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I'm really curious to see how Vista West will develop. I think it would be awesome to have a townhome on the west side of the Congaree and see the skyline!  I know there is one community being developed on that side of the river near the W. Cola Riverwalk. I would like to see more affordable housing go up in that area. Of course it won't be on the river but that area should village off as well.

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I did some driving around today and went up and down the streets of that little mill village. People have started fixing some of them up. You can definitely see a renewal on the horizon. I'd buy a house in there if the price were right.

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Well Y'bor doesn't have a whole lot of residential development. It's mainly an entertainment district, at least from what I remembered. But the city is taking steps in the right direction, as long as they aren't in the same place today that they were yesterday, that's my motto.

Yeah I think a townhome there would be awesome that area is going to look really nice in a few years.

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Not much just a little info about USC and Cola and the whole next energy thing.

USC to explore nanotechnology ethics

The ethics of nanotechnology is the subject of an international conference that will attract speakers from 35 universities and 10 countries to USC March 2-5.

Speakers will discuss nanomedicine, military applications of nanotechnology, patents and intellectual property and utopian and apocalyptic visions of nanotechnology.

Although the conference is intended for scientists and academicians, college students and the general public can attend one session for free. For information about the conference, including the program, go to http://nsts.nano.sc.edu/events/general.html.

The conference will begin at 7 p.m. March 2 at EdVenture Children

Edited by The_sandlapper
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Well the new Hilton rendering doesn't look bad but it doesn't look that impressive either. I guess they are married to that whole it must look like the rest of the Vista thing. Was that in todays, "The State"?

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It looks better than that concrete prison thing in the old rendering. :)

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The good thing about DT Columbia is it has grown alot but it will grow alot more within the next ten years or so. There will be a good bit of quality development going on. This part of town is still in it's pre-school stage meaning that just in the past few years have they realized what the Vista area can become. I think it will be pleasantly surprising.

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I'm disappointed with CanalSide too.  That's not at all what I had invisioned.  I really hate the brick proposal even though theyve since scrapped it, right?  It seems like all the good stuff is popping up outside of downtown, Sandhill, for example.

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No decisions have been made for the development of Canalside yet, though. I hope it will be mixed use and I hope it is NOT developed by Mungo.

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No decisions have been made for the development of Canalside yet, though. I hope it will be mixed use and I hope it is NOT developed by Mungo.

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Amen to that. Mungo has a terrible rep. The last thing this needs to become is a "New" New Friarsgate.

How much space will be devoted to parks/public space in the latest proposals? Anyone know?

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How's this for progressive!

City approves plan to cover Columbia with wi-fi

Staff Report

Soon, a wireless Internet cloud will cover Five Points, the Vista, Main Street and other areas of Columbia.

Columbia City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday to spend at least $150,000 in hospitality tax funds to create a series of

Edited by The_sandlapper
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I agree with this editorial. Richland taxpayers should be livid about this.

Budget board should nix attempt to move market

THE STATE BUDGET and Control Board should reject a plan to relocate the State Farmers Market.

The board is taxpayers’ last hope to avoid spending millions for a new market the state can’t afford. While the state’s finances are slowly improving, any new revenue should be dedicated to filling the critical gaps in funding such essential services as education, public safety, roads and health care.

But state agriculture officials and Richland County Council, in a display of poor public stewardship, insist on building a new market. Richland County and the state Department of Agriculture have worked out a deal to move the market from Bluff Road to Shop Road. The council voted last week to pay $4 million for the land; $250,000 each year for 20 years to promote the new market; and $500,000 in engineering and architectural costs. Richland also will issue bonds so three major wholesalers can build at the new site. The wholesalers, who will pay the county back over 20 years, will eventually own the buildings.

A new market is expected to cost nearly $27 million. Last week, a state bond oversight board approved a plan to borrow $10 million for the relocation. About $14 million will come from the sale of the current market, while the state hopes to get another $2.5 by selling a food safety laboratory in Columbia. The University of South Carolina has guaranteed it will buy the old market site for at least $14 million. The Budget and Control Board would have to approve the sale.

Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, is trying to derail this project. While we believe it needs to be stopped, we don’t agree with Mr. Knotts’ reason for doing so. His aim is to build the new market in Lexington County rather than in Richland.

At last week’s meeting of a subcommittee chaired by Sen. Knotts, officials from Lexington and Calhoun counties jointly proposed that the market be moved to a 220-acre site off I-26. Lexington officials argue the site is better than the Richland one, citing such factors as proximity for market vendors, air, rail and highway transportation, and low crime.

But once again, the fact remains that the state should not build a new market anywhere at this time.

Frankly, Richland County can’t afford the expenditure, either. But council members insist it’s the state that is driving the proposed move. They say they’re only trying to keep the market in their county.

The state has played Lexington and Richland counties against one another, getting them into a bidding war. (Lexington, to its credit, was unwilling to bankroll the project at the gaudy level Richland has proposed.)

But no matter whom is to blame, this project should not be allowed to move forward. If Gov. Mark Sanford is serious about setting priorities, controlling unnecessary costs and limiting money borrowed by the state, he should lead the charge to quash this deal. He and fellow Budget and Control Board members will have that opportunity when they meet next Thursday.

Edited by vicupstate
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The wifi in town is awesome. It would REALLY be awesome if it reached Earlewood Park. Maybe I could get rid of road runner then and save $45 a month. Have they worked out the privacy/safety problems with wifi? Does anyone know?

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The wi-fi concept is a good one, but the goal of the project is not to replace existing service providers. Supposedly the city will limit access to 2 hours a day, and coverage will be concentrated in public areas.

I would like to see private providers step up to increase coverage; i think it is smart for the city to provide some hot zones in key areas (vista, 5 points, Main St., etc) but they should leave it alone after that point. I used the hot spot in the Vista when I was here on my househunting trip last year and I think having that infrastructure in place is great for tourists and business travelers. However, I don't want to see the city enter the ISP business; they have better things to do.

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I think that the Farmer's Market doesn't necessarily need to be moved. Other than to allow for development around the Stadium, I see no reason to move it.

I didn't realize that about the hotspots. I think that the 2 hour limit is too short. The city doesn't need to be in the ISP business I agree. But I can invision alot of scenarois where 2 hours just wouldn't be enough time.

I hope they will cover Finlay Park.

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I just read another article about the wifi hotzones. They are suggesting two hours a day. That seems pretty boneheaded, but then again I guess it's for the more transient population (tourist & such) as the article is suggesting. Still though it's pretty cool that the city has these areas.

On another note Lexington Medical Center is still trying to open up its heart surgery center. Iv'e been following this story for awhile since I'm a health care professional. The biggest concern is that two hospitals in Richland Co. already perform cardiac surgery, these institutions feel that by adding a third cardiac hospital this will thin the surgical talent pool in the area. For some odd reason they don't think that the new facility will be able to attract/ hire qualified surgeons? Lexington's argument is that they are growing too fast not to have this service anywhere in the county. Of course it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that it always seems to boil down to money, So the saga continues..................

Bill seeks to bypass DHEC decision

Agency would be forced to OK facility

By NOELLE PHILLIPS

Staff writer

Lexington Medical heart surgery center

If Lexington Medical Center can

Edited by The_sandlapper
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My family originally from SC left and come back in the early 80's to Columbia. We folllowed the trend of migration the article speaks of, I thought it was interesting.

New black residents making subtle entry into Columbia market

By WARREN BOLTON

Associate Editor

WHEN TONY Grant lived and worked in Charlotte a few years ago, new African-American business people moving to the city were greeted by an unofficial welcoming committee.

It was an attempt by local chamber members to get new residents active in the community.

Mr. Grant said that doesn

Edited by The_sandlapper
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Yeah I think they will. It's one of the better places too live in the state in my opinion if you are an "educated" black person. Columbia has a very large black middle class. Something that I didn't see much of in Myrtle Beach or Greenville when I was living in those cities. It has the largest % of minority owned businesses in the state. I would like to see some PR in the way that Charlotte, or Atlanta has gotten. Both towns have been considered "top ten" cities for minorities. I think a large part of Columbia's mid-class black population is due too USC, Benedict, Allen, & SC State in Orangeburg about 45mins. down the road.

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Yeah I think they will. It's one of the better places too live in the state in my opinion if you are an "educated" black person. Columbia has a very large black middle class. Something that I didn't see much of in Myrtle Beach or Greenville when I was living in those cities. It has the largest % of minority owned businesses in the state. I would like to see some PR in the way that Charlotte, or Atlanta has gotten. Both towns have been considered "top ten" cities for minorities. I think a large part of Columbia's mid-class black population is due too USC, Benedict, Allen, & SC State in Orangeburg about 45mins. down the road.

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Speaking of Benedict. Isn't it great how much money they've put into the Read Street neighborhood the last few years?

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Are you speaking of the old "Saxon Homes" area? Cause if so that is amazing! I really don't recognize the place. Not in a million years would I thought that they would be able to completely redevelop that area. I have to be honest with you I don't know many street names back home unless they were major roads, or unless it was in St. Andrews.

Edited by The_sandlapper
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