Why are there no hotels at the Chapin I-26 exit?

[Hedman]

Originally Posted by Rockinmoz

I'm thinking once the new interchange is complete, it will happen. "They" have been waiting for years for the DOT to get this done, for a business park farther down Columbia Ave. They're literally moving the interchange farther up 26 to make room. That being said, with the ugly sprawl that's creeping up 26, car washes, and storage buildings, I prefer the trees.

Agreed on the trees.



Also, one would think the powers that be could allocate a portion of the state budget for litter pickup. I mean the roads around Columbia and the surrounding areas are just covered in litter most of the time and it's embarrassing. We probably need constant roadside crews to realistically keep up. Certainly a quality of life issue as far as I am concerned. Also would make the entire area more attractive for businesses.

[Charlestondata]

Small-town charm preservation

[IM42A]

Originally Posted by Charlestondata

Small-town charm preservation

Agreed. My proposal was for the hotel to be at the I-26 interchange, a couple of miles from the center of Chapin. It's not at all outlandish to think of overnight guests at the hotel going into Chapin for shopping and dining, as well as to Little Mountain. The Rocky Branch Natural Area is a nice little rustic park, use your imagination a little, and you could think you were in North Carolina or Tennessee. The hiking trail is just right for those who want the "look and feel" of a nature preserve while remaining accessible to those of various abilities.

[Robertsm76]

Originally Posted by IM42A

Agreed. My proposal was for the hotel to be at the I-26 interchange, a couple of miles from the center of Chapin. It's not at all outlandish to think of overnight guests at the hotel going into Chapin for shopping and dining, as well as to Little Mountain. The Rocky Branch Natural Area is a nice little rustic park, use your imagination a little, and you could think you were in North Carolina or Tennessee. The hiking trail is just right for those who want the "look and feel" of a nature preserve while remaining accessible to those of various abilities.

Have you ever been to Chapin? No one goes out of thier way to go to Chapin for dining and shopping. There’s really no shopping there and the restaurants are small in numbers. Truthfully, the residents of Chapin don’t want anyone on thier streets that don’t live there. People move to Chapin to get away from The city life.

[DemanoRock]

Originally Posted by Robertsm76

Have you ever been to Chapin? No one goes out of thier way to go to Chapin for dining and shopping. There’s really no shopping there and the restaurants are small in numbers. Truthfully, the residents of Chapin don’t want anyone on thier streets that don’t live there. People move to Chapin to get away from The city life.

Generally you need a destination for the hotels. You may have some highway traffic, but you also need business travelers. And most of them would be coming to the Columbia metro for work, and that isn't in Chapin. So they would need to be closer to Columbia anyway.

[IM42A]

Originally Posted by Robertsm76

Have you ever been to Chapin? No one goes out of thier way to go to Chapin for dining and shopping. There’s really no shopping there and the restaurants are small in numbers. Truthfully, the residents of Chapin don’t want anyone on thier streets that don’t live there. People move to Chapin to get away from The city life.

I go there every Sunday, Traditional Latin Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. It's someplace I've always passed through, but looking around, and marveling at how attractive the area is around the interchange, nice lay of the land, just a little hilly, very pretty in the fall, I can see it being, along with Little Mountain, a nice quiet destination. Nobody wants it to become another Harbison, but perhaps a smaller version of Newberry? Sensible limits to growth? Maybe someplace that people in search of a quiet, low-key getaway close to home would find attractive? A senior-friendly place?

I've had time the past several months, with the pandemic and illness in the family, being tied closer to home, to get another look at the local area, and I see several "hidden gems" that could provide recreational and even lodging opportunities, were they to be developed. There are areas west of Blythewood, on the west side of I-77, that look kind of like the mountains of western NC, if you use your imagination a bit, such as the Cedar Creek Road area and Muller Road. The little town of Peak would be another. I'm reminded of how the state of Kentucky (they would correct you and say "commonwealth") is dotted with state park lodges "in the middle of nowhere" that provide comfortable, affordable, attractive lodging, whereas we in SC only have Hickory Knob for lodging that is something other than cabins and campsites. Too bad we can't do something like that here.