A new tower for Columbia?

[pricemiller]

I received an e-mail from SCANA and they said they will do what is "best for their customers" in terms of locating offices. Does this mean they will do the cheapest? i do not know. IMO, it would be good for the customers to have a strong, central urban core supported & inhabited by the companies the area.

[Mr.Marc]

What's best for their customer's is for them to make their presence known. They could really stick out their chests by building a tower with thier moniker slapped on it. SCANA is the only Fortune 500 company in Columbia (the last time I checked) and it needs to start acting like it.

Hek, I didn't even know that SCANA was in the Wachovia building until recently.

[The_sandlapper]

Hell SCANA is the only fortune 500 company in the state. SONOCO may be the other but SC is lacking representation.

[krazeeboi]

Yeah, SC only has about 2 or 3 F500's. We definitely need to step it up a couple of notches.

But SCANA definitely sounds like it will be relocating to the 'burbs, no question.

[Spartan]

That sounds like a generic response to me. They are definately moving out. Its ok though. I am certain that more companies will come along.

[CorgiMatt]

I received an e-mail from SCANA and they said they will do what is "best for their customers" in terms of locating offices. Does this mean they will do the cheapest? i do not know. IMO, it would be good for the customers to have a strong, central urban core supported & inhabited by the companies the area.

I they do move, maybe someone will buy the buidling and put some decent looking windows in it to bring it out. Except for when the sun hits it a certain way at certain times of day, tha building is so drab. But new windows could make all the difference. It would be like a new tower for Columbia.

[pricemiller]

What's best for their customer's is for them to make their presence known. They could really stick out their chests by building a tower with thier moniker slapped on it. SCANA is the only Fortune 500 company in Columbia (the last time I checked) and it needs to start acting like it.

I agreed totally with your comments.

[smithc57]

I would also like to see a new tower in downtown columbia. I think it should be constructed somewhere between the old Southtrust and Wachovia buildings.

[emerging.me]

Something mid-rise like this would be pretty hot on South Main... it would fit with the whole neo-traditional theme they'll have going with innovista, but give it a little modern twist...

[Spartan]

I really like that^

[The_sandlapper]

Yeah that's a pretty cool building!

[krazeeboi]

Yeah, that's really cool. I like the brick and glass facade.

[krazeeboi]

This is the 34-story, 490 ft Granby Tower coming to Norfolk. Something like this could definitely serve as a nice centerpiece to Columbia's downtown (picture courtesy of forumer vdogg):

[waccamatt]

This is the 34-story, 490 ft Granby Tower coming to Norfolk. Something like this could definitely serve as a nice centerpiece to Columbia's downtown (picture courtesy of forumer vdogg):

It would, and the name would fit, too. It looks like a dwarf ESB.

[krazeeboi]

^Yeah, it does. And the thing is, it's a residential tower.

[Firefox]

it just baffles me why we can't get a tall residental building, granted Columbia has alot but I think our new tallest should be something like, maybe mixed use with office or why not a W hotel or Westin.

[krazeeboi]

The downtown condo market is still in its early stages, so it would be really risky for a developer to propose something like that right now. Give the market some time to prove itself, and perhaps something may be proposed within the next 5-10 years.

As for a Westin or W hotel, I'm hoping one will come to the Kline development.

[TheSuperPope]

Why does it have to be a condo tower? I say that we build the next tallest off of Sumter at Senate (near Claire tower); make the tower a mixed use in that it has restaraunts and some national clothing chains on the bottom few floors and then apartments and maybe offices above. Market the tower towards the USC crowd (anyone ever heard of Cornell Arms?) and maybe even throw in like 8-10 floors of condos on top for the professors who simply have way too much money that can then overlook the horseshoe and central campus.

I really just don't see why Columbia keeps marketing all this new housing in the city towards the upper echelon of society. Throw up some high rise apartment buildings around USC and I will personally promise that they wont be a flop at all.

[krazeeboi]

I agree, a mixed-use tower would be the way to go, but you still have to consider the state of the downtown office, hotel, and condo markets at this point. There is still a lot of absorption that needs to take place before any developer would even seriously think about building a high-rise mixed-use tower; maybe a mid-rise of about 10-15 floors would be more feasible for the near future. And whatever the case, I should hope that the scope would go well beyond the USC crowd. I think there's more than enough housing planned or under construction right now that centers around those affiliated with USC. It would also help Columbia get beyond the perception that it's "USCville."

[TheSuperPope]

I agree entirely that we need to get beyond USC, but all of the housing developments across Columbia for USC are very sprawlicious (Ie University commons, college suites, all the new ones across the river). I say that Columbia embraces the USC crowd for what it is. Build a tower, even if it is only 10-15 floors, on main or sumter, include some restaurants in it and maybe a store or two and then boom you have foot traffic on Main (i don't know about the other USC students on here, but in my opinion no self-respecting student would drive from Main or Sumter to class. I wouldn't dare move my car to go three or four blocks just to have to park it just as far away and walk to class. Beyond that, then USC could run its shuttle service up main enhancing the street even more)

But today while taking my International Law test I realized the flaw in my arguement... i keep asking for Cola to build this tower or others. The city shouldn't be required or even expected to build anything (other than infrastructure and offices).

[krazeeboi]

As far as USC-oriented housing, I'm also talking about private developments that appeal to those affiliated with USC in addition to those owned by the university, such as the slew of newly-built gameday condos, Adesso, the new honors buildings that will go up on the site of the Honeycombs, and even Greek Village.

Saying that "Columbia should build such-and-such" is just shorthand for saying that a private developer should build such-and-such in Columbia.

[Mr.Marc]

As for a Westin or W hotel, I'm hoping one will come to the Kline development.

That's a good idea. It would also be easily accessible to out-of-towners via I-126.

[TheCarolinaKing]

I'd love to see one of those two hotes come here! I also hope the crown plaza comes through

[vdogg]

I agree entirely that we need to get beyond USC, but all of the housing developments across Columbia for USC are very sprawlicious (Ie University commons, college suites, all the new ones across the river). I say that Columbia embraces the USC crowd for what it is. Build a tower, even if it is only 10-15 floors, on main or sumter, include some restaurants in it and maybe a store or two and then boom you have foot traffic on Main (i don't know about the other USC students on here, but in my opinion no self-respecting student would drive from Main or Sumter to class. I wouldn't dare move my car to go three or four blocks just to have to park it just as far away and walk to class. Beyond that, then USC could run its shuttle service up main enhancing the street even more)

But today while taking my International Law test I realized the flaw in my arguement... i keep asking for Cola to build this tower or others. The city shouldn't be required or even expected to build anything (other than infrastructure and offices).

Not to butt in here, but I couldn't help but notice the conversation shift towards the need for urban housing around universities. We have the University Village under construction here in Norfolk (around ODU). While there are no towers (and none are planned) the dense low to mid-rise town center really helps lend a community feel to the area and probably would work for USC as well. You would think that colleges would be the first to pioneer urban development around their campuses, but this is not usually the case.

[BrasilnSC]

Hmmm, that looks very similar to a massive project that is under way right now in Columbia as part of the USC campus.