Main Street/CBD Developments

[krazeeboi]

It can, with the right mix of elements.

[growingup15]

Ok heres an idea i been cooking up for the past 2 years now. How about a time square columbia. I know right now your trying to figure out what im talking about. its an idea to place digital screens and tv screens all over Main from lady st to hampton st. to give main st a feel of being in a big city. now i have details but i dont want to bored yall with it LOL. tell me what you think about this idea i have.

ps do you think i should make a new topic for this one.

[mr. chips]

How about a time square columbia.

Sorry, but I think this idea is pretty ridiculous. Why would we want to copy another city, and pretend to be what we are not. Why not emphasize what we are, and what we do well (whatever that is...). That might be a more useful discussion. What should/could we emphasize that is unique to Columbia and the South that people might notice and remember? (By the way, it is "Times Square".)

[waccamatt]

Sorry 15, it isn't a practical idea as there isn't enough foot traffic to warrant that much advertising, not to mention that there would probably be tremendous opposition. Times Square is a touristy area and not really an office district like Main Street. Five Points would be more of a Times Square/Picadilly Circus kind of place.

[Captain Worley]

No on the times square idea. Last thing we need is all that silly light pollution.

[growingup15]

Well while everyone is having doubt I still have hope that Columbia can pull it off. Because we need Something different in the south and I Think Time square columbia or whatever silly name the city might come up with is still a dream waiting to be reached.

[krazeeboi]

Growingup15, it won't work. While I appreciate your visions for wanting Columbia to be more than what it is, trying to make it a clone of some other city will be certain disaster and will have the opposite effect of what you're looking for. There are some ways in which the city could think out of the box in order to create something a bit different, but this wouldn't be an example.

[Captain Worley]

Temple Ligon's bridge would have been cool, although I don't think it is very practical.

[krazeeboi]

Didn't he want to put the convention center on the bridge or something?

[waccamatt]

Temple Ligon's bridge would have been cool, although I don't think it is very practical.

It would have been different, but definitely impractical. Perhaps a bridge with shops and residences might be interesting.

[krazeeboi]

Or how about just "capping" the Congaree River bridge to create a seamless transition from the Vista to Vista West?

[Spartan]

Growingup- the times square thing probably won't happen in Columbia, at least not in an intentional way. Nobody came up with the Times Square in NYC as an idea, it just happened as a side effect of everything going on around it. Most major cities have something similar to Times Square, but it's called something else. Do a google search and see what other cities have. If Columbia ever becomes a major city, it's very likely that a "Times Square type thing" could develop, but like NYC, it has to happen naturally. Even here in Charlotte, we have Independence Square (Trade & Tryon), but it's uniquely Charlotte and not remotely comparable to Times Square.

[waccamatt]

^Exactly - we have Five Points and the Vista - 2 distinct and unique places in Columbia. In reality, Times Square is not the "true" New York City, it is a touristy area. My favorites are the "real" parts of New York - Hell's Kitchen, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Central Park, Columbus Circle, etc.

[Captain Worley]

Didn't he want to put the convention center on the bridge or something?

I think he did, along with shops and restaurants. Kind of a small district of its own. One of those really cool, really impractical ideas that's good to throw out every now and then.

Like the lighthouse!!!

[digital_sandlapper]

I finally took my camera to The Roof Top of the Sheraton (Palmetto Building), and here are some of the better ones--enjoy! (Click on an image to see larger image on Photobucket.)

Palmetto Building Main Street facade.

Cornice detail of Palmetto Building.

Main Street entrance detail.

They don't make ornament like they used to!

Washington Street (the main) entrance to the hotel lobby, with valets and entrance to basement pub (red door).

Now 19 stories up at The Roof Top bar.

Straight ahead is the cornice of the Meridian Building. Cool observation point.

Close to the edge (don't worry--thick glass panels protect!) is the Barringer Bldg. across Washington St. Bet you didn't know its cornice was so ornate.

Behind and overhead is the Wachovia Bldg.

Looking south toward the State House, with the new tower under construction on the right.

Panning southwest now . .

. . to The Vista.

Great views and breezes guarantee a packed house. A great place to see and be seen in our city--so what are you waiting for?

Edited June 2, 2009 by digital_sandlapper

[waccamatt]

Great pics, Digi!

[krazeeboi]

Excellent shots, DS!

[krazeeboi]

The city might foreclose on The Factory, the gym located on the ground floor of the Tapp's building. The Factory

[CorgiMatt]

I wonder who the new tenant will be. The city says there's a likely replacement.

[krazeeboi]

City council voted unanimously to proceed with foreclosure on The Factory according to The State. The city is said to be actively looking for a replacement tenant for the space.

[Captain Worley]

The city is in charge of looking for a replacement? Oh, no.

[colajnp]

New music venue and pub opening on Main Street across from Museum. Nice addition

[GamecockEngineer]

^^^I find this really exciting. It makes me wish I lived in Cola right now so I could support this venue.

"Maybe Main Street's niche could become live entertainment. Now that most of the streetscaping is complete there is nothing to stop Main Street from reaching its potential. I would like to see street musicians up and down Main Street. With the Tower at Main and Gervais anchoring the south end of the street and the Marriott, Sheraton, Museum of Art and the White Mule anchoring the middle part of Main and the nickelodeon and Mac's on Main anchoring the northern part of Main we could end up with a nice stretch for 7-8 blocks north from the State House. Look how popular the Sheraton Rooftop has become."

-Matt June 10th 10:40pm

This was one of the comments on the article. I really like this idea. I didn't realize (although I'm not suprised) that the Sheraton Rooftop had become so popular. Maybe with the White Mule, the Rooftop, the Nick, etc, Main Street will finally begin to emerge as a nighttime destination.

Edited June 11, 2009 by GamecockEngineer

[waccamatt]

^^^I find this really exciting. It makes me wish I lived in Cola right now so I could support this venue.

"Maybe Main Street's niche could become live entertainment. Now that most of the streetscaping is complete there is nothing to stop Main Street from reaching its potential. I would like to see street musicians up and down Main Street. With the Tower at Main and Gervais anchoring the south end of the street and the Marriott, Sheraton, Museum of Art and the White Mule anchoring the middle part of Main and the nickelodeon and Mac's on Main anchoring the northern part of Main we could end up with a nice stretch for 7-8 blocks north from the State House. Look how popular the Sheraton Rooftop has become."

-Matt June 10th 10:40pm

This was one of the comments on the article. I really like this idea. I didn't realize (although I'm not suprised) that the Sheraton Rooftop had become so popular. Maybe with the White Mule, the Rooftop, the Nick, etc, Main Street will finally begin to emerge as a nighttime destination.

Wow, that sounds like something I would have said. Oops, lol, I did!

[GamecockEngineer]

I thought it might be you.