What will be Columbia's next hot neighborhood? (Forest Acres, Barnwell: hotel, homes)

[Woodlands]

wooops... Copy Right Violation... sorry. Let see if this works

With the Columbia Development Corporation and the City of Columbia's interest in building a mixed use community somewhere on Beltline Blvd. I would hope that the site of this development would be either Carver Village (off Beltline near I-277) or Woodlands Terrace (off Beltline near Rosewood Drive) Both are aging complexes though Carver is more infamous from crime and a high profile murder that involved bodies being deposited in a storm drain pipe. For those reasons, location, and it is presumably under one owner, I would not be suprised if this is the site referenced. Several years ago, SCDOT recieved a grant to build what is now entitled the James Clyburn pederstrian over pass and related improvements to keep pedestrians from crossing the highway to get to Farrow Rd. Additionally, a new residential subdivision has emerged on Farrow Rd near the old Burton School. There are also plans in the works to build a much needed supermarket and shopping center near Burton with access to the pedestrian overpass. That amenity may also make a mixed use residential and commercial project viable on the Carver Homes site. Stay tuned....

[Woodlands]

One interesting trend occuring in SE Columbia is how there is a nice blend of commercial and retail development happening in the area. On the residential side, you have new townhome and single family homes being built adjacent to existing older subdivisions and just behind the commercial areas. THough SE Columbia/Garners Ferry is a suburban corridor.. there is potential to connect these subdivisions to some of the commercial areas nearby with walkways and new sidewalks. Some of the more interesting developments are Pennington Square/Place just off Leesburg, Hampton Forest, Preston Green, off Atlas, and Amelia Oaks near Ft. Jackson. Other slightly older developments such as East Lake-off Atlas and Cobblestone/Village Pond- off Leesburg-Greenlawn are other examples of how Columbia and Richland County can take what may be considered suburban or interburban community and convert portions of it into more walkable neighborhoods with pedestrian connections and create a mixed use and somewhat more urban environment. This infill also uses land that for all intensive purposes that is already surrounded by development as opposed to supporting sprawl. Sprawl is still occuring in the area, but at a much slower rate.

On the commercial side Walmart and Target have continued to create a buzz in the area. The Shopping Center across from Walmart where Food Lion used to be is seeing new tenants, Columbia East and the Plaza across from it next to Lowes represent prime opportunities for redevelopment or creation of commercial outparcels for development. Several hotels have taken advantage of the parking lots of several of these plazas and their proximity to I-77 and there is some talk of the redevelopment of the Old Kroger site off Ft. Jackson Blvd. That plus the area is zoned for schools in both the Dreher and AC Flora feeders schools, access to downtown, I-77, Fort Jackson, and the VA Hospital make this quite a nice section of our City.

[Woodlands]

This story came out today about the City's beginning the streetscaping of North Main Street. North Main below the RR Bridge at Earlewood is another hidden opportunity for the City. Sandwiched between Elmwood Park and Cotton Town, Downtown and Earlewood.. it is surrounded by very stable neighborhoods and could serve as the retail center for these communities. Not to mention that there are relatively high traffic counts coming into/from the area particuliarly when N. Main Merges with River Drive.

If you are going north on North Main just pass River Drive and before you get to the RR Bridge.. you will notice a large open field on your left that parallels the RR. This was to be the intown spur of I-277. You will notice as you head south on 277 that just after it crosses Sunset Drive the lanes separate, change grade slightly, then the road assumes a "fly over" position before ending into Bull Street. The highway was to continue on over North Main and River Drive around Elmwood Park and the cemetery and intersect I-126. Future plans had called for the highway to continue south possibly in the vicinty of the current RR Corridor in the Vista and eventually intersect I-77 south of town in the Bluff Rd region. Elmwood Park was beginning their transfomation at the time and opposed the spur for the belief that would threaten their neighborhood and that leg of the project was later abandon and the rest of the "dream" south of I-126 later perished as well. Many Federal Highway projects at that time were either losing funding or being opposed by neighborhoods for their intrusion/destruction of intown neighbohorhoods. SCDOT later gave/sold the surplus property to the City who at one time kicked around the idea of building an artist colony or mini retail/condo-apt district there. This may still be part of the North Columbia Revitalization Plan. This idea may gain traction after the North Main Streetscape is completed.


The State | 04/25/2008 | Streetscaping begins on North Main (broken link)

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

This story came out today about the City's beginning the streetscaping of North Main Street. North Main below the RR Bridge at Earlewood is another hidden opportunity for the City. Sandwiched between Elmwood Park and Cotton Town, Downtown and Earlewood.. it is surrounded by very stable neighborhoods and could serve as the retail center for these communities. Not to mention that there are relatively high traffic counts coming into/from the area particuliarly when N. Main Merges with River Drive.

If you are going north on North Main just pass River Drive and before you get to the RR Bridge.. you will notice a large open field on your left that parallels the RR. This was to be the intown spur of I-277. You will notice as you head south on 277 that just after it crosses Sunset Drive the lanes separate, change grade slightly, then the road assumes a "fly over" position before ending into Bull Street. The highway was to continue on over North Main and River Drive around Elmwood Park and the cemetery and intersect I-126. Future plans had called for the highway to continue south possibly in the vicinty of the current RR Corridor in the Vista and eventually intersect I-77 south of town in the Bluff Rd region. Elmwood Park was beginning their transfomation at the time and opposed the spur for the belief that would threaten their neighborhood and that leg of the project was later abandon and the rest of the "dream" south of I-126 later perished as well. Many Federal Highway projects at that time were either losing funding or being opposed by neighborhoods for their intrusion/destruction of intown neighbohorhoods. SCDOT later gave/sold the surplus property to the City who at one time kicked around the idea of building an artist colony or mini retail/condo-apt district there. This may still be part of the North Columbia Revitalization Plan. This idea may gain traction after the North Main Streetscape is completed.


The State | 04/25/2008 | Streetscaping begins on North Main (broken link)

Can you imagine how disastrous it would have been had 277 been allowed to cross through Cottontown, Elmwood Park and south through the Vista and Olympia. This would have ruined some of the most popular in-town areas.

[Chi2Midlands]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

Can you imagine how disastrous it would have been had 277 been allowed to cross through Cottontown, Elmwood Park and south through the Vista and Olympia. This would have ruined some of the most popular in-town areas.

Indeed - I think one of the great things about Columbia is that that its neighborhoods were (largely) not disastrously partitioned by interstate highways like so many cities have been. I like the fact the 277 and 126 feed into and out of downtown, but downtown itself and the surrounding neighborhoods were saved from Robert Moses-style highway disruption. Can you imagine if 126 were allowed to pummed down through along the Congaree or Huger Street? Of course, there are some unfortunate instances like those areas bifurcated by 277 (hence the Clyburn pedestrian bridge, which still hasn't solved the issue). But for the most part, Columbia is lucky that its urban core has been spared by the disruptive path of interstate highways.

The one downside to this is that people traveling through the Columbia area don't get a big "front seat" view of downtown or the skyline - you have to kind of look for it in the distance from certain areas like I-77 near the Congaree River and the sewage treatment plan. But I think the trade-off is still well worth it - better to preserve on-the-ground neighborhood life rather than abstract driver-centered views of the city.

[Woodlands]

The I-277 and I-126 were all part of SCDOT Plan that probably dated back to the 50s and 60s when the Vista was a functioning industrial district, but leaders in the late 70s -80s had the foresight to preserve the landscape, which has yielded a successful entertainment district.

Two other interesting highways/Roads that are part of the area's long range plan are, Clemson Rd crossing the Broad River and intersecting with Broad River Rd near Irmo and also plan to connect I-26 with I-20 near the Town of Lexington. Clemson Road has undergone several transformations over the last 20yrs that have yielded a direct connnect to I-77 from I-20. This has also contributed to the tremendous growth of the NE. The second phase would take it from I-77 over the Broad River into Irmo, but my review of the Central Midland's Web Site shows no official designation or funding for that route, so not sure if it is still an option.

The "Airport Connector" was to be incorporated into a limited access highway that would run from 1-26 to I-20 near the Town of Lexington. One leg has been built, which has yielded the current limited access higway spur at the Airport and according to the COG the second phase will connect this road at Airport Blvd with I-26... and I presume it will be a grade separated interchange at Airport Blvd as opposed to the current signalized intersection. Like Clemson Rd, I did not see any reference in the 2025 Plan of the concept of carrying the highway from the Airport to I-20. The priority now appears to be roads like Hardscrabble in the NE and developing a bypass for the Town of Lexington, which I hear is bursting at the seams with traffic. I hope the connector could be built to reduce pressure on Malfunction Junction, but Lexington would need to do its part to control the subsequent sprawl which could certainly overtake some of its rural areas that would have direct access to this route.

CMCOG - Columbia Area Long Range Transportation Plan

[Woodlands]

Old School Columbians who have followed development may remember the visionary... Temple Ligon back in 1987. Besides running for Mayor several times, he also was famous or infamous depending on your point of view of a concept that would have placed the current Columbia Convention Center over the Congaree River. The idea was revolutionary at that time, and maybe still be today.. but the concept was to build a bridge over the Congaree River by extending one of the City's current downtown streets somewhere between Gervais and Taylor (I think if was either Lady or Washington Streets) over into West Columbia and to literally place the convention center/hotel on the bridge directly over the river. I have tried to find a sketch of the concept, but one would probably have to approach Mr.Ligon for it personally.

Though not as revolutionary as Mr. Ligon's concept, I think one could gleen one useful strategy of bridging the RR corridor in the Vista. Not sure what the land values are in the Vista these days, but would it be feasible to build buildings that straddle the corridor on both sides of the Gervais, Lady, and Taylor Street bridges? The streetscape affect would be a continuous street wall that could visually connect the "upper" section of the Vista with the "lower" section towards Huger Street. Air rights could be purchased from CSZX or Norfolk Southern and four to five story buildings built. One would have to get creative with parking or place it behind the structure and above the tracks. There is still plenty of developable land in the Vista, but as it fills up, I wonder if this will ever become an option.

[waccamatt]

I think that's a great idea, Woodlands. It probably isn't feasible now, but as the last open parcels in the Vista are developed, it would be a tremendous idea. now if we could jusy start using all of the railroad tracks in town for commuter rail and trolleys I would be happy. Columbia had a very extensive trolley system until they were replaced by buses in the mid 30's. I sure wish we had those back.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

I think that's a great idea, Woodlands. It probably isn't feasible now, but as the last open parcels in the Vista are developed, it would be a tremendous idea. now if we could jusy start using all of the railroad tracks in town for commuter rail and trolleys I would be happy. Columbia had a very extensive trolley system until they were replaced by buses in the mid 30's. I sure wish we had those back.

I agree. I would love to see the current Columbia Amtrak Station incorporated into a new development along the Gervais Street Bridge over the rail corridor. It would give the station more of a street presence as you have in most major cities while incorporating it into the streetscape as opposed to hiding it where it is now. The station could be at street level surrounded by retail and the three to five stories above it could be office or residential. Elevators and escalators could carry you down to the track level. If commuter rail ever became an option to Columbia, this would provide a nice front door to the city. I have always felt the South Carolina should join efforts with North Carolina (which already has limited commuter rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte) and connect some of the urban centers Greenville- Charlotte and Columbia -Charlotte in particuliar...The current Amtrak Station should be converted into a Greyhound Bus Station (its current site near Five Points on Gervais and Harden could then redeveloped into a gateway to Five Points and Downtown) The current configuration should allow for buses to move in and out of the facility and a pedestrian bridge or similar connection would get you to/from the new elevated Amtrak Station on Gervais. Columbia would then have a true intermodal transportation center.. the RTA could also run an express bus to the Airport from this location. National Car or Enterprise (can't remember which one) already has a lot in the area, others could follow by being incorporated into new developments in the parking garages. By being close to USC and downtown, this type of facility could generate some interest, especially if it is the terminus for a "Carolina Commuter Rail" or atleast a station on Amtrak's Highspeed Rail Network.

[Woodlands]

I had an opportunity to look at the Zone Map for Richland District One and was intergued by the location of the "new" Keenan High School. Keenan is probably first new highschool in several decades, the only ones that I think may be more recent would be either Columbia High or Lower Richland which must have been built in the mid to late 70's. The "new" Keenan is strategically located almost at the very northern most extremity of Richland One (North Main-Wilson Rd at Pisgah Church Rd) very near to the high growth rate corridor along I-77 which runs through Richland Two. This was probably a very strategic move on the part of the folks downtown. Eau Claire, whose shares borders with Keenan runs up Monticello, Fairfield, and a portion of Wilson Rd. This largely rural undeveloped section of the Richland One zones rivals only Lower Richland in its rural character with the exception that it is between the hot growth in the NE and the stable yet growing NW. I would not be surprised if as growth follows the Clemson Rd extension, which was orginally proposed to run from I-20 to I-26/Broad River Rd. that growth will eventually spill over into the northern section of Eau Claire zone on the upper ends of Monticello, Fairfield, and Wilson Blvd. If this occurs, it would not surprise me if Richland One redraws the Eau Claire Zone and the related feeder schools so that the new subdivisions would be zoned for Keenan as opposed to Eau Claire. A strategically placed middle school and elementary school somewhere up Fairfield and Monticello would complete the transformation. The areas up Fairfield and Monticello are probably some of the most undervalued areas of our Metro. Commuting in on either Fairfield Rd and Monticello to downtown is probably an easier ride than on Two Notch, Broad River and St. Andrews because,in part, there is less density. It would be interesting to see if this happens or not, but as many have mentioned in this forum, much of the areas' growth is tied to the success of the particuliar schools/districts.