ResearchMan

Check out gocmrta.com for the routes. I can put up a map if the online pdf is too cumbersome. I noted this site leaves out the west columbia routes..so it's either partial or out of date.

They suffer NIMBY there too. Last year that neighborhood fought off the move of the Oliver Gospel mission. It's the same with the bus hub.It's an eyesoar area until DMH is redeveloped. To see the bus system visually I have city bus route maps up with my Food Panty Analysis page. Where to locate the hub is very similar to the where to put the homeless services. Not many places are left downtown. I sent my maps on where to consolidate homeless shelter to the head of CMRTA. The neighbors will fight a homeless shelter more. There are only a few places to locate NIMBY type facilities downtown.

I think USC should have more than 50 percent say in the relationship. City officials focus more on short term (and often political) issues. Unfortunately their vision is often how to survive the next election. They think short term (2-3 years). Today's State rips them on the failure-to-close projects problem. The university is always pursuing a vision of what public education should be five or ten years from now. Typically this vision is part of some multi-year master plan where they work towards that vision. They are limited in that vision by the legislature and the Commission on Higher Ed. Since every South Carolinian pays for higher ed I think the state should have more to say about USC's growth than the city. The city may have something to say about how it grows in the community but I think most business decisions are more appropriately set in the USC board room (or the governor's office). Not at Ciy Council. As for the business community..it's always what have you done for me lately. But you are right..it's a symbiotic relationship and you can argue both ways.

I've not seen the plans to see how the old buildings fit in with the hotel plans. Black House (the one on the left) was a mess inside..I recall the architicture was unique and the USC Neighborhood Association (USCNA?) fought to keep it. I'm a member of the Assoc. and had been inside..and was ambivalent about saving it. The building on the right was not unique IMHO. The USCNA basically wants landlords in the area to clean up student-rented housing. No parking in the front yard, etc. They don't want the rental space to grow. Me..I'm grandfathered in and just get the newsletters. This thread could lead into another thread or two..USC's relationship with the community and businesses downtown. In the late 60's USC took over much land downtown. Some by imminent domain. Many locals resented them for it (I recall my dad ranting about it). USC now does development through the USC Development Foundation .. public-private organization to bypass some of the rules government agencies have regarding spending money. The hotel was a done deal until downtown hotel owners compained that USC would compete with them. Palms could not resolve it but Sorrenson-Coble did work it out. The hotel owners are still angry at Mike McGee for not hosting that stupid bowl at the Stadium on Christmas day. They still write letters to the editor five years later. He was right on..otherwise 500 USC employees would have to work for a football game on Christmas day for perhaps 20,000 attendees. That decision followed McGee turning away the Panthers training camp. Many locals have the opinion USC doesn't care much about Columbia. The local businesses complain loudly about the lack of support from the University. In particular the hospitality businesses. High tech companies think USC is mostly a God-send.

It happened in the fifties and I just found out about it. My mom and her family never talked about him. Now that I know I cannot ask because the family survivors all have Alzheimers. When I asked my aunt's 84 year old husband he changes the subject. The area at Calhoun and Bull has some historic buildings. Historical buildings are well defended in downtown Columbia. You cannot put storm windows on the front of a house downtown without approval of the historic preservation committee.

As for the CanalSide verus DMH property the city got out of the CanalSide development business because they felt they could not handle both projects. It's interesting they abandoned one for another..after so much CanalSide time invested. One of the long delays with CanalSide was the preservationist folks (and relatives of long-time prisoners) wanted to save the prison industries building. The city waited a long time for different developers to suggest how to use that in a mix of residential housing. After a long time each developer had no way to utilize the building and they tore it down. I'm not sure Elmwood can flow on thru DMH. It's a convaluted path down through there. Gregg has a nice entrance but I think a Barnwell extension would go through a building. Several of the buildings are likely to be on a historic register somewhere. I can ask my brother who has worked there for maybe 20 years. Heck, my uncle died there in like 1965. He was a patient..attacked by a pig as a child and he went insane. I recently found out he killed a fellow patient while there. An old family secret.

One of my clients is right there. They sell software to churches. Are you a planner in government down there? I consult with the COG there for maybe 10 years now.

Yep..always liked to go to Young's. This past week I got another company's Pecan-goods magazine. Someplace from down state. I guess Young's sold my name. I know downtown is kind of dead but I love working in Florence. My clients are located around I95 at I-20, or at the Darlington Hwy. So easy to get around. And good people to work with. Hey TheBarb20, is crime really a big problem there? I'd never heard that. Is the problem just downtown ?