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Five Points


mr. chips

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  • 2 weeks later...

It looks like a lack of specific enough details has shot down "Five Points South" for the time being as The Columbia Planning Commission has failed to approve the design plan. It is beyond me why some people think a 6 story building would harm the character of Five Points. Finlay House is 18 or 19 stories and there are 2 five story condos in Five Points already. I think it is absurd. I'd like to see what the next incarnation of this project will be.

The State's article

Edited by waccamatt
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Finlay House is somewhat removed from the heart of Five Points, whereas this project is pretty much right smack in the middle of it. So I can somewhat see the basis for the height concern, but I think that parcel should make the most use of the space.

Here's a pertinent excerpt from the article: But commission chairwoman Susie Heyward, who lives three blocks from the site, said she voted against the design because developers Ron Swinson and Stan Harpe didn

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I am somewhat of a Five Points resident (less than 1/2 mile away) and am a little bit concerned about the height. I think Five Points needs more density from a street level and does not need it's own skyline. I'd much rather see four two-story projects go up than a single eight-story project.

I agree -- keep Five Points a village!

BTW, welcome to the forum, Zihuatanejo! Check back often to give us your viewpoint as a resident of FP.

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Generally speaking I agree with that. But this would create a unique opportunity to make Five Points a more well definted place. When you come under the railroad bridge on Blossom and you see that, it will make much more of an impression. When you come down Harden from Gervais (or wherever) and you see that in the distance, it will make much more of an impression. I agree that too many highrises would destroy the character of Five Points, but I think that one thats in the urban distract (rather than to the side like the two that are there) will be an asset for the area, and not a detraction.

And welcome to the forum, Zihuatanejo!

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Why is everyone so worried about a little height? It's only 8 or 6 stories, with a 200 space garage that 5-pts desperately needs. This is one of first true mixed-use urban projects that could be the crown of 5-points, but it gets shot down. :rolleyes: I can understand the concerns about the facade and building material, but a couple of stories will not make a difference. 5-pts will continue to be a funky village, this will just add more density to the area.

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They shot it down because they didn't have any design specs, not because they didn't want a tall building. It sounds to me like this can still be approved with the right info.

From what I've read, those huge tunnels directly under the site have caused concerns about the engineering aspects. Can't say that I wouldn't be pretty cautious from that standpoint.

Edited by Ellen
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I think people have embraced the term "village" for 5 points much too literally. It's location certainly isn't like a village. It has two major through roads and is right at the edge of downtown and USC. It's mostly a collection of bars and restaurants, and the whole place turns into a party Thursday through Saturday nights when USC is in session, hardly village-y. I think 5 points is one of the more urban feeling places in Columbia. The only thing I see that resembles a village are the low-rise buildings. It may have been a village at the edge of town when it started, but it's role has changed.

I say this only to agree with what several other people have already said: people/merchants in 5 points need to embrace height (within reason, no 20 story buildings obviously) especially if it brings a parking garage.

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^ Great points. The most important part of that building was that it was a parking garage AND some other things too. If the city allows just a parking garage to be built there after that quality development was shot down, then I will be very dissapointed. I will also be convinced that the planning commission doesn't have what it takes to make good decisions for Columbia.

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Anybody else notice that they're replacing the power poles on Blossom with NEW and BIGGER power line poles?!? They should be burying them,...in fact they should have already buried them since they had most of blossom dug up at one point.

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I rode by there yesterday and was shocked. Just a month ago they were digging up the sidewalk in front of Wachovia and with the new development going in at the Kenny's site, this would be a perfect opportunity to bury them, why aren't they??? :dunno: It looked like they were moving the powerlines to the other side of Blossom St. at the Wachovia over Saluda St. and then back to the other side again (5 pts side of Blossom). I'm baffled. Why not finish the beautification project right.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

That was a rather unusual request from the developers. I think I can understand The State's decision; to run an article about one development company and all its projects is basically a form of advertisement, and it might come across as something of an endorsement by The State. Nothing's wrong with covering one development in particular and briefly mentioning all of the other projects that were done or are in progress by the same developer, but to do an article on just one development company and all of its plans is a bit unorthodox. And if The State were to do that, it would more than likely start with Prioreschi or Tomlin or some other local developer.

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