Columbia Economic Notes

[waccamatt]

In todays paper there's a article saying the old fire department in the vista has been bought and is going to be turned into a museum with a six story condo tower to be added.

Yes, and there is another war between Columbia and Greenville in the comments section. There is an awful lot of animosity between our 2 cities. I think some stems from the Carolina/Clemson rivalry and some stems from the fact the 2 cities are politically diametrically opposed to one another. Any other thoughts on why all the animosity? I think most of you know how I feel about Greenville's politics.

Back to the project...this is a spectacular plan to reuse the old Fire Station and it is so generous of Capitol Places to want to move the Fire Museum back to the old headquarters, it will have so many more visitors there.

Edited July 13, 2006 by waccamatt

[sonofaque86]

Greenville is so conservative and Columbia is so liberal? I dunno. lol

It's got to be pure jealousy....EVERYTIME something positive is mentioned in Columbia some idiot brings up Greenville....WTF? What the heck do they have to do whats going in the Metside?

Edited July 13, 2006 by sonofaque86

[krazeeboi]

I guess it's because both cities are somewhat neck and neck and both want to be on top. Interestingly enough, Charleston never gets into the fray.

[803metlife]

I really don't understand it. I agree with you Krazeeboi charleston don't seem to have this problem. I never here anybody in Columbia say anything at all about Greenville. But believe every state has something like this going on. I know at one time D.C. and Baltimore had a big rivalry going on. Raleigh and Charlotte experience the same thing.So it's normal.

[The_sandlapper]

Yeah In all my years growing up in Columbia I never gave Greenville a second thought. I always saw Charleston though as being more similar in size, and mindset to Columbia. I always thought of Greenville as just being a little larger version of Spartanburg at that time cities were only about 10K in population apart (Sparkle 40K, GreenV 50K). But that's just how I thought while growing up. Not sure why there is so much animosity between the two cities I'm sure Carolina/Clemson has quite a bit to do with it. I'm sure that Midland vs. Upstate rivalries wont die. It's funny I always felt like I grew up in the right area of the state seeing how one parent was from the Upstate and the other was from the Lowcountry "go fig". I do know life in Greenville was alot different for me than living in Columbia. And of both cities vibes I prefer that of Columbia. "No extra chare".

[krazeeboi]

Actually, come to think about it, that piece in The State about the new ballpark in Greenville was kind of like the catalyst that set some of this off. The article basically tried to portray Columbia as having lacked vision and Greenville as being more progressive; of course, that put all of the Columbians on the defensive.

[Spartan]

You know krazee, I think you are on to something there.

[krazeeboi]

OK E.M., when can we expect to hear something about the new hotel in the Vista? Can a brotha at least get a brand name?

[sojay]

I just got an email from COR, Columbia Opportunity Resource, about a new lecture series envisioning the future of Columbia beginning July 19 at the Summit Club. The series is sponsored by First Citizen's Bank and the Moore School of Business Center for Manufacturing and Technology and will last one year. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. and costs only $5 for non-COR members. The series is called Columbia 20/20. Topics will include alternative fuels, health care, transportation and the city's economy. On the 19th, they will discuss "The Anti-Sprawl: Columbia's rapid and concentrated growth." They will be focusing on the new life being created in downtown Columbia. Visit their website for more information. I think it's [email protected].

Thanks for pointing this out. I plan to go tomorrow. Not that I think I'll learn more about Cola developments than from UP...

Here's their site:

http://www.ourcor.com/events/

registration is not yet closed.

[krazeeboi]

Take a camera just in case they have some renderings there that we haven't seen yet (e.g., Kline project).

[waccamatt]

This is a small development, but one that was mentioned earlier in this thread. Pre-sales have begun on Stadium-View Condos off Rosewood Drive next to the Hendley Homes redevelopment.

http://www.thefowlerco.com/

[krazeeboi]

Finally, we find something out.

I hope more detailed renderings are provided soon. As is, the project looks like extremely bland apartments.

[GamecockEngineer]

Finally, we find something out.

I hope more detailed renderings are provided soon. As is, the project looks like extremely bland apartments.

Yes... almost depressing. It looks like the ones you can expect drugs to be dealt out of in 5 to 10 years.

[BrasilnSC]

Oh my, those look really crappy . Are there anymore renderings? Affordable housing doesn't have to look so affordable. With a name like Stadium View Condominium you expect something a little more innovative.

[Spartan]

Oh my, those look really crappy . Are there anymore renderings? Affordable housing doesn't have to look so affordable.

Lol, that is true. it looks like something out of the 70s.

[BrasilnSC]

I'm surprised no one has chimmed in about USC's energy plant on Sumter and Whaley.

The State

While I think this is a cool idea that USC is trying to reduce dependence on foreign oil, I can't help but think what kind of negative impact it will have on the area. USC should definetely add the scrubbers to the plant to reduce pollution. And what about all the truck traffic carrying wood chips to the plant?

[GamecockEngineer]

I'm surprised no one has chimmed in about USC's energy plant on Sumter and Whaley.

The State

While I think this is a cool idea that USC is trying to reduce dependence on foreign oil, I can't help but think what kind of negative impact it will have on the area. USC should definetely add the scrubbers to the plant to reduce pollution. And what about all the truck traffic carrying wood chips to the plant?

We talked about it in my Sustainable Engineering class, and I think the State/Neighbors are making it sound much worse than it will be. The particulate matter won't be noticable. And if for some reason it does become a problem, DHEC will make the university clean it up. DHEC's standards are based on EPA standars, which the facility is meeting.

The real people who should be upset are the engineering students, because now they truely have no parking. There's not even a close parking garage. I'm glad I've graduated.

Edited July 19, 2006 by GamecockEngineer

[BrasilnSC]

As a former USC engineering student, I know what you mean. That dirt parking lot was a complete mess, but it was the only place we could really park without having to look for quarters. I don't know what students are going to do now.

[Spartan]

As a former USC engineering student, I know what you mean. That dirt parking lot was a complete mess, but it was the only place we could really park without having to look for quarters. I don't know what students are going to do now.

They'll have to pay for a spot in a garage, look for those quarters, or park below he coliseum and take the shuttle.

[krazeeboi]

Here is Columbia's economic performance summary from a U.S. Conference of Mayors report:

[Chi2Midlands]

Work will commence soon on the Inferno arena in Lexington County.

CAE lands new, non-stop flights to Chicago. The flights will be timed to connect with nonstop service to Shanghai. Good to see Columbia beefing up the airport a bit.

As a native Chicagoan I'm also happy to see . As a transplanted Midlander (is that the term?) it's also good to see this flight is targeted towards burgeoning foreign investment in SC and the Midlands in particular. I would imagine this "Shanghai connection timing" is at least partially due to the Haier (Chinese appliance manufacturer) plant in Camden. This is probably common at a lot of "foreign branch plant" cities across the Sunbelt. I'm sure, for example, that one of the US Airways flights from Greenville-Spartanburg to Charlotte is specfically timed to connect with the Lufthansa (US Airways alliance partner) flight to Munich (BMW's headquarters).

[Chi2Midlands]

I loved Chicago! Pound for pound a great large city! I just got back from there a couple of weeks ago we stayed in Skokie but we just took the metra into town. Hopefully I will be able to call it my next home soon!

Great to hear you had a good time in Chicago. I was actually raised in Skokie. Did you actually take the Metra (commuter rail), where the nearest stations are in adjacent Evanston or Morton Grove, or the CTA "El" (elevated) train (from Skokie it's the Yellow Line on Dempster Street - about a mile from my parents' house).

If you had to move, I suppose I should be happy it's my hometown!

[BrasilnSC]

The Free-Times reports a streetscaping project on Wheat St. will be done by USC, from the 1100 to the 1500 block (Assembly to Pickens St.) The project will be limited in scope and will include repaving, adding bike lanes, new sidewalk, trees, bus stops, and benches. It will cost $2 million, bids will go out in August, and will take about a year to complete.

[The_sandlapper]

Great to hear you had a good time in Chicago. I was actually raised in Skokie. Did you actually take the Metra (commuter rail), where the nearest stations are in adjacent Evanston or Morton Grove, or the CTA "El" (elevated) train (from Skokie it's the Yellow Line on Dempster Street - about a mile from my parents' house).

If you had to move, I suppose I should be happy it's my hometown!

We took the Metra from Evanston (purple line), can't think of the street but it was afew blocks away from Northwestern U. We liked the Skokie/Evanston area. I was surprised to see how much it reminded me of a typical suburb kinda city Skokie more so than Evanston, but we really had a great time, and we'll be back! I'm looking into working at Evanston Northwestern Hospital, and my girl is looking into working at National Louis University

Edited July 22, 2006 by The_sandlapper

[waccamatt]

I drove by the Palmetto Building today and work seems to be progressing nicely on its conversion to a Sheraton Boutique Hotel. There is now a banner on the building stating that the grand opening will be in Spring 2007. I can't wait!