Olympia Mill Village Updates

[johnpro318]

Anybody been keeping up with Aspyre? They're now leasing, which I'm sure some of you knew, but the website has been updated since we last discussed it here. It appears, in concept at least, to be quite stylish. It should be a pretty cool place to live for students.

This looks like a great place to live! And being a college student, I can definitely say they are appealing to their target audience.

[IRR-SC]

Here is an aerial of the area that I took in 11-06.

[BrasilnSC]

Nice photo. I think the new baseball stadium is really going to change this area (not that other projects haven't already). I do wish that this area would be annexed into the city limits though. It's clearly in the city of Columbia.

[CorgiMatt]

It is in the city already. The city limit is across the railroad tracks that run behind the mills, more into Olympia. Olympia Mill and Granby Mill apartments (the big renovated buildings) are both in the city. So is Gallery 701. And so is the baseball stadium.

Edited November 18, 2008 by CorgiMatt

[BrasilnSC]

That's good to know

[emerging.me]

Here's a map showing the current municipal boundary.

[krazeeboi]

Aspyre at Assembly Station, taken 11/23 (didn't know it was this far along):

[emerging.me]

Drove by this today and it is even farther along. Holder does not waste any time. This place is going to be hip.

Edited November 30, 2008 by emerging.me

[Captain Worley]

That thing is a huge lumberyard!

[Spartan]

Assembly Station is going to be apartments, right?

[krazeeboi]

^Yep.

[emerging.me]

Assembly Station is going to be apartments, right?

Aspyre at Assembly Station will be the student apartments. There will be a street-level retail element in the development. I don't recall if there's anything else.

Edited December 1, 2008 by emerging.me

[CorgiMatt]

I drove up Assembly Street from Rosewood Drive this morning and you can see the top floor and of course the roof before you ever even turn the curve at the railroad tracks, and then, there it is when you round the bend, with a huge urban presence, defining the entry into downtown Columbia.

[pedestrian]

Assembly Station will have no retail, only apartments.

[Captain Worley]

No, there's some leasable space there. Not much.

It was origonally going to be condos, but the decided, wisely, I think, to make them apartments.

[pedestrian]

My company has been working with Holder on this project from the beginning, and while it may have had some retail at one point, the final version has no retail. It has a leasing office and a business center on the ground floor, but no retail.

[krazeeboi]

^That's too bad. But retail at that location would pretty much be targeted towards the residents primarily, and maybe towards some of the residents of Olympia.

I wonder if there are any plans to go forward on the proposed retail complex on the land fronting the mills anytime in the near future.

[emerging.me]

^That's too bad. But retail at that location would pretty much be targeted towards the residents primarily, and maybe towards some of the residents of Olympia.

I wonder if there are any plans to go forward on the proposed retail complex on the land fronting the mills anytime in the near future.

The developer's idea was that he would move forward with the Milltown Common retail development when both mills were completed and fully leased. But that was before the economy went south. Haven't heard an update in a while.

Edited December 2, 2008 by emerging.me

[Captain Worley]

Where was Milltown Comons supposed to be?

[emerging.me]

Where was Milltown Comons supposed to be?

Milltown Commons is actually the name of a proposed park that will exist in the already present greenspace in front of the mills, along Whaley St. A retail shopping area is planned directly in front of the mills, across Heyward St., where there is currently a large parking lot. It would be between the mills and the park.

The idea is part of a plan for revitalization that the community worked with the River Alliance on developing years and years ago. The developer of the mills bought into the idea, and had a plan to do it once the mills were completed. Don't know if that's still the plan or not.

Edited December 3, 2008 by emerging.me

[krazeeboi]

Shots taken 12-25 (this thing is huge):

[Spartan]

Wow thats huge.

[krazeeboi]

It actually goes all the way back to the train tracks. It backs up on Whaley Row. I had no idea it was going to literally take up the entire block.

[digital_sandlapper]

Does anyone know whether the beautifully renovated Gallery building in Olympia will get awnings? Those nice black straight ones so popular these days complement historical buildings perfectly, and would do the same here as well!

[Spartan]

I drove through on the way back to Charlotte this weekend. This thing is even more massive in person. Its quite an amazing thing to see.

Also, I haven't been back to the Olympis portion of Columbia in quite a while. The historic building at Whaley & Wayne Streets looks awesome, and all the new housing in that area blends in relatively well. I don't like the front loaded townhomes on Lincoln St. Over all, Olympia is coming along nicely. Its great to see the Olympia Mill buildings occupied.