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I agree the new developments are great. It will be nice to have the capital city with a downtown everyone can be proud of. I am shocked however to see that people think Main Street is "back" after one retailer, one new restaurant and a still to be renovated theater which are sprinkled among the empty office lobbies, wig shops and transition shelters. There is still a long way to go before Main Street is truely "back". If the current developments are considered "back", then maybe the bar is set too low?
Will the Oliver Gospel Mission be moving? Isn't it right across Taylor Street from the back door of Mast General?
Interesting comments upstate, you can always look at things many different ways. For example, one could ask why you are so excited about Washington Square when at 20 stories, would not be noticable in a lot of skylines. And, in a lot of cities, tax revenue is often used from commercial developments to finance museums/public spaces instead of using "Special" financing so that you can provide cheap rent to retailers. Don't get me wrong, it should be a nice project but, since you are bringing up a low bar, maybe you are shooting for low targets.
Besides, in addition to the recent Columbia developments, The Meridian at 17 stories, Main & Gervais at 17 stories and First Citizens all have been completed within the past few years.
Oh, well... There's a lot further to go than I thought if we're waiting for all of downtown to transition from parking lots and aged garages to activity and usefulness. If THAT truly is the goal, then the City is spreading itself way too thin. If that's your personal goal, then you're going to be unsatisfied for a long time, unless something drastic happens. There's already work that needs to be addressed in current entertainment districts. You lose focus, and we've seen what happens: Main Street.
I am still not sure why you and gsupstate post so often on Columbia forums. Since you are from Greenville and talking about parking lots, when will Academy and Spring St be cleared of the Wal Mart type parking lots? And, you can always enjoy looking at the large parking lot coming over the Church St Bridge. And, when you look out across Main from the Nantucket Grill, you can also enjoy a nice parking lot. Not sure what the point of your post is but, southern cities have parking lots for a reason, they have developed with the car in mind.
Unfortunately, in larger cities, they can be difficult to develop because of price speculation and other reasons.
I am still not sure why you and gsupstate post so often on Columbia forums. Since you are from Greenville and talking about parking lots, when will Academy and Spring St be cleared of the Wal Mart type parking lots? And, you can always enjoy looking at the large parking lot coming over the Church St Bridge. And, when you look out across Main from the Nantucket Grill, you can also enjoy a nice parking lot. Not sure what the point of your post is but, southern cities have parking lots for a reason, they have developed with the car in mind.
Unfortunately, in larger cities, they can be difficult to develop because of price speculation and other reasons.
I have an interest in what is going on in South Carolina, particularly in cities that I visit on a somewhat frequent basis. Thus I follow their developments, not that it's any of your business.
As for parking lots: yea, Greenville has surface lots downtown. But, you know what, I'm not the one making ridiculous claims that downtown _____ is going to miraculously be built out on every square inch and become the next DC in terms of urbanity. Because, if that's going to be the case, there has to be MAJOR building going on in Columbia over the next 40 or more years.
Interesting comments upstate, you can always look at things many different ways. For example, one could ask why you are so excited about Washington Square when at 20 stories, would not be noticable in a lot of skylines. And, in a lot of cities, tax revenue is often used from commercial developments to finance museums/public spaces instead of using "Special" financing so that you can provide cheap rent to retailers. Don't get me wrong, it should be a nice project but, since you are bringing up a low bar, maybe you are shooting for low targets.
Besides, in addition to the recent Columbia developments, The Meridian at 17 stories, Main & Gervais at 17 stories and First Citizens all have been completed within the past few years.
As for the towers you mention in Columbia, how many of those have ground level retail and have tenants?
There's a parcel for sale at Gervais and Harden that when sold will most likely go with a deal to wipe out the Greyhound bus station as we know it near that intersection. Just that one parcel would go a long, long way toward linking the CBD with Five Points. The city doesn't have to develop all of its surface parking lots to be equally vibrant from the river to Devine Street. It needs only to develop a few parking lots in the established commercial corridors. We won't be waiting long. In the meantime, Mast General is coming with the Nick not far behind. An off-the-beaten-path movie or two might do you doubters some good.
As for the towers you mention in Columbia, how many of those have ground level retail and have tenants?
Is that how you define a great tower? It depends on the footprint of the tower as to how much retail you can pull off. For the Meridian, there is not a lot of frontage on Main so, I would not expect a lot of retail to follow. Main & Gervais has a small amount of retail space but, again, relatively small footprint. Unfortunately, none of these towers had 3 acres to develop with city assistance.
I still don't get this Greenville does it better attitude, each city is different. What works in Greenville may or may not work in other cities, it is not complicated.
There's a parcel for sale at Gervais and Harden that when sold will most likely go with a deal to wipe out the Greyhound bus station as we know it near that intersection. Just that one parcel would go a long, long way toward linking the CBD with Five Points. The city doesn't have to develop all of its surface parking lots to be equally vibrant from the river to Devine Street. It needs only to develop a few parking lots in the established commercial corridors. We won't be waiting long. In the meantime, Mast General is coming with the Nick not far behind. An off-the-beaten-path movie or two might do you doubters some good.
It's nice to hear some of this from your keyboard.
I have an interest in what is going on in South Carolina, particularly in cities that I visit on a somewhat frequent basis. Thus I follow their developments, not that it's any of your business.
As for parking lots: yea, Greenville has surface lots downtown. But, you know what, I'm not the one making ridiculous claims that downtown _____ is going to miraculously be built out on every square inch and become the next DC in terms of urbanity. Because, if that's going to be the case, there has to be MAJOR building going on in Columbia over the next 40 or more years.
It is just very interesting that you seem to find fault with almost every detail of Columbia. It has a ways to go but, it also is not as far behind as you and some other Greenville posters claim. There are some great buildings in Columbia that need a little work but, with the highrises and new develoments, Main St is getting some momentum.
I am not making claims of Columbia being DC either. If a poster is, who cares. I read where a Greenville poster thinks that Greenville could support a 6,000 person Sears HQ relocation because it has Michelin. That is a little exageration but, people get excited about their cities and sometimes get carried away, what is the point of arguing. And, who knows, Columbia may get on a streak and grow at a Charlotte/Atlanta pace for the next 40 years. Maybe Sears is the new Washington Sq Tenant, stranger things have happened.
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If THAT truly is the goal, then the City is spreading itself way too thin. If that's your personal goal, then you're going to be unsatisfied for a long time, unless something drastic happens. There's already work that needs to be addressed in current entertainment districts. You lose focus, and we've seen what happens: Main Street.
