130 replies to this topic

[krazeeboi]

That's true. Were the Barringer and Palmetto buildings used for office space prior to conversion?

[emerging.me]

krazeeboi, on Aug 2 2006, 12:27 AM, said:

That's true. Were the Barringer and Palmetto buildings used for office space prior to conversion?

Yup, they were. A good point!

[NcSc74]

waccamatt, on Jul 26 2006, 09:17 PM, said:

Why do u need street lights on freeways? That's what you have headlights for; there's no pedestrian traffic.

I used to be a big time freeway lighting fan. I thought that if your city had a lot of them it makes the place feel BIG. However after my trip to San Diego and LA ast weekend I have changed my position. There aren't  that many freeway lights. In the city propers there are lights but once you leave the city centers it is just as dark there as it is in other cities in the Carolinas.

Edited by NcSc74, 01 August 2006 - 10:57 PM.

[waccamatt]

krazeeboi, on Aug 1 2006, 10:27 PM, said:

That's true. Were the Barringer and Palmetto buildings used for office space prior to conversion?

Yes, all three of the buildings I listed were/are used for office space so the occupancy rate will go up even more than the normal rate of absorption.

[krazeeboi]

Cool. Well then SCANA needs to bring it on!

[CorgiMatt]

krazeeboi, on Aug 1 2006, 08:34 PM, said:

^My thoughts exactly.

As far as SCANA goes, if they build a new tower, the CBD's vacancy rate would increase. I don't think we want to see a situation in which firms are simply transferring towers. That does nothing for net absorption.

But someone in the know who is in a negotiating position told me that the building they are in no longer suits them.

[krazeeboi]

^All the more reason for SCANA to partner with Holder Properties to build a new, 425-ft mixed-use tower.

[waccamatt]

krazeeboi, on Aug 2 2006, 12:42 PM, said:

^All the more reason for SCANA to partner with Holder Properties to build a new, 425-ft (600 ft, 42 story) mixed-use tower.

[krazeeboi]

Wow, talk about thinking big.

[distortedlogic]

krazeeboi, on Aug 2 2006, 07:52 PM, said:

Wow, talk about thinking big.

It may not be too crazy, Norfolk is proposing a 35-40 story tower. If they can do it, one of the SC cities can too.

[sonofaque86]

so where is SCANA thinkin about moving? how big would the place be out of DT?

[krazeeboi]

Somewhere in Lexington County, it's rumored.

After having recently returned from DC, I have to stress Columbia's focus on neighborhoods as a good thing. DC is really an awesome city, in that you don't find all of the city's urban activity downtown. As a matter of fact, for nightlife, I'd rather do the Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle, or U Street neighborhoods than downtown. I know cities are really investing in their cores right now, and rightfully so--but the vast majority of the city's residents will be found in the neighborhoods, so they should get a piece of the action. Right now, we can see this happening with Olympia. I really do hope that turns into a nightlife hotspot, eventually connecting to the stadium area, which will be its own center of activity with the condo projects going up in that area.

[Spartan]

This is true. DC is a different animal though. DC's downtown is centered around the big tourist things and large government buildings. That sort of forces the more typical downtown activies out a little bit. That said, the neighborhood entertainment areas are definitely something Columbia should focus on over time.

[803metlife]

Spartan, on Aug 7 2006, 10:01 AM, said:

This is true. DC is a different animal though. DC's downtown is centered around the big tourist things and large government buildings. That sort of forces the more typical downtown activies out a little bit. That said, the neighborhood entertainment areas are definitely something Columbia should focus on over time.

I love D.C. and it's nightlife.  If charleston could have kept the capital D.C. would've been a great city to follow.

[krazeeboi]

One thing that I mentioned in the first post in this thread that Columbia could (and should) improve upon is regional cooperation, specifically cooperation with Richland County, and recent happenings have demonstrated this.

First, the failure of the city to collaborate with the county concerning an animal shelter. This goes hand-in-hand with consolidating some city and county services, or at least having them under the same roof.

Secondly is the claim byRichland County Council that the city is leaving it out of decisions on serving the homeless. After pledging $100,000 toward the center, county leaders say they’ve been left out of the planning for the center and are dismayed the city has deviated from a regional blueprint on addressing homelessness. “We’re very confused over the current status and we’re not prepared to move in any direction,” said Greg Pearce, a member of Richland County Council. “We’re waiting for the city to give us some guidance on where they’re going with all of this.”

Also, I have yet to see the city of Columbia take a lead in addressing the problems with the bus system. Everything I've heard thus far has been coming from Richland County.

[Spartan]

The bus system is a regional transit authority and the Central Midlands COG operates it, so its really up to them to take the lead in getting things moving.

[krazeeboi]

This op-ed piece in The State says that the bickering between the city and the county could do damage to Innovista's efforts to to lure investors, workers, and companies. I never thought of this as a possible consequence of the lack of regional cooperation, but it's a rather significant one (goes back to my first point about what can be improved upon).

[kayman]

krazeeboi, on Dec 14 2006, 02:24 AM, said:

This op-ed piece in The State says that the bickering between the city and the county could do damage to Innovista's efforts to to lure investors, workers, and companies. I never thought of this as a possible consequence of the lack of regional cooperation, but it's a rather significant one (goes back to my first point about what can be improved upon).

Lack of regional cooperation can do wonders to your region in bad ways with unlimited possiblities.  Trust me, I should know because I live in a region that suffers from this very fact.  Columbia and Richland County needs to put aside their differences before it begins a spiral of events that will lead to factionalism of the Midlands region.

[Captain Worley]

I saw in the paper today that USC wants to buy the Dunbar Funeral Home/Whaley house.  I swear, if current trend continues, by 2025, every building in downtown Columbia will be a condo or owned by USC.

Or both. : :

[krazeeboi]

That area of downtown is certainly more USC-dominated.