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I think they should have split that money among a few different parks doing some fairly basic fixes/upgrades if necessary. Spend a small portion on Finlay making it a little nicer and adding a few more expensive elements. The proposed overhaul is way too much money on a single park.
But a good majority of the funds should go to the riverfront park. Columbia has a great nature attraction that is being badly underutilized.
Nothing is going to happen on the Waterfront Park until the coal tar cleanup project is finished in a few years.
That's understood, but why not start putting money away now. No need to put so much money into a park that will not be nearly as transformative as one on the riverfront. Once the city continues to develop the tax base will grow and then look at sprucing up Finlay and maintain it along the way. If I remember correctly the price for the signature waterfront park was in the neighborhood of $75 million. That will take a considerable amount of time to generate and convince residents it is a good plan. Gather the funds over time and it won't seem as big of an undertaking.
I went to Jillian's a lot when it first opened...Over time I believe the competition in the Vista increased substantially and Jillians sort of fell off.. I love the old building its in and the set up with the Patio and the nightclub out back were ideal and fun. Food was so so.. but I didn't really go to eat...
Maybe that entire stretch could be subdivided into a series of smaller stores/spaces.. Would be nice..
Overall.. its impressive especially when compared to Columbia's previous existence as this sleepy college town prior to Mayor Benjamin.. Im not saying it was all him alone.. but it was during his tenure that most of this stuff got done.. I can say that many neighborhoods seem to feel left out of this renaissance and all of this new development comes at their expense which is one reason why the candidates not endorsed by the Mayor won their respective seats.
I think downtown/CBD has sufficient momentum with some of the projects/ideas in the pipeline and the City should shift its focus to The Gardens, North Main St/Eau Claire and "incentivize" development in those areas.......I still meet quite a few folks that like to visit Columbia and would not want to live IN Columbia. I am not sure what that is about...other than the fact that 1) they cant afford the neighborhoods that they want to live in should they actually move to Columbia 2) there is a general lack of understanding and thus fear/skepticism when it comes to Columbia neighborhoods outside of the well promoted ones like (Greater Shandon, Elmwood Park, Earlewood/Keenan Terrace, Rosewood, Melrose Heights, Lake Katherine etc) If you cant afford to live these areas then the City becomes much less attractive to some younger families. Then there are the entire school zoning questions that may give some people concerns...
Oh joy, more student housing haha At least it's something. Haven Campus Communities trying to come into Columbia.
Good news is that a business park close to Columbia is wanting to renovate and bring in at least 70 employees. Dominion Carolina Gas Transmission wants to move their headquarters there. That makes TWO now for Columbia.
Bull Street Commons looks to open April 1st. However, they missed their January promise of tenant and plan revelations.
Canal side and Kline look to be approved this month also.
Edit: Haven will be part of the Bull Street Development
"Columbia, S.C. — Atlanta-based Haven Campus Communities will develop a $55 million, six-building student housing project of apartments and townhouses in the Bull Street development near the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
The 234-unit project will go up on nearly 6.5 acres in the proposed BullStreet Common development. The project includes a 608-space parking deck and 104 street spaces, as well as a pool, a courtyard and covered pavilion. The site is adjacent to a city-owned baseball stadium that will open in 2016. "
I have said this before. I moved to Columbia (Lexington) from Charleston in 2010. Downtown Columbia was the pits. Nearly deserted except for homeless/drifters. The Vista was just OK.
In the last 5-6 years the transition has been awesome. I am very impressed. Downtown is alive and the Vista gets better (chain places aside). The next hurdle is to make downtown and the Vista more homogeneous (as in connected). Assembly St. is still the "wall" between them. I am not an urban planner, but that has to be worked on. Connect them and I might consider leaving my green, leafy suburban area to once again live in a city.
I have said this before. I moved to Columbia (Lexington) from Charleston in 2010. Downtown Columbia was the pits. Nearly deserted except for homeless/drifters. The Vista was just OK.
In the last 5-6 years the transition has been awesome. I am very impressed. Downtown is alive and the Vista gets better (chain places aside). The next hurdle is to make downtown and the Vista more homogeneous (as in connected). Assembly St. is still the "wall" between them. I am not an urban planner, but that has to be worked on. Connect them and I might consider leaving my green, leafy suburban area to once again live in a city.
My plan is to narrow Assembly Street to 4 lanes, remove the median parking, widen the sidewalks, turn the median into a greenway and change the side parking to angled instead of parallel to regain most of the lost spaces. Voila, you have plenty of room for al fresco dining on Assembly Street and a beautiful thoroughfare.
My plan is to narrow Assembly Street to 4 lanes, remove the median parking, widen the sidewalks, turn the median into a greenway and change the side parking to angled instead of parallel to regain most of the lost spaces. Voila, you have plenty of room for al fresco dining on Assembly Street and a beautiful thoroughfare.
I agree with this 100%, except I worry about angled parking. The parking situation on Devine St feels downright dangerous to me and I hate backing out of a spot. Assembly St is busier and, at least in its current form, people (including me) fly down that road. Although it would be an inconvenience at first, a parking diet would do Columbia a world of good.
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