waccamatt

Unfortunately, the Florence area is not experiencing much growth. The county had 110,000 people in 1980 and only an estimate of 128,000 in 2004.

I'd love to see the vids.

Thanks for the diagram, Spartan. I like that sort of a development. This needs to be topflight and available to as many people as possible.

I definitely want to see a mixed-use development with townhomes, apartments, retail, a hotel and some offices. I do not want to see a gated community with $500,000 homes. This is property that needs to be open and accessible, especially with the development directly along the canal. It should also open into Riverfront Park next door.

That is Drew Park and a new Community Center that is being built. It is replacing some older public housing.

Like Sandlapper said, I'm sure they are a private investor in the project. State money is so scarce that we have to rely on private investment. I can't wait for that building to go up.

That does look pretty nice. That should be downtown, though. I hate the suburbs.

I believe the University is planning on finished the hotel it is building before construction will begin on the new law school. I would imagine ground will be broken later this year or early in 2006.

I would recommend any of the 3 places I mentioned. Villa Tronco is the most laid back of the three and is less expensive than the other two. (not inexpensive, just less expensive)

Olive Garden is more like "fast food" Italian.

The point I was really trying to make about the trolley is that we need a real trolley system, not one that is a bus in disguise. The trolleys that run downtown don't have a huge ridership, but it does seem to be increasing, just from personal observation.

Carrabas is good, but I try to support locally owned establishments for the most part. I would say there are 3 great locally owned Italian Restaurants in Columbia; Dianne's on Devine, Villa Tronco and Garibaldi's.

You're right, Spartan. Maybe I'll run for mayor as a supporter of mass transit to take Columbia to the next level.

How could I forget about the baseball stadium! Also, the Colonial Center is only 2 years old. I also forgot to list the conversion of the Barringer Building - Columbia's oldest skyscraper (1903) into apartments. Let's see...what else...the University has a hotel under construction and a parking garage under construction and there is construction going on at Williams-Brice Stadium

Thanks. As a kid I wanted to be a cartographer when I grew up, but I ended up a banker instead.

I've thought about it for years, but I just drew that up a few minutes ago this evening. There are alot of dense neighborhoods close to downtown that, IMO, would love to have trolley service. I would love to take the trolley to basketball and football games and for going out to dinner. Going to work would be a little more difficult because I'm always running late in the morning.

Here is my proposed trolley map. If the system was efficient and reasonably fast I would take the trolley to work some days. (except when it is really hot

The original trolley in Columbia ran from approximately 1890 to 1936, I believe, before being replaced by buses. (why oh why couldn't they have kept the trolleys?) I know one line ran up Main Street from the State House to Hyatt Park, which is only a few blocks from where I live. This would be a very successful route today, although I think it should run all the way up Main to Blythewood and serve as a commuter train from Blythewood. Many people along Main would use it because there are so many colleges in the area: Columbia College, The Lutheran Seminary, South University and even Columbia International if a spur ran up Monticello Road. Originally, a trolley line also ran through the Vista and down to Olympia and Five Points into Shandon. Today, those routes could be revived along with a route down to Williams-Brice stadium. Think about all of the use the trolley would get for Carolina home football games! A line should also run all the way out Two Noth Road to the Village at Sandhill and on to Camden, out Forest Drive to Fort Jackson and out Devine Street/Garners Ferry Road all the way to Sumter. (yes, I think big!) I think a route out 126/26 to Harbison and Irmo would do well and one to the airport would be awesome. A route circling downtown around Elmwood, Harden, Blossom (University) and Huger Street would be terrific. I think it is way past time for us to have light rail/trolley service again.

It's about time Canalside moves forward. That property is a gold mine. Whoever gets to develop it is lucky!

We need a REAL trolley...on tracks...not a glorified bus. Then people would ride it!