A Grand Boulevard for Columbia: Assembly Street Improvements

[TheCarolinaKing]

Wow

[carolinagarnet]

The street presence is great. I suspect they will keep all of the parking as is though, so the impact will be somewhat limited.

[carolinagarnet]

Any update on the street improvements? 

[BrasilnSC]

From inside the new Wendy's

 

[carolinagarnet]

Thanks! It already looks infinitely better. I guess it makes sense to wait for warmer weather to plant whatever they plan on adding.

[CorgiMatt]

Thanks! It already looks infinitely better. I guess it makes sense to wait for warmer weather to plant whatever they plan on adding.

You just can't see the trees in that photo unless you really look for them.  They have also planted Asiatic jasmine in the median.  The business building still has a ways to go.  The dark boxes on the roof are supposed to be surrounded by the same type of glass you see on the back corner.  

[carolinagarnet]

Ah, I see. They're sticks at the moment, so they should really start to fill in during the spring. The building is supposed to be finished in the summer, July or August I believe, so we'll see how that goes. 

[ridiknick]

Article in the State on the new Wendy's renovation. Something I found interesting :

 

The unique building on Assembly Street is designed to look like a two-story structure because that’s what City of Columbia design standards required in that area, Dolbier said. But inside, it is one story and conforms to Wendy’s new image, which was developed based on feedback from consumers. The building is 35 feet tall at its highest point – about 13 feet taller than the typical new design.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/03/27/3351500/wendys-on-beltline-boulevard-closes.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

 

I know that the McDonalds in the vista is also made to look two stories.The IHOP in the vista looks a little taller after its redesign but it doesnt look a full two stories does it?

[BrasilnSC]

[GvilleSC]

Where are the trees?! They missed an opportunity to separate pedestrians and the high volume (and sometimes speed) traffic on Assembly. Looks good otherwise.

[CorgiMatt]

Where are the trees?! They missed an opportunity to separate pedestrians and the high volume (and sometimes speed) traffic on Assembly. Looks good otherwise.

There are trees.  Lots of them.  It looks like I'm going to have to photograph them.  They will definitely impress once they have leaves and grow for a couple of seasons, although they already have some size to them.  They are mostly oaks, and there are some accent trees as well.  Asiatic jasmine and some accent shrubs have also been planted and will fill the median.

[krazeeboi]

GvilleSC means there are no trees planted along the edge of the sidewalk to serve as a barrier between pedestrians and traffic. But at least there's space for them if the city decides to add them later.

[CorgiMatt]

GvilleSC means there are no trees planted along the edge of the sidewalk to serve as a barrier between pedestrians and traffic. But at least there's space for them if the city decides to add them later.

In the picture he referred to there is no space for planting trees between pedestrians on the sidewalk and traffic.  Also in the picture the trees they bombarded the median with don't show up.  Incidentally, they also planted trees in places along the sidewalk opposite the street side - near the corner of the coliseum property, along the outline of the Koger's grounds, and of course alongside the Wendy's property.  And renderings for the DMSOB shows they'll bombard that site with trees, too.    

 

Edit: I see what you're saying.  The lamp posts serve as separation because the pedestrian has to walk far away from traffic or smack into the posts.

[Spartan]

Where are the trees?! They missed an opportunity to separate pedestrians and the high volume (and sometimes speed) traffic on Assembly. Looks good otherwise.

 

Good comment. It's a shame they didn't go for trees in planters along the sidewalk. The "famously hot" Columbia, SC needs all the shade it can get! That said, it is still a huge improvement over what was there. Any word on whether or not they are going to allow for on-street parking on Assembly in the USC area? That would be the ideal separation between traffic and pedestrians.

[carolinagarnet]

My understanding is that all of the center spaces were replaced by the wider median and the spaces at intersections were replaced by curb buildouts, but that the rest of the curb space will remain.

[CorgiMatt]

I had my dog, so I didn't take my camera, but I just checked out the corridor looking up the sidewalk from Blossom and Assembly.  Trust me - when the canopy of the young oaks they've planted on the inside of the sidewalk stretch across it as some mature ones between the sidewalk and the coliseum already do (new oaks already planted near the corner of Blossom and Assembly, new oaks already planted along the sidewalk in front of the Koger Center, and trees to be planted in front of the DMSOB), the tree trunks on one side of the sidewalk, the canopy over it and the iron lamp posts near the edge of it will create a psychological and physical safe zone for pedestrians. As I've said before, pedestrians would crash into solid iron if they walked near the edge, and motorists would not want to jump the curb and crash into one of those posts.  Plus, the banners that will hang from the posts will add a sense of separation.  I'll get down there with my camera soon.  Parallel parking is not coming back to any part of Assembly from Blossom to Pendleton.