Historic Congaree Vista Developments

[TheCarolinaKing]

Definately prefer our design compared to that stucco mess. Still need a few more stories!

[JT Boy]

Precisely. While we tend to complain about the overabudance of "Vista brick" on the exterior of many of the Vista's buildings, brick is an authentic exterior building material. Here are various examples of SpringHill Suites I googled:

The only other SpringHill that I could see that used brick extensively for the exterior is this one in Pittsburgh, and I think the one in Columbia will look much better:

All in all, I think this will be a good job for a chain that really knows nothing other than a dull, generic suburban design.

thanks for the online research Krazee. I believe I have stayed at the Springhill in Pittsburgh. It is a very pleasant building in a great neighborhood and adjacent to their new baseball stadium. The rooms their were huge and the staff was very friendly.

[Spartan]

Ok, three things-

1) I think this hotel rendering is not accurate. There is no way the intersection seen in the foreground is Huger & Lady, because if you look in the background you can see the corner of Pulaski & Lady. The depth of that block is not right. You can only see three cars parked next to that building, and you can see the scale relative to the person in the rendering as well. It just doesn't add up. Can someone clarify where exactly this building will be located on the parcel?

2) I still see a very suburban mind set here. Firstly, you can't really tell where the main entrance is- and what is that weird door at the corner next to the yellow sign?

3) I thought Lady Street was going to be a retail corridor? This thing will not help that. It needs to have retail space on the ground floor. The Hampton Inn is a huge gap on Gervais St, and that same mistake shouldn't have been allowed. A design like this along Pulaski would be ok, since that is not a retail corridor.

[krazeeboi]

1) I think this hotel rendering is not accurate. There is no way the intersection seen in the foreground is Huger & Lady, because if you look in the background you can see the corner of Pulaski & Lady. The depth of that block is not right. You can only see three cars parked next to that building, and you can see the scale relative to the person in the rendering as well. It just doesn't add up. Can someone clarify where exactly this building will be located on the parcel?

The rendering may not be 100% to scale, but this is indeed at the corner of Huger and Lady because you can see Renaissance Plaza to the right. Pulaski sits right between the two.

2) I still see a very suburban mind set here. Firstly, you can't really tell where the main entrance is- and what is that weird door at the corner next to the yellow sign?

I saw the main entrance plainly when I first saw the rendering: it faces Huger on the same section where the big "SpringHill Suites" sign is.

3) I thought Lady Street was going to be a retail corridor? This thing will not help that. It needs to have retail space on the ground floor. The Hampton Inn is a huge gap on Gervais St, and that same mistake shouldn't have been allowed. A design like this along Pulaski would be ok, since that is not a retail corridor.

That's a good point, but I'm not sure if retail was as much of a priority on this end of Lady Street (it's at the same end where Trustus is, right across the street--a non-retail, more industrial area). I think the idea is to try to concentrate the retail towards the middle, particularly with the Shoppes at Lady development.

[CorgiMatt]

Ok, three things-

1) I think this hotel rendering is not accurate. There is no way the intersection seen in the foreground is Huger & Lady, because if you look in the background you can see the corner of Pulaski & Lady. The depth of that block is not right. You can only see three cars parked next to that building, and you can see the scale relative to the person in the rendering as well. It just doesn't add up. Can someone clarify where exactly this building will be located on the parcel?

2) I still see a very suburban mind set here. Firstly, you can't really tell where the main entrance is- and what is that weird door at the corner next to the yellow sign?

3) I thought Lady Street was going to be a retail corridor? This thing will not help that. It needs to have retail space on the ground floor. The Hampton Inn is a huge gap on Gervais St, and that same mistake shouldn't have been allowed. A design like this along Pulaski would be ok, since that is not a retail corridor.

I agree, Spartan. The buildings starting at the corner in the background are Renaissance Plaza. That would mean the hotel would be pushed way back from Huger and that Huger and Lady would not have an urban design. I don't think there's any way they would allow that given the placement of all the other buildings that have been built recently and given the guidelines themselves. I think that was a very early conceptual drawing that was done before the hotel company realized they had to be urban, not suburban, in the Vista.

[Captain Worley]

Now if something get down with the old Kline Steel site...

There was a mini excavator parked on the Kline site this afternoon. Not that you could accomplish a whole lot with it.

Every time I see a peice of construction equipment there, it is just one unit and it is just sitting.

[Spartan]

The rendering may not be 100% to scale, but this is indeed at the corner of Huger and Lady because you can see Renaissance Plaza to the right. Pulaski sits right between the two.

I saw the main entrance plainly when I first saw the rendering: it faces Huger on the same section where the big "SpringHill Suites" sign is.

That's a good point, but I'm not sure if retail was as much of a priority on this end of Lady Street (it's at the same end where Trustus is, right across the street--a non-retail, more industrial area). I think the idea is to try to concentrate the retail towards the middle, particularly with the Shoppes at Lady development.

Ok. I can live with this being a poor rendering. It means, though, that we can't be 100% sure of how it sits on that block (unless y'all have more detailed information). IMO it looks like it will just be on the wooded corner.

[krazeeboi]

Well, I have the actual renderings (there was another where the solid brick panels with the signage also had the two-tone design like the others, and I'm glad that they didn't go with that one--it was a bit too monotonous) and the site plan in my possession. If you look at the Norfolk hotel I posted a picture of earlier, that's pretty much how this one will be laid out--an "L" shape, with the shorter side facing Lady. Also, if you look closely at the rendering, the panel with the main signage on it facing Huger is actually a little more pronounced than the others, indicating that it is the pedestrian-oriented main entrance. The covered entrance for cars is on the back side, facing Pulaski, as someone else mentioned.

[Spartan]

I see. I think that makes sense. Can you share the site plan?

[CarolinaSouth]

This is for the people trying to figure out the exact area the hotel is suppose to be located at.....the top righthand corner of the picture below covered in trees...

I think this is waccamatt's picture from a Krazze Boi thread on skyscraperpage.com

Edited March 7, 2008 by CarolinaSouth

[Spartan]

My concern is not on what block its located, but how its situated within the block. The rendering wasn't very clear. You can see that block very clearly on the maps.live.com Bird's Eye View feature.

[waccamatt]

This is for the people trying to figure out the exact area the hotel is suppose to be located at.....the top righthand corner of the picture below covered in trees...

I think this is waccamatt's picture from a Krazze Boi thread on skyscraperpage.com

It's funny how we all get around to all of the urban/skyscraper/city data sites, isn't it?

[krazeeboi]

I see. I think that makes sense. Can you share the site plan?

If I can get access to a scanner, I most certainly will.

[CorgiMatt]

I think this hotel fits nicely with the surrounding buildings. Hopefully it'll look much better than the rendering. I would also have liked to see the main entrance at the corner of Huger and Lady, but most hotels have a covered drive up area at their main entrance. I wouldn't want to see the curb cuts at this location. Perhaps having two entrances, a smaller pedestrian only entrance at this corner and the drive up entrance in the back.

There is a structure going up on Taylor St, next to the Congaree building (which is at the SE corner of Huger and Taylor). Anyone know what's going up there?

That structure will be the headquarters of the South Carolina Association of Automotive Dealers. The elevation along Hampton Street (not Taylor Street) will be two floors, and along Pulaski two and a half with a lower level at the bottom of the hill. The building will be of neoclassical style.

Edited March 9, 2008 by CorgiMatt

[krazeeboi]

I emailed Danny Hood, the developer for the Lofts at Printer's Square, about the status of that project. Here's his reply:

I'm happy to report that it is definitely a GO! We were supposed to begin demolition and site preparation on April 1. However, the current owner...Eye On Gervais...is having to be relocated, and their temporary location will not be ready for another week or two. At this time, we plan to begin demolition and site preparation around May 1...after Dr. Loftis has moved.

I thought for sure this one would have fallen victim to the housing downturn, but I guess not. It's good that this one is still on the books; hopefully it does well. Just in case anyone forgot what this project looked like:

[waccamatt]

I'm glad to see the Lofts are still on track. Although i'd never be able to afford to live there, I think they will add a lot of color to that part of The Vista.

[BrasilnSC]

That's good news, I for sure thought this was dead. I would love to see a more detailed/newer rendering. It looks like there will be a good bit of street level retail, hope it's still part of the plan.

Edited April 8, 2008 by BrasilnSC

[emerging.me]

This is a surprise. I wish them the best of course, but I'd have bet against it. It'll be interesting to see what happens...

Edited April 8, 2008 by emerging.me

[dobboard]

Great news. This project will have a very positive impact on the lower portion of Lady Street. Coupled with the new hotel going up across the street, there will be a significant transformation of that area in the year to come.

Personally, I love the design of the new building as well.

[Captain Worley]

I'm with emerging.me on this one. I think it is too expensive for what it is.

[waccamatt]

I'm with emerging.me on this one. I think it is too expensive for what it is.

They had one unit listed at $1.4 million. I'm obviously in the wrong line of work.

[krazeeboi]

^Yeah, I think that one is the penthouse.

[Captain Worley]

It was, but still. A penthouse on a four story building is not all that impressive. And it was something like 2200 square feet.

[krazeeboi]

^True; typically one of the perks for living in a penthouse is an up high view. I suppose this one will make up in amenities what it lacks in view.

Anyone know precisely when Center Vista is supposed to break ground? I know the last bit of info released said the 2nd quarter of 2008, but I was wondering if anyone had anything more specific.

[krazeeboi]

Got some more information about Center Vista. The development group has a LOI (letter of intent) signed with a national restaurant and are others are in negotiations. They have a contract signed for a full floor office user as well. As of now, plans are to break ground in the third quarter.