Main Street/CBD Developments

[BrasilnSC]

^ Exactly. This is so short-sighted. The homeless will just go to other places with benches (5 pts, the new esplanade, etc...). Then what; remove those benches as well? City Council needs to stop trying to please the neighborhoods and do what's right for the entire city. The center on Main St needs to get built, the homeless are obviously already in the area, they would just be off the streets and off the benches. I still think removing the benches was a drastic decision. Yes, I do see some homeless people on them here and there, but it wasn't an overwhelming presence, it's part of city living. The people that work and live on Main use them as well.

Some other observation I had:

I went to the Main St Tavern at the Sheraton and the food was excellent. They did a great job with the remodeling. The rooftop bar was closed because of the cold weather, but I also heard it might close for good. Anyone know?

Outside there was an oversided golf cart, a main street shuttle of sorts. I asked if I could get a ride to the Vista (two blocks away) and they said they only go up and down Main. Another short-sighted idea!! If they want people to come to Main St, they should have this form of transportation connected with the Vista, it's freaking common sense.

[krazeeboi]

^You make really good points. Urban streets look somewhat bare without street furniture.

How's the Dunkin' Donuts progressing?

[CorgiMatt]

Duncan Donuts seems to have fallen through or something. Unless they have done some work within the past few days, they have stopped development on it. It has been stuck in limbo with no progress for quite some time, unless a crew is in there during the time I'm at work and they are doing something that is taking forever and ever to show up as progress.

[CorgiMatt]

As far as the benches are concerned, I think what happened, based on what I know happened in the Hampton Street block, is that merchants complained that no one wants to come shop on Main Street because every bench is full of street people all day long. I do see where temporarily people might be attracted to walk down Main Street with the street people absent, benches and all. Maybe the long-range plan is to put them back when more employed people are hanging out on Main.

[krazeeboi]

Duncan Donuts seems to have fallen through or something. Unless they have done some work within the past few days, they have stopped development on it. It has been stuck in limbo with no progress for quite some time, unless a crew is in there during the time I'm at work and they are doing something that is taking forever and ever to show up as progress.

Sounds like the same situation with 1556 Main (old McCrory's building). I truly hope the Dunkin' Donuts is still going forward, if it's been delayed somewhat.

[Spartan]

Sorry, but I think thats a bad move. Benches complete the sidewalk. Vagrants will just sit on the benches in the parks or on the sidewalks themselves like they do in most cities. All this will do is alter the problem, not fix it. Visitors who go to Main Street are going to say "what the hell, where are the benches?"

[digital_sandlapper]

I went to the Main St Tavern at the Sheraton and the food was excellent. They did a great job with the remodeling. The rooftop bar was closed because of the cold weather, but I also heard it might close for good. Anyone know?

I had out of town friends visiting with me recently, and of course I wanted to show off the Sheraton and all its different places to hang out. Unfortunately, it was the bitterly cold weekend in mid-January, and all was quiet. The basement sports bar (is that the one called the Tavern?) had the most people. My friends and I were impressed with the place--the staff was friendly and professional, the drinks very good, and of course the furnishings and atmosphere top-notch.

A highlight of the evening was when one of the young staff members took us on a brief tour of the rooftop bar, which was closed like it was when you were there, Brasil, due to the frigid weather. What a view!! Spectacular space--VERY, very sophisticated and gorgeous appointments . . . PLUS THAT VIEW!! It is going to be THE place to be when the weather cooperates (soon--cant' wait!) The young man who was so kind to give my Savannah friends and me a glimpse up there never said that the place would not reopen. I'm certain they are just waiting till springtime and daylight savings' time to make it worthwhile. They had their debut on New Year's Eve (brrr!), and one of the bartenders told me her hands were sticking to the glasses it was so cold, even with those portable heaters! It is worth it to have it open air, though, for the breath-taking view of Columbia and miles around.

The Sheraton's rooftop bar is a must see for all locals, a great place to take visitors, and a space other cities would kill to have!

[Firefox]

1441 Main Fenced in

[krazeeboi]

As a reminder, here are some rough stillshots from a video rendering that was on The State's website some time ago that depict the ground floor exterior changes for this building. Of course, the name and logo will now be different:

Also, the 2nd Annual Urban Tour will take place on Thursday, May 7, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. along Main Street.

[CorgiMatt]

There's a new historic tour of downtown Columbia marked by little statuettes of the state's official amphibian, the salamander.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10224393

[CorgiMatt]

A new restaurant is taking the place of Birds on a Wire on Main Street. Zoe's Kitchen will open its second location by the end of summer. The State doesn't say whether they will serve dinner.

[growingup15]

Heres a construction picture of the wachovia building under renevation. the picture was taken today.

[krazeeboi]

I'm definitely glad to see this one happening. 1441 Main is just plain horrible at the street level. The renovations will help with that to a certain extent; it would have been even better if restaurant/retail space were included.

[waccamatt]

I still think Wells Fargo should put a huge stagecoach on the roof since they won't be using the sculpture of the Wachovia logo. How cool would that be?

[growingup15]

I still think Wells Fargo should put a huge stagecoach on the roof since they won't be using the sculpture of the Wachovia logo. How cool would that be?

Stagecoach im still comfused on what that is. please explain matt.

[waccamatt]

Stagecoach im still comfused on what that is. please explain matt.

Are you saying you don't know what a stagecoach is?

[Spartan]

Stagecoach im still comfused on what that is. please explain matt.

growingup15, please use a dictionary or google for vocabulary questions. Don't waste our time with questions like this.

Also, please work on improving your grammar. In your news videos, which you link to in your signature, you have pretty good spoken grammar. All you need to do use type what you're saying, use correct spelling, and use punctuation. If you do this, it will make it easier for all of us to have discussions because there will be fewer posts trying to figure out what it is you're trying to say. Please send me a message if you have any questions.

Thanks.

[Spartan]

I still think Wells Fargo should put a huge stagecoach on the roof since they won't be using the sculpture of the Wachovia logo. How cool would that be?

You mean like a sculpture or just their logo?

[waccamatt]

You mean like a sculpture or just their logo?

Like a sculpture. If Wachovia was going to use a sculpture, I think an avant-garde sculpture of a stagecoach would be an awesome replacement. An example is below.

[CorgiMatt]

I was at the Rooftop Bar tonight at the Sheraton. It was packed. All the good seats were taken. They have these things that double as high-back seats and lookout platforms, though, and we looked out in all directions from them. It's sweet up there. To look out and see the Vista warehouse district lit up while hanging out at a busy bar in the central business district gives you a feeling of being in a much larger city.

[waccamatt]

I was at the Rooftop Bar tonight at the Sheraton. It was packed. All the good seats were taken. They have these things that double as high-back seats and lookout platforms, though, and we looked out in all directions from them. It's sweet up there. To look out and see the Vista warehouse district lit up while hanging out at a busy bar in the central business district gives you a feeling of being in a much larger city.

That's great to hear, Corgi, I've been dying to go. Is it open every night? Do you know the hours?

[CorgiMatt]

I don't know.

[BrasilnSC]

I went there Thursday afternoon and it was packed then. It's got some pretty awesome views. I suggest going when it's light out as well.

[Spartan]

Like a sculpture. If Wachovia was going to use a sculpture, I think an avant-garde sculpture of a stagecoach would be an awesome replacement. An example is below.

I'm all about sculptures, statues, etc. But I just don't know what kind of impact that would have on a rooftop setting. Thats the kind of thing that should be on the street.

[CorgiMatt]

It was daylight the first 30 minutes we were there. The city definitely lies in a sea of green. Main Street's street-scaping looks great from up there. Incidentally, at street level it's looking very lush and beautiful.

By the way, a couple of weekends ago I saw three guys making great use of First Citizens' corner park. They were throwing a Frisbee in a triangle.