brings in more people which brings in more low paying jobs I get it. But what about the ones who need the wages raised now. Right now im 24 years old and still living with my parents. and believe me Im not the only one I know and have plenty of friends my age who lives in or around columbia and SC that still live with their parents and most of them have jobs or higher paying jobs. but you cant afford any of these places now. and if youre trying to stay out of the Ghetto which I definately dont want to go back to, you have to pay more money that you cant really afford. 10 an hour 12 an hour. Now I did hear that Developer was planning on developing some mixed income housing in BullStreet Commons. also I heard Tom the guy whose building those Towers ontop the Garage are also building some Low income and Mixed income housing around the city. Thats good i like hearing that. I just wish i was hearing more of that in more desireable neighbourhoods.

Yeah but you are missing the point I was stating. Im saying yes the city does need to bring in more higher paying jobs and world class this and that. But at the same time I dont want the city to get so caught up in it that they just completely forget about the less fortunate and/Or kick out the poor and build only high class and leave the poor people out. example look at Uptown Charlotte. I have family who live up there. and yeah they can barely afford the low income place they live in and they told me the more Charlotte builds the price of their place is going up and they are slowly kicking out the poor people and only building these high class high rises and Luxury Condos in South End and stuff. but haven't heard anything yet about much new development for the lower income people. im just saying. being a lower Income Millennial even at my current income I could never afford to live in someplace like Bull Street Commons if they are building what im thinking they are building there. I would love for something more affordable to be built also so I can have a chance to live in such a beautiful place.

WHAT D: they actually want to build a pedestrian Bridge over a road. I remember the Zoning office when i was having a meeting with them awhile back told me that Pedestrian bridges over Roads here in Columbia are the hardest thing to do because we have restrictions that limits us. Unlike Charlotte where they can build bridges left and right. they dont have restrictions.

Yeah I just hope hey dont do what they did on Rosewood. they kicked all the poor blacks out and now have well off Whites only living there. The city definately needs to look into making sure that Harden St and the rest of Bull St Commons does turn int oa rich neighbourhood only. but have oppretunities for section 8 and Lower income families a chance to live those places also. meaning they should offer Top notch and Low wages apartments, lofts and condos there also.

3 new Locally Own businesses are planning to open up in Five Points http://www.thestate.com/news/business/article53617370.html

I think a street car system mixed with overhauling Bull st that connects to Gervais st, Elmwood, the rest of Assembly that connects Elmwood, Gervais, Green St, Blossom and Rosewood, Overhaul the Rest of Harden St that connects all those same roads and to Bullstreet. and BOOM perfect connected city. now we just have to find a way to upgrade retail and living in those gaps. example like Harden street near Bullstreet Commons. nice houses right next to a sketchy neighbourhood. I used to live over there. they need a way to keep it cheap but refurbish that whole neighbourhood for mixed income families to move in. makes it less sketchy and people would look more into opening businesses along that corridor from there all the way down to Five points., Gervais st needs to upgrade like today. now no waiting just get ahead of the game before it gets out of hand. theres so many vacant retail there and businesses that looks like it doesnt fit on that street., Assembly its ok just need to finish their rehabilitation project. Elmwood IDK it looks fine just need to resurface and rebrand the rd now since its going to be a main connector to BullStreet Commons. again theres a lot of old buildings that are flling apart or vacant. Main street is supposed to finish its look soon that should bring more business down that way in the near future. and Bull Street is a mixed bag of does and donts in the wake of this new project.

Have you been to Epicentre? its anything but that. its a modern style compact mall that fits and I still believe would work here in Columbia especially on that land across the street from the library downtown or like in the Innovista area. if USC would aloud that

Developers of the CanalSide Lofts remain close to beginning construction on the property’s final phase. But first, they must continue to address concerns from Columbia’s design commission about how new buildings will look from the city’s prominent riverwalk nearby. The Beach Co. of Charleston worked for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon with members of theDesign/Development Review Commission over the project’s concerns, which set construction back by a few months after approval stalled during last month’s formal meeting. Committee representatives have expressed worry over the presentation of two buildings, one of which faces the esplanade of Columbia’s Riverfront Park. http://columbiabusinessreport.com/news/56648-canalside-developer-design-commission-draw-closer-to-agreement-on-project-rsquo-s-final-phase

I think an Epicentre style mall needs to go up right across the street from the Main Library downtown that lot looks perfect for such a development

414,000 Sq Ft of retail space. WOWZAS! thats a lot of retail space if they are planning that there must be a lot of retail coming all at once to that area http://columbiabusinessreport.com/news/56629-bull-street-plans-call-for-414-000-square-feet-of-retail-space Quick idea in my head. But im not sure if i brought this up before but. Anyone can see a Epicentre Style mall being built in the far side of the Bull St project. probably somewhere near the back of the area, near Harden St.

I meant to post the site here the other day when i saw it Oopsies

Im a Millennial. and Yes i am carrying my parents at the moment >.> unfortunately. but its not all millenials im in the percentage who cant afford anything because we're the under prepared generation in decades because of the bad economy

um..... so Anyone else noticed that Construction never started on this like they said it would. Im not sure if this should be something to worry about.

Its odd but like they said in the article these things are complicated and you just cant publicly tell everyone so I guess its a reason. I trust them things seems to be going good so far we will see how this all turns out within the next few months

The developer for the new BullStreet project at the former S.C. State Hospital campus will submit plans for an 85-store urban village that includes 414,000 square feet of space, officials of the Lennar Commercial firm told The State. The village will range from one to five stories and will have 275 upper-story apartments, mostly market rate apartments as opposed to the trending student housing. The retailers will include shops, restaurants, services and entertainment, including a cinema, Lennar recruiter Mike Cohn said last week in his first extensive interview on the project. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/business/article51729020.html#storylink=cpy http://www.thestate.com/news/business/article51729020.html

Welp Theirs 6 days left in the year and this month Lets see if we get these announcements for the 41 businesses. so everyone who been complaining about not knowing will shut up about it

No rendering picture?

COLUMBIA, SC Names have been chosen for the streets bordering the baseball stadium that will anchor the Bull Street neighborhood redevelopment project in downtown Columbia. The project’s developer plans to name them Freed, Boyce and Saunders streets, according to plans before Columbia’s Planning Commission. Gregg and Barnwell streets will be extended onto the project site, and a short street connecting to two has not yet been named, according to the plans. Hughes Development of Greenville is developing the 165-acre project, which is expected to add thousands of new homes, stores and offices to the former S.C. State Hospital campus that long served the mentally ill. Work began in January on the 8,000-seat, $37 million minor league baseball stadium that will anchor the project. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article48100685.html#storylink=cpy http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article48100685.html

Columbia’s Bull Street Common project reaches a milestone this week as workers top off an office building located near the project’s new ballpark.The First Base Building will be home to Ogletree Deakins, a law firm that will occupy more than 12,000 sq. ft. on the 4th floor overlooking Spirit Communications Park. The firm is the first, and so far only, tenant to have publicly announced it will locate operations in the area around the multi-use stadium. Developers and city leaders remain tight-lipped when asked to identify other businesses coming to Bull Street Common. Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin told reporters Wednesday he expects “significant announcements” on additional tenants before the end of the year. http://www.wistv.com/story/30560346/mayor-steve-benjamin-bull-street-business-revealed-by-years-end

They might. I mean if i pay a few cents more on Gas I have no problem knowing the money is going back into fixing roads and improving Transportation and not tearing up my car everytime I go to work and Hopefully in the Future better Highway network in through and around columbia and the rest of the state from such a tax increase. Sidenote: Charlotte's Penny Tax was a 100% going to Transportation and funding the Rail system. it seems to really paying off with all the development in the South End which looks beautiful and I hope this is what South Columbia and N Main could look like in the near future with such a project. I still am kinda upset that the only way we was able to get voters to bearly agree on a sale taxs which is not even hurting anyone actually. is that we had to use the money on things other than our Transit but its spread out across Transit, Roads, ECT. which I like but I wish it was focused on Our Transit only and can improve it for the better. Maybe we would of had a Blue Line like Rail System already in Columbia by now or at least in the planning or Construction phases already. But now it looks like our city is going to grow up without a Rail System which is great for any great city.

Thanks I appreciate it. and also you're right on moving it towards the River but as for Blossom St it just doesnt look like a great place for a slower moving Street car to be in. Reason I put it on Greene St from Five points aallll the way down through USC to well the River is because that area in general is about to become the next big Corridor in a few years. I can see it running through the Closed Part of Greene St in USC where Greene Meets Sumter I can see them have gates that open for the Street cars only to go through. kinda like how the LRT goes through the Convention Center in Charlotte.

Now It was thrown around before that Columbia could do Streetcars/Trolleys again. something that connects All of the Downtown Main Districts. ive made a map before of such a project a route and how it would look in Columbia.