Innovista

[krazeeboi]

^What do you mean? Innovista has already gotten off the ground. I wouldn't be worried about a little delay; that's pretty standard these days, especially when the the situation is complicated by a new developer working with an existing one. I'm hopeful about this one.

[CorgiMatt]

I'm hopeful, too, but the two new guys said we'd see a building coming out of the ground within four weeks and that was about two months ago. I keep hoping each day to see a breaking news story about construction starting.

[Spartan]

Construction projects get delayed all the time. I'm not worried about it. This one has USC involved, so its more insulated from the current market conditions than most projects.

[krazeeboi]

The contract for the new partners stipulates that they will be fired if they don't begin construction of the buildings within 120 days, so they've got until November to get something started.

[CorgiMatt]

Construction on Horizon II will begin next week. Blue Cross & Blue Shield is joining IBM as a tenant.

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/573233.html

[Spartan]

SCBCBS needs to relocate its entire operation downtown

I'm glad that USC is getting well established companies like IBM and BCBS as tennants. That makes me much more optimistic about the whole thing.

[krazeeboi]

What is BCBS doing in Innovista?

[CorgiMatt]

What is BCBS doing in Innovista?

Joining IBM as a tenant in Horizon II, which will begin construction next week.

[803metlife]

I'm glad to see this finally materialize to something . I know it was stalled for a minute and the economy didn't make things any better. Just glad to see the ball starting to move again

[Spartan]

What is BCBS doing in Innovista?

Didn't some insurance software company move into Innovista? I'm sure its all tied to that.

[krazeeboi]

^True.

I wonder why the article said that this new development signals Innovista landing its first private tenant when Duck Creek, the first company to sign on as a tenant (the first insurance software firm), is a private company?

[CorgiMatt]

Not to be cynical, but the writer of the article used to say Meridian was 16 stories tall when it is 17 stories tall, and in last Sunday's articles about Main Street he said it was 18 stories. He also keeps saying the Tower at Main & Gervais will be 17 stories when I thought the final number was 18. Who knows. Horizon II might not even get underway next week.

[krazeeboi]

I don't think the writers at The State do their homework all the time. The Tower at Main and Gervais will be 17 stories (I think they've been getting that right lately) and they keep saying that the renovated 701 Whaley building will be home to the first artist-in-residency program in the state when other such programs already exist within the state.

[Spartan]

Well, the shoddy reporting is just a trend in most newspapers these days. The State is still by far the best paper in SC, IMO. I'm not sure what that says about the rest.

[Secret Agent]

I'm hopeful, too, but the two new guys said we'd see a building coming out of the ground within four weeks and that was about two months ago. I keep hoping each day to see a breaking news story about construction starting.

As someone who knows these guys, I wouldn't be too optimistic.

[CorgiMatt]

It was supposed to get started this week. I rode past there today. Nothing.

[krazeeboi]

As someone who knows these guys, I wouldn't be too optimistic.

They can't be any worse than Craig Davis. It's nearly impossible.

[Spartan]

Innovista just signed a contract with KIRCO, a commercial real estate developer, to build Horizon II.

USC Article

[CorgiMatt]

That discussion began on October 31st. Look back.

[CorgiMatt]

Several construction workers are on the site and a small bulldozer is moving dirt. I just rode past there.

[krazeeboi]

Well that's a good sign.

[Ronak]

Looks like Blue Cross Blue Shield will be funding a new research program in Innovista:

http://www.thestate.com/local/story/624911.html

Some good news after Intel and DuckCreek fell through.

[krazeeboi]

I didn't even know that Duck Creek fell through.

Craig Davis really cost Innovista some jobs by not having the buildings up according to the original timetable. Just goes to show that it's not always the case that a successful venture in one place can be replicated in another, at least not by the same person.

[Spartan]

I didn't know that Intel fell through. That was a key player, IMO. We need more big time companies like that. No offense to BCBS, but they aren't quite at that level.

Its unfortunate that this is trying to get started in this economy. Hopefully once the economy picks back up we will see new interest.

[krazeeboi]

According to a more detailed article in The State, eleven companies, universities and other organizations will participate in the partnership to do research and train specialists on mainframe computers in a first-in-the-nation program. Headed by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and IBM, the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management would also include Clemson University, Furman University and UNC-Charlotte as well as private firms.