Columbia Economic Notes

[CorgiMatt]

The current Greater Columbia Businiess Monthly magazine has a couple of good articles this month. In late October the new fountain sculpture that will be postcard material will be placed on Boyd Plaza at the Columbia Museum of art. It will be 24 feet tall and will have multiple water features, as well as lots of color. The water will turn off and on in cycles. It will be contemporary and will compliment the architecture of the museum.

Another article is about the success and feedback from the International Downtown Association's 2006 conference held in Columbia. The follow-up surveys have been overwhelmingly positive. One comment came from someone who went off on their own to visit Hilton Head and Charleston during the weekend. When they came back they said Columbia's hospitality was better and seemed more genuine. Many comments came from people who were pleasantly surprised at Columbia's success and progress with downtown developments.

[CorgiMatt]

John Paul Armadillo steak restaurant on Assembly Street has closed. A sign on the door says a seafood restaurant by the Garibaldi Group is opening there in Jan. 07. Also, the wings restaurant that is taking Meritage's place on Lady St. looks to be putting a front porch on as part of its renovations.

[803metlife]

The current Greater Columbia Businiess Monthly magazine has a couple of good articles this month. In late October the new fountain sculpture that will be postcard material will be placed on Boyd Plaza at the Columbia Museum of art. It will be 24 feet tall and will have multiple water features, as well as lots of color. The water will turn off and on in cycles. It will be contemporary and will compliment the architecture of the museum.

Sounds nice!!! 24ft that's pretty tall ... I could only begin to imagine something such as this

[krazeeboi]

^I posted a rendering of the sculpture some time ago somewhere on this forum. I didn't expect it to be that tall either. I wonder where exactly it will go so as to not be so overwhelming?

It's good that positive feedback was received from the IDA meeting. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to go over as well as it could have since several projects that were initially slated to be completed or under construction by the time the convention came to Columbia had been postponed/delayed.

[CorgiMatt]

This isn't exactly about a new Columbia area development, but yesterday they weed-ate the entire Kline block and made it look a lot neater. It shows they are thinking about their property. Who knows - it might even mean they are planning to have something there soon like an unveiling. That's just conjecture and wishful thinking on my part. The last mention of a time table that I heard was from one of the developers who said they were working for a 2007 ground-breaking.

[CorgiMatt]

A developer is proposing a 288-home development near the Broad River to replace Roosevelt Village. He wants to annex into the city. The parcel of land is west of Eau Claire and east of the Broad, adjacent to Earlewood. The State has an article about it today.

[shahram72]

Couldn't find this on the state.com. Do they plan to condemn the existing property there?

[CorgiMatt]

Couldn't find this on the state.com. Do they plan to condemn the existing property there?

It's already condemned and vacated. It was Roosevelt Village, a crime-infested Richland County problem area adjacent to the city.

[shahram72]

DUH! Now I remember. It's those buildings in the back, not the SFR's. My father-in-law is building some little homes in there on some lots I found for him. He made em' work somehow. You guys may have noticed them if you drove through. Right on Pearl off River Dr. The neighbors love it as it adds some new life. He has tried to buy more lots, but some fool saw what he was doing and now has one lot listed for 20K. What a joke!

It's already condemned and vacated. It was Roosevelt Village, a crime-infested Richland County problem area adjacent to the city.

[emerging.me]

DUH! Now I remember. It's those buildings in the back, not the SFR's. My father-in-law is building some little homes in there on some lots I found for him. He made em' work somehow. You guys may have noticed them if you drove through. Right on Pearl off River Dr. The neighbors love it as it adds some new life. He has tried to buy more lots, but some fool saw what he was doing and now has one lot listed for 20K. What a joke!

I saw those listed a while back... they're a steal, right? Like 5-10K or something?

This is great news for the neighborhood! I hope the new development happens.

[shahram72]

I saw those listed a while back... they're a steal, right? Like 5-10K or something?

This is great news for the neighborhood! I hope the new development happens.

He paid much less, but they were not buildable without a fight, so he was taking a risk on otherwise "worthless" property. Now they're worth something. I wish I could buy one of the run down houses there. Have tried, owners seem content having boarded up houses and paying taxes on them.

[803metlife]

A developer is proposing a 288-home development near the Broad River to replace Roosevelt Village. He wants to annex into the city. The parcel of land is west of Eau Claire and east of the Broad, adjacent to Earlewood. The State has an article about it today.

I saw this article in the paper some time back. The guy who's doing this project is a lawyer.

[waccamatt]

I saw this article in the paper some time back. The guy who's doing this project is a lawyer.

Steve Benjamin; he ran for Attorney General against Airhead McMaster in 2002.

[CorgiMatt]

The State reports today that Columbia City Council has given preliminary approval to the 288-home development that will replace Roosevelt Village, or at least part of it. The city doesn't know how it will pay for 1.8 million or so in public utility upgrades, as it plans to annex the site.

Also, I see a sign on the Governor's House Hotel at Main and Lady that says Rodeway Inn coming soon.

[krazeeboi]

I already thought there was a Rodeway Inn there, in the same building with the Chick-Fil-A (in that God-awful ugly brown color)?

Edited September 9, 2006 by krazeeboi

[mcashlv]

Looks awful, a throwback to 1972 cheap prefab.

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/

[waccamatt]

Looks awful, a throwback to 1972 cheap prefab.

LOL, that's how they made them affordable, they used old blueprints!

[GamecockEngineer]

Looks awful, a throwback to 1972 cheap prefab.

I saw these last time I was in Cola. They aren't new buildings, just renovated 1972 prefab that someone is marketing to USC students

[803metlife]

^Forgive me for being nit picky, but the title of that article should've been Town Homes Offered to Low Income Residents rather than poor.

Other than that, I think the proposal is an excellent idea.

I agree with you Hammettm they could have used Low Income residents instead of poor. They also used the same word on the 11oclock news report.

[krazeeboi]

I also agree about the wording. But it's the concept that's important. It's also good to see this coming from the private sector.

[BrasilnSC]

I saw these last time I was in Cola. They aren't new buildings, just renovated 1972 prefab that someone is marketing to USC students

I think I know which ones you are talking about. On Marion St. right? If so, thank God, I was hoping nothing that hideous was going to be a new project.

Staying in the vicinity, they are definitely starting to move some dirt at Rosewood Hills (after months of delay), but that's about it.

Edited September 14, 2006 by BrasilnSC

[sonofaque86]

The state plans to connect Shop Rd. to Garners Ferry Rd. by 2010. Making it four lanes and hopes to atrract more growth in the area.

[sonofaque86]

Just updating the completed projects!

Blue = Proposed

Green = Under Construction

Red = Completed

First Citizens Tower downtown

Main Street Beautification downtown

CanalSide

Kline Iron and Steel site office buildings

The Spur at Williams-Brice

Gameday Condos near USC

Hardee Expressway (airport area)

The Village at Sandhill (huge development)

Lexington Medical Center second tower

Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital Heart surgery wing

Palmetto Richland Hospital in Irmo

Providence Hospital NE expansion

Harden St/Five Points beautification

Lady Street (Vista) beautification

Renaissance Plaza in the Vista

New USC School of Public Health

Convention Center Hilton Vista/Downtown (land clearing underway, design approval pending)

USC Research Campus (two 5-story office bldgs to begin construction soon)

Benedict College football stadium and wellness center

Two Notch Road widening

Blythewood High School

Congaree Village on WC riverbank

The City Club condos/townhouses across from State Museum

State Hospital Site

Canal Front Development

Edited September 14, 2006 by sonofaque86

[krazeeboi]

A few corrections/additions:

CanalSide is officially under construction. The Spur at Williams-Brice is not quite completed yet. Carolina Walk and the Gates at Williams-Brice should be on the list as under construction. I'm not sure of the status of Stadium Village Lofts. City Club is under construction. Adesso and the Hilton convention center hotel should be on the list as well. Man, it's just too much stuff, I'm going to stop right there.

[BryCola]

"I'm not sure of the status of Stadium Village Lofts."

I took a tour of Stadium Village Lofts about 2 weeks ago. Phase 1 is completed, and phase 2 has just begun. VERY impressive inside also. I REALLY loved the 1 bedroom condo...it had a HUGE great room, with a 14 foot ceiling...but when she said the price for that one started at $389,000...I felt like appologizing for wasting her time.