North Columbia/North Main redevelopment

[waverider]

There's an article in today's edition of The State about how Cici's Pizza will be relocating from the Dentsville area to North Main Plaza. I would assume that it will be moving into what used to be the North Main Deli. I'm extremely sad to see the Deli closed (does anyone know why they closed?), but glad that the space won't be sitting empty.

[emerging.me]

Hi gang,

Heads-up about a modern home project going down behind Columbia College at 1509 Cleveland St in North Columbia/Eau Claire. It's a collaboration between Celtic Works builders and the architects of Studio 2LR (full disclosure: all friends of mine):

New Modern Home - 1509 Cleveland

If you're into modern home design -- the kind of stuff that might be found in Dwell magazine -- but with an affordable twist, this might be your thing. Personally, I really dig it.

It's also on Facebook.

[waccamatt]

There's an article in today's edition of The State about how Cici's Pizza will be relocating from the Dentsville area to North Main Plaza. I would assume that it will be moving into what used to be the North Main Deli. I'm extremely sad to see the Deli closed (does anyone know why they closed?), but glad that the space won't be sitting empty.

I ate at NMD a few times, but they simply didn't compare favorably to DiPrato's or the Gourmet Shop so I stopped going there.

[krazeeboi]

The city will be applying for a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grant for the future North Main street reconstruction project phases. Grants require a 20 percent local match. Funds from this grant would go toward design services, construction, and construction engineering and inspection/construction management services for phases IA2 South, II, III, and IV.

• Phase IA2 South—Anthony Avenue to Parkside Avenue

• Phase II—Kortright Avenue to Jackson Avenue

• Phase III—Parkside Avenue to Kortright Avenue

• Phase IV—Jackson Avenue to Fuller Avenue

The proposed budget for the project is $40,799,003. The source of the proposed 22% match ($8,934,707) would be from City of Columbia water, sewer, and storm funds. Successful grants will be awarded after September 15, 2010.

[BrasilnSC]

I wish they would go ahead and finish Main St. from Laurel to Elmwood before starting the rest of the North Main Phases. That's just 3 more blocks to connect N. Main and Main.

[CorgiMatt]

I think the completion of North Main will force that to happen. It will be a glaring hole demanding its turn.

[krazeeboi]

I wish they would go ahead and finish Main St. from Laurel to Elmwood before starting the rest of the North Main Phases. That's just 3 more blocks to connect N. Main and Main.

Actually, I'd probably rather see N. Main get finished first because I think it's better suited for investment than Main is from Laurel to Elmwood. There's not really much pedestrian potential in those three blocks, but it should get finished relatively soon just for aesthetic purposes.

[krazeeboi]

Chef Frank Houston and his wife, Millie, opened Houston’s Low Country Grill on Sept. 13 in North Main Plaza at 3800 N. Main St., serving up shrimp and grits along with other Southern specialties, including crab cakes with jicama sauce and smothered Southern yardbird (in case you’re wondering, chicken). Many are already familiar with Houston's cooking, as he has a contract with the convention center to provide meals for catered events.

[waccamatt]

Chef Frank Houston and his wife, Millie, opened Houston’s Low Country Grill on Sept. 13 in North Main Plaza at 3800 N. Main St., serving up shrimp and grits along with other Southern specialties, including crab cakes with jicama sauce and smothered Southern yardbird (in case you’re wondering, chicken). Many are already familiar with Houston's cooking, as he has a contract with the convention center to provide meals for catered events.

Just a hop, skip and a jump from my house, but unfortunately I'm not too interested in southern cooking.

[krazeeboi]

The city will be applying for a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grant for the future North Main street reconstruction project phases. Grants require a 20 percent local match. Funds from this grant would go toward design services, construction, and construction engineering and inspection/construction management services for phases IA2 South, II, III, and IV.

• Phase IA2 South—Anthony Avenue to Parkside Avenue

• Phase II—Kortright Avenue to Jackson Avenue

• Phase III—Parkside Avenue to Kortright Avenue

• Phase IV—Jackson Avenue to Fuller Avenue

The proposed budget for the project is $40,799,003. The source of the proposed 22% match ($8,934,707) would be from City of Columbia water, sewer, and storm funds. Successful grants will be awarded after September 15, 2010.

Looking over the list of recipients (links here), it appears as though the city wasn't successful this go round in securing TIGER II grant funding. I wonder what plan B consists of?

On a more positive note, North Main Plaza has landed two additional tenants. First Choice Rehabilitation Center, a physical therapy center, has been serving the Columbia area since 2001. The center concentrates on alleviating and resolving injuries and chronic pain. It is located in the back of the North Main Plaza on the second floor. Natural Escape Day Spa, a health and wellness facility, offers services to include facial treatments, massage therapy, and nail treatments. The spa is located in the front of the plaza on the first floor.

[Spartan]

For what it's worth, it was next to impossible to get the TIGER II grants for most cities.

[krazeeboi]

Apparently the facade improvement program will cross Elmwood and target the North Main corridor with a $150,000 pool in place to do so.

Are there that many buildings that would be candidates in the first place? Doesn't seem like it.

[growingup15]

Apparently the facade improvement program will cross Elmwood and target the North Main corridor with a $150,000 pool in place to do so.

Are there that many buildings that would be candidates in the first place? Doesn't seem like it.

I think with this new Facelift for N.main i hope we start seeing Residental Mix use or Full Residential mid size buildings kinda will look good going down main st. Kinda fill in the area and Skyline.

[johnpro318]

Apparently the facade improvement program will cross Elmwood and target the North Main corridor with a $150,000 pool in place to do so.

Are there that many buildings that would be candidates in the first place? Doesn't seem like it.

Lemar Street at North Main has a cluster of buildings that would be a good fit for this program. That area could easily expand and create a village area around it towards where the new North Main buildings were built. That gas station needs to be torn down and some sizable be built in it's place. The whole street from Lemar up to Montecello Road could be a cool community.

[krazeeboi]

I'm familiar with that little strip on that triangular parcel of land. Still, I don't think those few buildings will be enough for a facade improvement program to be the catalyst for a turnaround in that area.

[johnpro318]

I'm familiar with that little strip on that triangular parcel of land. Still, I don't think those few buildings will be enough for a facade improvement program to be the catalyst for a turnaround in that area.

Yeah I was trying to justify the expansion of the program and that is as far as I got. The city needs to concentrate its efforts a little more in my opinion. Maybe Assembly Street or the Five Points should have been granted a chance at this program than North Main past Elmwood.

[CorgiMatt]

Some Eau Claire community leaders think the downtown districts get too much attention. I say grow downtown and then watch the ripple effect wash over the periphery.

[krazeeboi]

Yeah I was trying to justify the expansion of the program and that is as far as I got. The city needs to concentrate its efforts a little more in my opinion. Maybe Assembly Street or the Five Points should have been granted a chance at this program than North Main past Elmwood.

Very true. Completely agree.

Some Eau Claire community leaders think the downtown districts get too much attention. I say grow downtown and then watch the ripple effect wash over the periphery.

Nothing wrong with investment in other neighborhoods, but I'm not sure if this is the right way to go about it. They need to figure out why new establishments can't seem to survive first.

[krazeeboi]

City of Columbia officials announced the demolition of an abandoned building on Main Street that was once home to the Varsity restaurant and the Park Avenue Night Club.

 

Councilman Sam Davis called the vacant building at 2706 Main St. an “eyesore,” and authorities have deemed it unsafe.

 

 

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/10/31/3070020/city-announces-demolition-of-former.html

[johnpro318]

 

City of Columbia officials announced the demolition of an abandoned building on Main Street that was once home to the Varsity restaurant and the Park Avenue Night Club.

 

Councilman Sam Davis called the vacant building at 2706 Main St. an “eyesore,” and authorities have deemed it unsafe.

 

 

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/10/31/3070020/city-announces-demolition-of-former.html

 

 

Good news. They should tear a bunch of the abandoned buildings down that are falling apart. 

[carolinagarnet]

I got really excited until I read the article. I have a feeling they will have trouble finding a partner and/or getting financing. I also think DDRC will hit them on design standards (assuming they have jurisdiction). Still, it would be nice if it succeeded. It's in a great location considering that the ballpark was just approved.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2014/07/30/3592769/exclusive-north-main-street-project.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

[carolinagarnet]

I forgot to post this last week: a $10M TIGER grant for the refurbishment for a 1.27 mile stretch of North Main ending at Columbia College. The area is pretty run down, but I guess it might be a decent area for development when Columbia Commons is up and running.

 

http://www.thestate.com/2014/09/09/3670487/columbia-receives-major-transportation.html?sp=/99/205/&ihp=1

[carolinagarnet]

Interesting article about the potential for spillover on North Main. I envision the area becoming something like East Nashville- fun, cheap, and somewhat low brow with a hipster vibe. 

 

http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article18890907.html

[carolinagarnet]

The city is hosting a symposium on North Main next week. 

 

http://columbiabusinessreport.com/news/54959-city-hosting-north-main-improvements-open-house

[growingup15]

Since there isn't much news going on in downtown at the moment I thought we could imagine some things for a bit.

 

Could we possibly see maybe in the near future some Mid Rises or even 1 high rise Apartment of Condo pop up on the North Main St side soon or within the next 5 years.

 

My thoughts is that we may see 1 or 2 pop up just before you get to the RR crossing in that empty field or across the street where the old factory is at.

 

that would be a cool sight and i can imagine the view from there high up.