Olympia Mill Village Updates

[waccamatt]

An Olympia area update...

If you have recently driven down Lincoln Street, in front of where the Whaley Row townhomes are being constructed -- behind Cap City Stadium -- you may have noticed that the GROW Cafe building is being repainted. Does anyone know what's going on there? I need to get some pics up! They were just starting on it when I rode by last weekend -- it looked like they were doing some funky stuff. I hope they didn't paint over the Hulk. There is also a piece of land across the street that is being cleared off. Watch for more news on that in the coming months.

Ah, the GROW cafe; Harbinger Publications, Point Newspaper, counter culture, activism, grass-roots organizing. It all gets my blood flowing; conservative (lol, relatively speaking) banker by day, radical activist by night. Muhahahahahhaaha.

Edited July 5, 2006 by waccamatt

[emerging.me]

Ah, the GROW cafe; Harbinger Publications, Point Newspaper, counter culture, activism, grass-roots organizing. It all gets my blood flowing; conservative (lol, relatively speaking) banker by day, radical activist by night. Muhahahahahhaaha.

HA! Yeah I'm counting on you to figure out what's going on over there!

[krazeeboi]

I'm assuming that this is related to the announcement we are to watch out for that you mentioned earlier, EM?

[waccamatt]

HA! Yeah I'm counting on you to figure out what's going on over there!

Maybe I'll email some of my old buddies from The Point.

[krazeeboi]

Great news; the Gallery 701 building will be saved and will become a mixed-use project (no residential though). I had no idea the building was in as bad shape as it is, with the roof practically gone. Looks like this building was rescued just in the nick of time. Columbia can add another gem to its excellent list of examples of adaptive reuse in the city.

[Spartan]

I was glad to read that they are going to save this building

[krazeeboi]

From the latest edition of the Free Times:

A legal brawl between Columbia City Council and Richland County Council could impact the county's goal to revitalize Olympia. The city and county disagree over $6 million the city spent from a special Vista tax district. Both governments must approve how money from the district is spent. The county says it never OK'd the $6 million and is trying to get the city to reimburse it for that amount. A County Council committee recommended July 25 that the full County Council allocate that $6 million toward neighborhood improvements, possibly in Olympia. The committee also recommends using money for community revitalization that will be freed up when the Vista tax district expires. The district funnels new taxes collected in the Vista into projects in that area. "I want Olympia front of the line," Councilwoman Kit Smith said.

The city and county need to get this resolved ASAP.

[Spartan]

When does the Vista tax district expire?

[krazeeboi]

Good question; I forget. It's been mentioned several times but I can't remember. I believe it's within 10 years.

[mcashlv]

Ugly and totally unoriginal.

FYI... If you guys haven't gone down Whaley through Olympia recently you may not have noticed that construction has started on the Whaley Row townhomes along Whaley and Lincoln Street. Here's the website.

The design is pretty stock, but I'm happy to see more in-fill development for this area. Sounds like they will be quality construction.

The train track that runs between Phase I and Phase II is supposedly going to be abandoned at some point, but there's no timeframe on that as far as I know. As it is now... I can't think of another new development in Columbia where the train comes this close to the residences. But people are apparently paying around 250K for 'em... so whatever!

It is partially gated, but only along areas that don't interface with public spaces, so I'm okay with that I suppose. The front yards of the residences that front the Mill Village Riverlink portion of the greenway along Lincoln Street are not gated. (That is the perspective shown in the artwork above -- facing the townhomes from the greenway across the street.)

[krazeeboi]

A blurb from the latest edition of the Free Times:

Members of Richland County Council are still talking about how they will pay for improvements to the Olympia neighborhood, but decided Sept. 12 that they will not allocate the full amount of taxes generated in the Vista to those pending projects. The county taxes collected in the Vista are now spent in that community, which is designated as a tax-increment financing (TIF) district. When that designation expires, possibly in 2009, the tax money collected in the Vista will start going into the general fund, which means the council could spend it on anything. It is considering using the money to pay for projects in Olympia, such as streetscaping and restoration of Rocky Branch stream, but County Council decided last week to create a plan for how to spend the full amount when it becomes available.

[waccamatt]

Here are some pictures of the Mills' renovation my friend Brandon recently took from the top of the Capitol Center (Capitol City Club) in Columbia. The entire set of photos from the Capitol City Club are on my website.

[krazeeboi]

Wow, those pictures are pretty awesome. That's one of the quarries in the background in the 2nd pic, right?

[Spartan]

wow thats awesome

[waccamatt]

Wow, those pictures are pretty awesome. That's one of the quarries in the background in the 2nd pic, right?

Yep, you can get some pretty awesome pictures from the top of the Capitol Center with a good zoom lens.

[803metlife]

Here are some pictures of the Mills' renovation my friend Brandon recently took from the top of the Capitol Center (Capitol City Club) in Columbia. The entire set of photos from the Capitol City Club are on my website.

Very nice

[tablrock]

LOOKIN GOOD!!

[Istvan]

The train track that runs between Phase I and Phase II is supposedly going to be abandoned at some point, but there's no timeframe on that as far as I know. As it is now... I can't think of another new development in Columbia where the train comes this close to the residences. But people are apparently paying around 250K for 'em... so whatever!

the townhomes by the train tracks in Five Points on Green street by the Salty Nut...really close to the tracks and the sign says they cost about $500. and there's people living in them.

[waccamatt]

the townhomes by the train tracks in Five Points on Green street by the Salty Nut...really close to the tracks and the sign says they cost about $500. and there's people living in them.

That's right; they are right next to the tracks. Noise doesn't bother me, it's one of the reasons I live in the city. If you give me an environment where all you hear are crickets, I can't sleep. Give me trains, ambulances, fire trucks, helicopters, traffic and people and I'm as happy as a clam!

[sonofaque86]

Edited September 23, 2006 by sonofaque86

[Captain Worley]

Anyone know how much the apartments in the mills are renting for?

[TheSuperPope]

WAAAAAY too much for a college student... I think a 3 bedroom 2 bath was something like $1200 with no utilities included

[Captain Worley]

WAAAAAY too much for a college student... I think a 3 bedroom 2 bath was something like $1200 with no utilities included

Dang, you could buy a nice house for that amount of money.

[krazeeboi]

Yeah, but the apartments are extra swanky though.

[Spartan]

Yeah, but the apartments are extra swanky though.

I thought they were condos?