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Main Street/CBD Developments


mainstreeter

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Every year, Columbia spends $330,000 in taxpayer dollars to rent 22,000 square feet of empty space in the Tapp’s building. It’s been that way for more than 10 years, part of an agreement in which the city loaned a developer $880,000 to turn the old department store into apartments. The city has tried, and failed, to get a viable tenant for the space. The lease expires in August 2012.

Instead of paying an additional two years for empty space, Mayor Benjamin wants to give the space to Brenda Schwarz Miller, a 1995 USC graduate and former West Columbia art gallery owner, and let her turn it into 30 art studios, an art gallery, theater space, a coffee shop, and framing and print services. The proposal, which a City Council committee sent to the full council earlier this week, includes a $200,000 forgivable loan and one year of free rent for Schwarz Miller. She would pay for utilities and be responsible for maintenance. And, once the city’s lease ends, she would pay Prioreschi’s group a “hefty hunk” of rent.

Jim Gambrell, Columbia’s economic development director, said he did not think the city would approve that kind of arrangement and City Councilman Daniel Rickenmann agreed. Also, the proposal has upset some in the arts community.

Looks like Miller got her loan. I hope the endeavor is successful.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Apparently Mast is generating enough traffic to warrant a traffic study this week for Main Street’s 1600 block to decide whether the traffic increase merits banning left turns from Main Street onto Taylor Street and vice versa.

I think that's a good problem to have. :)

Awesome. but NNNOOOO on the no left turn! but it makes sense.

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Apparently Mast is generating enough traffic to warrant a traffic study this week for Main Street’s 1600 block to decide whether the traffic increase merits banning left turns from Main Street onto Taylor Street and vice versa.

I think that's a good problem to have. :)

This seems to be a kind of knee-jerk reaction, or a quick congratulatory pat on the back to me.

More traffic is good, but what exactly is speeding up your traffic going to do? All Main Street traffic should be mostly local anyway. The Statehouse prevents you from really going anywhere. If people are using it as a cut-through, then they can easily find a way around if it irritates them.

By allowing left turn lanes, traffic slows. The benefit: pedestrians feel safer. The turning cars that are going 10 to 20 have time to look and be noticed, rather than those who are going 35 or 40 and gunning it to make a light or on-coming traffic. This is a new situation, and it CAN work itself out (with the mentioned but down-played option of signal timing OR by vehicular traffic finding new routes off Main). Give it a chance, City of Columbia, before hailing this as a huge win and a great problem to solve.

More traffic is good to see. But, let's not potentially create more problems by making short-term-focused decisions for this.

Edited by GvilleSC
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This article in the Columbia Regional Business Report mentions the project called the Palms on Main. I remember it was discussed earlier but an update states construction began this month and will be finished in February next year. It states the development will include 51 urban residents, the Chick-fli-a, the Atlanta Bread company, a grocery store and room for 2700 square feet of additional retail. Hopefully this will help jumpstart more development. I didn't know this was actually going through.

Project website doesn't say much: http://thepalmsonmain.com/

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The Chick fil A and Atlanta Bread Co stores are already there, but I didn't know about the small grocery store and the additional retail. I had heard that the other "retail" space was supposed to be a gym from earlier accounts, but it would be great if it were actually...retail.

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I had to re-read the article to see that it was mentioning the "small grocery store" (which is a bit misleading, IMO) as an existing tenant. Oh well, the additional retail space will be good. Maybe at some point there will be enough activity in the area to warrant the Chick-Fil-A staying open past normal business hours.

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How's the Mast General Store doing?

I have been there several times in the last month both during the week and and weekends. I looks to be doing extremely good. There must have been over 150 people there on Saturday when I was there around 11am. During the week they have a nice crowd as well.

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Spartan should like this bit of news. :)

The McCrory building at 1556 Main is a candidate for Group II Landmark status, but not because of the historic nature of the building itself. The building received an extensive alteration around 1950 when a new exterior brick veneer and new windows and storefront were added to the building. This building does not appear to have retained its nineteenth century features behind the new façade. The projecting cornice and decorative iron window lintels had to be removed to accommodate the new brick exterior, and the window openings were closed in, as they did not match the openings for the mid-century update. Even the interior space is devoid of historic detailing such as tin ceilings or ornamental plaster (which is largely due to a fire that essentially gutted the building in 1925); only brick walls and wood columns supporting the floors and roof give any hint to the building’s age.

As the large retailers on Main Street began removing their updated exteriors (i.e., faux facades) by the late twentieth century, McCrory slowly became more and more unique. Among the prominent corner buildings that sheathed themselves in new exteriors, such as Belk’s, Lourie’s and Haltiwangers, only McCrory retains its updated façade. As such, it is a rare survivor of the latest trend to “return” buildings to their old facades. This building is also significant for its design. A streamlined commercial structure with a prominent horizontal window motif, supported by continuous concrete sills and lintels, contrasting with a strong vertical corner panel, the building’s use of geometric shapes, its display of contrasting but simple materials such as blonde brick, concrete and stucco, all speak to its mid-twentieth century heritage. Now over fifty years old, this façade qualifies as a historic alteration to the building. This building is a prime example of a company attempting to keep up with the times, as the McCrory company owned the building during its remodeling. This attempt is part of the history of the evolution of Main Street and is a significant event in the built history of the city center.

The DDRC application link has a picture of how the building looked in its original condition. It also has a rendering of the building, presumably submitted by the company that recently purchased it, after being repurposed for new retail/restaurant use which includes new windows, awnings, and a new side storefront.

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  • 3 weeks later...

As tenants began moving in on opening day Monday, the Lofts at Lourie’s--the apartments above Mast--were 75% rented. The studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments rent for $730 to $1,375. In addition to the Lofts, CanalSide (which has 175 units) had only one vacancy as of Tuesday according to property managers. The second phase of the the development, which will add 200 more apartments, is set to begin soon. Also, Vista Commons is full and the Estates on Gervais, the townhomes in the Publix building, are renting for $2,000 a month and are adding tenants. For occupancy levels to be what they are at this time of summer is an indication that the housing is drawing permanent residents, rather than students which is obviously a good thing.

Nice picture that accompanied the article in The State:

FNU7E.St.74.jpg

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For occupancy levels to be what they are at this time of summer is an indication that the housing is drawing permanent residents, rather than students which is obviously a good thing.

Does this really prove that students aren't renting them? I've had school rentals that began at the beginning of August, July, and June. A rent check is all it takes to say "occupied", right? Just curious.

And, those rent rates don't seem too bad :thumbsup:

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Does this really prove that students aren't renting them? I've had school rentals that began at the beginning of August, July, and June. A rent check is all it takes to say "occupied", right? Just curious.

And, those rent rates don't seem too bad :thumbsup:

That's according to an official with the Center City Partnership.

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As I've said at one point in the past, I hope the economy truly begins turning around to the point where the county can build a new courthouse, freeing up the land where the current courthouse sits for a great mixed-use development. As is, that site will create an imbalance for revitalization of the 1700 block with traditional storefronts on one side and no complementary use on the other. I've often wondered what was there before the courthouse was constructed and whether any gems were lost, like when Woolworth's and Haltiwanger's were demolished on the 1400 block to make way for the Palmetto Center and 1441 Main, respectively.

Woolworths (and other commercial buildings)

2766604014_1cf6bcb17c.jpg

2766604014_1cf6bcb17c.jpg

Haltiwanger's

2592919819_09cfa7d053.jpg

2592919819_09cfa7d053.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Wedding 101, a wedding planning studio based in the Nashville area, will be opening its second location at 1537 Main Street. This was supposed to be the home of the Argyle Social Club a few years back after refurbishment. I'm glad the restored building has found new use, and it's great to see the "Mast effect" continuing along Main.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A Charleston development group this month will begin renovating the McCrory’s Building on Columbia’s Main Street — another indication of accelerating interest in Columbia’s one-time commercial center.

*Plans include a retail establishment and/or a restaurant on the basement and 1st floor levels with 2 stories of office space above.

http://www.thestate.com/2011/10/05/1997146/building-our-city.html

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